The Sultanate of Oman is not your typical desert country where all you can see is the endless spread of sand. This country was blessed with spectacular scenic views where these natural beauties never seem to be out of your sight. Whether it's the steep and prominence rocky mountains, the mountain oasis or the pristine beaches, Oman definitely has it all!
Little do you know, besides the amazing landscapes that Oman possessed, Oman is well-known for their 'Wadis'. In English, 'Wadi' is known to be riverbed valleys where it usually appears in between the deep gorge. During the rainy season, these valleys are often filled with rainwater that runs down from the cliff, turning those dry lands into a river. Depending on the nature of the cliffs, some of the stagnant rainwater evaporates into the thin air after a while, while some remains. However, at Wadi Shab, the nature of the land that is filled with rocks and stone is able to preserve the water and the rainwater always remain on the land. Over the time, these accumulated water and slowly turn into different natural emerald-blue pools that are perfect for swimming. This discovery slowly spread across the world, attracting hikers and nature lovers to travel all the way here.
Oman has never been a top-listed Arabic country to visit when it's being compared to Dubai or Saudi Arabia. However, in recent years, Oman has finally opened up their country for tourism, giving us a chance to witness and experience the wonders of this beautiful country. This country is perfect for you to ditch your busy lifestyle and channel your focus into these natural beauties. For those who visited Oman, it is not a surprise to know that Wadi hopping is always on their top-list.
So, where is "Wadi Shab"?
Wadi Shab is located in the Eastern Region of Oman, not too far away from the nearest Tiwi Village. Driving from Muscat is rather easy by using the speedway which is around an hour and a half drive away. This wadi is located deep in a village under an enormous bridge. To be able to arrive at the destination, it is recommended to use a good navigation system or to ask for a driver to bring you there.
Since we camped not too far away from this wadi, we departed later after the sunrise to the Wadi with our rental car. To arrive at this place, we had to drive through a village via the ultra-steep, curvy and narrow road where all the boats are. In order to start hiking, we are required to take a short boat ride across the river operated by the locals for 1 OMR/person.
Although it's not a long ride, but it is definitely entertaining and really build up my anticipation for my hiking adventures. From what I know, the distance from the starting point to the emerald pool is around 3km long. It normally takes around an hour to the end-point but, it also depends on your speed and the pathways that you choose. We hiked more than an hour as made multiple stops for photographs, mesmerizing the nature and going off-path explore the area.
The initial hike was easy as the path is clearly marked. As we proceed on our journey, the path slowly disappeared. At times, we had to dodge and tip-toe at a certain part to make a safe move. Although it's not an easy task to hike and to take photos at the same time, but we really couldn't keep our eyes off at the beautiful canyon. The brownish colored rocks with the greenish river totally captured my attention and I am getting excited to have my feet dip into the crystal clear water.
I was a surprise that we even found a network of irrigation system built along the cliff. Although we weren't sure where does the system leads to or what are the reasons why it's built. But, we are pretty sure that it's man-made and there's definitely people living somewhere around the Wadi.
As we were approaching the river, we can already see a mini-waterfall flowing vigorously over the still water. At this stage, we had to climb over the rocks and make our way up the hill. Sometimes, I need to grab onto other stones and with a little push from the back to make it to the other part of the river in order to continue on our journey.
After quite sometimes of a hike, we finally arrived at the river where we can finally take dip our feet into the cooling clean water. Honestly, I couldn't think of anything better than a cooling refreshing drip after a sweaty hike.
The only regret we had was not being able to make it to the cave as we were running late for our next location. But we definitely had a blast dipping our feet into the water, take a break to enjoy the beautiful landscape. To be surrounded by serenity, peace and tranquil environment. All I can say is we really enjoyed our hiking journey at Wadi Shab.
Just a tip, wear a proper hiking shoe as the path could be pretty slippery at some parts and also bring sufficient water to drink. It could get pretty hot during the midday.
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Travel Resources for your trip to Oman
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Flights: We recommend checking Kiwi.com to find the best and cheapest flights to Oman.
Accomodation: Explore the best places to stay in Oman on Booking.com, Agoda and Hostelworld.
Travel Insurance: Medical emergencies abroad can be pricey, but travel health insurance is not. We always use SafetyWing for affordable and reliable coverage.
Car Rental: For hassle-free car hiring, DiscoverCars is our trusted choice with a wide selection of vehicles.
Internet: Got an eSIM compatible phone? Airalo is perfect for reliable internet access during your trip. Just install it before you go, and you're set!
Day Trips & Tours: We recommend GetYourGuide for a variety of well-organized and enjoyable activities.
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