Issue27-March'13 - Copy

LOCATIONS
OMAN
escapes
Words + Photos: Darryl MacDonald
When my wife and I first moved
from Canada and started exploring
Oman, we instantly fell in love with
the country and its people. When
we spoke to our friends and family
back home, we were overly enthusiastic
about how wonderful it was
and how everyone should come and
visit.
Since it is a 25-hour flight from Canada to
Oman and not a popular vacation destination
for Canadians, we thought we might be
lucky if we had anybody come to visit. As
it turns out, my wife and I are in the wrong
business. We should be promoting parties or
concerts or some such thing because what
started as a trickle of visitors has turned into
a flood. In less than three years, we have had
eight different sets of Canadian visitors. During
February and March of this year alone,
my wife and I have four, yes, that’s four different
sets of visitors coming from Canada.
My wife has resorted to putting hotel soaps
and shampoos in the guest bathroom and
bath robes in the guest bedroom. At some
point we may need to put a sign over the
door and start charging for room and board!
You might ask, “Where am I going with
this?” Well, having such a wide variety and
large quantity of guests, a host requires an
array of activities to keep them entertained.
My wife has become an expert tour planner
and I have become an expert at executing
those plans. She has created a broad range
of itineraries to suit the full range of friends
and family, from couch potato to extreme
adventurer. Among all of those itineraries,
there are a few common trips that work for
the full range of visitors and that we are
happy to repeat over and over again. Wadi
Bani Khalid is such a place. My wife has enthusiastically
declared this her favourite wadi
in the entire sultanate and it consistently
receives rave reviews from our visitors.
The wadi, located just over 200km south
of Muscat, is a little long for a day-trip but
being close to the Wahiba Sands, it can be
easily combined with an overnight desert
adventure. There are several ways to explore
the canyon. For those that want the full
adventure, the best way is to drop a vehicle
off in the town of Sayq, then proceed 40
minutes north to the town of Bidah. Hiking
through the wadi from Bidah to Sayq takes
approximately five hours, depending on
your fitness level. The wadi slopes gently
downwards as you pass waterfall after waterfall
after waterfall (seriously, I’ve never seen
so many waterfalls) scrambling down rocks
and swimming through massive pools. It’s
certainly one of the most breathtaking wadis
in Oman as you swim, hike and scramble
through the canyon. One waterfall, near the
beginning of the hike, reaches 15m with
a massive emerald green pool below. You
could happily spend the day there swimming
and lounging near the edge of the pool.
Beyond this point, it is unlikely that you will
encounter other tourists or locals until you
near the next town. The hike is not very technical,
but is physically strenuous and involves
sections where swimming is the only option
if you wish to continue.
Closer to Sayq, the wadi widens creating
some pools large enough to be labeled as
small ponds. On the right hand side is the falaj
system which can be followed like a path
and continues all the way to the village. Here
the hike takes on a completely different feel
as you pass through the shade of a meticulously
manicured orchard filled with date
palms, banana trees and mangos all terraced
along the falaj system passing over the emerald
green pools of the wadi below.
So depending on the time frame and what
type of guest we are catering to, we may
choose to do the entire wadi (complete with
vehicles to shuttle), although most of the
time we park at either Bidah or Sayq and
hike in for a few hours then return back the
way we came. This way you can take your
time to stop and enjoy some of the larger
pools, which are a nice reprieve from the
heat.
If you want an easier day, with no hiking,
there are a few massive pools of water near
Miqil just before Bidah. These are complete
with paved walking paths, a restaurant and
shaded seating areas but can be busy on
the weekends. Also in Miqil there is a small
cave that can be explored with a waterproof
torch if you’re willing to get dirty. Some of
the passages are a pretty tight squeeze,
certainly not for the claustrophobic among
you. As usual, if you decide to undertake this
weekend adventure, be sure to play it safe.
Bring with you all necessary supplies such as
sunscreen, extra water, waterproof torch and
snacks. More information on this area can
be found in the Oman off-road books so you
can plan your trip accordingly.
As we like to say in Canada, get out there,
have fun and “keep your stick on the ice.”
Darryl MacDonald
52 OUTDOORUAE