From the smooth highway pavement to winding paths on rocky cliffs, our two-week road trip through Oman was filled with delightful surprises. We rented a Toyota “Fortuner” 4WD at the airport and drove on a circular route through the country. At times, the “off-roads” were challenging.

Off Road Magic

On the bumpy road towards Wadi Tiwi, a local stuck his head out the window of his car and yelled, “4 wheel now!”  We heeded his advice and were glad we did. The slope was very steep, and the road around the boulders was impossibly narrow and twisty. We joked, “Good thing this is the way in … hopefully there’s another road for the way out!” Not! Luckily there was not much traffic, and all drivers were courteous, as everyone recognized the narrow nature of the road.  

The road to Jebel Shams, the highest mountain in Oman, was described as: “Not for nervous or inexperienced drivers.”  That is an understatement, to be sure.

Ed drove slowly and carefully, and the Fortuner had high clearance and avoided the many boulders and rocks. (Jan had to hold her tongue, as any “driving tips” were not welcome–or Ed would say, “not necessary!”)

Balcony Walk

The mountain drive was worth it, as the views from Jebel Shams were incredible.

Often called the “Omani Grand Canyon,” this area offers a rim trail or “Balcony Walk.”  It’s an old trail once used by goats and shepherds. 

We hiked the 7-mile round trip Balcony Walk to an abandoned village. Over the 3.5-mile area, there were guard rails on about 20 feet of trail. 

On all the other parts, we had to rely on careful footing.  Often the trail disappeared, and we had to scamper over the rocks, looking for the next trail marker. On the way out, we didn’t realize we were descending, so the return was more challenging than we had expected.

Luckily we returned to the trailhead before it started to rain at about 2 pm. We learned that other hikers got stuck out there – soaking wet and more likely to slip on the slick surface.  

Making New Friends

Everywhere we went, we were impressed with the warmth and hospitality of the Omani people. People constantly offered us food and Omani coffee. We only saw one other American couple during our entire two-week tour, and the locals were surprised that we were from the USA. We received many smiles and curious glances.

Wanna Buy a Goat?

The Friday morning Goat market in Nizwa is a colorful and noisy affair. The night before, we scoped out the empty arena where the market would take place the next day.  

On Friday at 7 am, the place was abuzz with goats bleating and men haggling.  For some, it was an opportunity to get together with friends and exchange stories.

In this traditional market, the sellers “parade” their goats around the arena while buyers observe the goats.

If interested, a buyer can wave the goat herder over, and check out the goat – by looking at its teeth (to determine age and health) and feeling the udders – to determine whether the goat is pregnant. Buyers see a pregnant goat as a two-for-one deal. Once a deal is cut, the cash is transferred, and the goat gets tied up somewhere so the buyer can load it in his truck or car trunk and take it home. Once the parade of goats started, the action moved quite quickly.

Jan met one of the goat buyers, Samir, as he completed his transaction. 

He purchased this beauty for 32 Rial, which is $82.

After chatting briefly, Samir told Jan, “I would love to have you visit me at my farm in Quriyat.”  We discovered we would drive by Quriyat on the way back to Muscat, so we said, “ok!”  We exchanged WhatsApp numbers and parted ways.

We contacted Samir and arranged a visit. Finding the farm was challenging, as Google maps couldn’t direct us. Instead, we used a dropped pin on WhatsApp and made our way to a narrow driveway. We had found the right place!  

Samir gave us a tour of the farm, and we saw the goat in her new surroundings. (She has to be quarantined for 10 days to make sure she has no disease.) 

Samir also has camels and cows on his farm.  This baby camel was 5 days old.

We were surprised when Samir said, “I hope you can stay for 3 or 4 days!  Here is your private suite. My cook is ready to cook for you, and the beach is nearby.”  We were appreciative of this offer, but said we only planned to stop by for an hour-or-so and say hello.  (As a small gift of appreciation, we wanted to bring him something American, so we brought him a goodie bag of Oreos and Chips Ahoy cookies. He said his grandchildren would be fans.)  Next time we may accept this type of hospitality, as it would have been fascinating. 

Wading in the Wadi’s

Wadi’s are natural springs that dot the landscape.  Over many centuries, these wadis have been developed with falajs, or innovative irrigation troughs designed for neighbors to share water from the wadi.  We hiked along these falajs to access the main pools of the wadis. 

At Wadi Tiwi, a local friend Josef guided us along the falajs and helped us make our way to the central pools.

A bit further up the rocky road, we met another new friend, Mohammed, who skillfully guided us toward a waterfall and additional pools.  Since there were no signs or marked paths, we were glad for the local assistance.

Less adventurous travelers can opt for Wadi Bin Khalid … (we called this “Wadi Light”) as it boasts a very short paved path from the parking lot, pay toilets, and a snack bar where tourists can have a buffet lunch.  We opted to swim in this Wadi, as there were changing rooms, and it looked like there might even be a lifeguard!

Swimming in traditional Omani waters is a conservative affair, as there are guidelines for tourists:

Braving the Bimmah Sinkhole

Local legend says that this gigantic hole in the earth was made by a crashing meteor. The clear waters beckoned at 50 meters by 70 meters, and Jan had to jump in!

We learned ‘it’s all about the framing’ when it comes to some tourist recommendations. Although we found the stairway down to the sinkhole to be a “feature,” as it had a handrail–a rare sight on many cobblestone stairways–the guidebook was not so positive.  It read:

“The sinkhole – formerly one of the coast’s most magical beauty spots – has now been utterly defaced in the name of tourism, with an ugly stone wall … and the steps … which has reduced the spot to a level of suburban naff.”

The officials wanted us to recognize that we were responsible for the risks involved.

We were amused to find two women conducting market research at the entrance. They were probing visitors on what could make this site more attractive to visitors. We suggested that “Sink Hole” might not be the most inviting site name. They weren’t familiar with the snarky text of the guidebook.

Forts Abound

Many of the cities hosted large forts.  Some were originally built by the Portuguese in the 1700s; others were built by various Sultans over the centuries.  

All were very interesting and offered expansive views from the lookout towers.

One of the unique features of the Jarbin Fort (from 1670) was some hidden passageways known as “murder holes” where the soldiers could pour boiling hot date juice on intruders as they tried to access the interior of the fort. This would have been quite the deterrent!

Fortunately, the murder holes are now empty.

A Night in the Desert

We found a professional 4×4 driver to guide us over the sand to our desert camp. He was an expert at “dune bashing” and drove us successfully to our camp.

His tires were deflated to accommodate the sand.

The sunset over the desert was breathtaking.

More 4×4 in Musandam

We traveled to Khasab in northern Oman (in an area that is not contiguous with the rest of the country) and took a 4×4 ride up the mountains with a professional driver, Harim.  The road was bumpy and steep, but Jan was more relaxed with Harim at the wheel (instead of Ed!)

We also took a dhow (traditional Omani boat) cruise among the fjords. This area is often called the “Norway of Oman.”  The dramatic cliffs–called “khors”–soared high above the water, and we enjoyed this relaxing cruise, lounging on pillows that graced the boat’s central area. The boat captain knew how to invite the local dolphin pods to swim to the surface and race the boat. They put on quite a show.

Thank you, Sultan Qaboos

The modernization of Oman is credited to Sultan Qaboos, who reigned from 1970 to his death in 2020. 

He is beloved by all; his photo is everywhere; and many Omani landmarks bear his name.  The Grand Mosque in Muscat is an excellent example of his legacy. As of the largest mosques in the Middle East, the main hall can hold 20,000 people.

Modern Oman

Unlike many authoritarian leaders, Sultan Qaboos used the revenues generated by oil production since its first oil export in 1967 to modernize the country’s infrastructure. While this post has focused on our off-road experiences, we must emphasize that the limited-access highways of Oman are fantastic, with smooth pavement and clear signage. Frankly, Oman’s highways put many roads in the Bay Area to shame. Similarly, an expansive electrical grid and 5G mobile communication reach every corner of the country. Every child has access to education, including boarding schools for those in rural areas. We visited the Museum of People and Places in Muscat–a small museum that shows family life in Oman just 50 years before oil export began. The progress toward modernization that has occurred in the last 50 years is nothing short of startling.

Farewell Oman!

Our two weeks in Oman were filled with new experiences and adventures.  We were impressed with the country’s safety, warmth, and hospitality. We enjoyed meeting new friends, tasting the local food, and traveling the country independently. Although Google Maps sometimes got confused–the “lady” couldn’t read Arabic, so she would say, “Turn at the ….”–we navigated successfully and could always make a U-turn if necessary.