Outside the few major cities, Oman is an unspoiled frontier, with rugged mountains and deep wadi's (canyons). With few restrictions and friendly locals, the camping and hiking is unbeatable.
Wadi Suwayh |
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Many of the wadi's flow
with fresh water, making them popular recreation areas. Some hikes take
hours, scrambling over boulders, jumping from cliffs, and swimming
through pools.
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Wadi Bani Awf |
| One of the most scenic drives in Oman, with steep climbs and narrow
corners.
Snake Gorge, below, is a popular hike through waterfalls and deep pools.
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Al Ayn |
One of the many terraced villages in the Hajar Mountains. |
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Bani HabibAbandoned sometime in the early 1900's, the villagers have all moved onto the plateau, trading up to air conditioning and 4WD's.
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The CoastlineWith hundreds of miles of coast along the Persian Gulf in the north and the Indian Ocean in the east and south, there are thousands of deserted beaches. |
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Turtle Beach |
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About 6 hours from Muscat, the beaches of Ra's Al Junayz look eastward over the Arabian Sea. In the early morning light, shallow pits and wandering tracks are evidence of the nights activity. Every year, thousands of Green Sea Turtles lay their eggs along this coastline |
| Drawn by the setting sun, the turtle drags herself onto the beach, sometimes over great distances, excavates a nest, and drops her clutch of eggs. This is a protected beach and nightly access is restricted. However, with a guide, one can observe these ancient ladies as they go about the seemingly impossible task of reproduction. After hours of exhausted digging, and more hours of egg-laying, she drags herself upwards and heads back to sea. In the morning, a few late stragglers can be seen struggling to the sea. I've seen these turtles while scuba diving, gracefully gliding along. But, on the beach, their heavy bodies and flat flippers are a burden; they struggle with monumental effort, their sad eyes caked with sand - it's exhausting just to watch. Eventually, they make it to the sea and disappear in the surf. |
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| A few hatchlings are also seen in the early morning, struggling towards the rising sun. With boundless energy, they wriggle through the sand, tumbling into each depression, clawing towards the light. It seems such a huge distance, every hole a deep chasm. For these late-risers there's little hope of survival, with rising temps and hungry birds. It's impossible not to intervene. Carried over the sand and deposited at the waters edge, they seem to sense the nearness. A wave washes over, oversized flippers flailing in the foam, tumbling along the sand, another wave, deeper this time, and he's gone. |
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At the mouth of Wadi Tiwi, overlooking the sea, is the mausoleum of Bibi Miriam, queen of Qalhat. This is one of the oldest towns in Oman dating back to the 2nd Century AD. |
The Wahiba Sands |
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| A large area of sand dunes in the center of
Oman, stretching from the Hajar Mountains in the north to the Dhofar
Mountains in the south. The dunes trend north-south and drift slowly
westward over time.
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The Majlis Al Jinn CaveIn the eastern Hajar Mountains is the world's second largest cave, the Majlis Al Jinn. The main chamber is so immense it would swallow the largest Egyptian pyramid. The floor is roughly 980ft x 650ft (300m x 200m), large enough to hold 12 football fields. Descent is a 400ft (120m) free rappel and the ascent is a long nervy venture up the same rope.
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