Wadi Bani Khalid: Oasis Escape

Feeling so much better after a 12-hour sleep, it was time to explore what I’d come to see in Oman—the countryside. Normally when I think of the word countryside, I picture rolling hills dotted with rows of trees separating green paddocks. Over in Oman it’s a little different. Before doing any research I assumed—wrongly—that it was just barren desert. Yes, it’s pretty barren, but there is life, beauty, and a lot to see here, and my day trip today was going to show just that. My guide for the day picked me up and I met the other guests on my tour—a couple from Essex in the UK.

We headed out of town, cruising along the wide modern expressway at 130 kph towards the first stop of the day, Wadi Bani Khalid—about 2.5 hours’ drive south-ish of Muscat. I had a prime view from the front passenger seat, in awe of the rocky hills we passed and the tunnels carved through them. The occasional camel or small herd of goats grazing by the roadside leaned into the desert stereotype well, as did the walls surrounding houses along the journey. While most of the landscape is dry, rocky, moon-like terrain (well, what I imagine the moon or Mars to look like), there are pockets of life. Green oases filled with date palms spring up, surrounded by small towns or villages. We made a short pit stop halfway, I grabbed a cold Coke for a boost while the Essex couple got some chocolate they’d been craving.

As we got closer to the Wadi, the road wound over a small range then descended through a town, steep rock-faced hills rising in the background. We parked and followed the channel of running water uphill through the palms. The water is so clear and filled with small—and not so small—fish. The guide said there is always water here, fed by a spring. The path opened to a larger pond with a steel footbridge crossing the start of the rock canyon. Unfortunately, some construction across the pond meant the sound of excavators drilling was less than peaceful.

The guide explained the rules. “Men—you can wear shorts, anything, anywhere. Shirt or no shirt? Up to you. Women can wear a bikini or whatever from here, but not over there,” he said, pointing to the larger pond. “If you can swim, you can swim up the canyon. Otherwise you can walk seven minutes and swim there—easier.” He directed us to the changing tent over the bridge, past the signs that said No Entry and were taped off. I got changed and, while he said I could wear anything, the signs suggested you needed to be covered, so I opted for shorts instead of my usual Funky Trunks or Aussiebum swimmers.

I decided to swim up, and the Brits followed. The top layer of the water was warm, like a bath, but 30 cm beneath the surface it was cooler—refreshing but not cold. Fish parted around me as I swam up the canyon. The British couple soon ditched me, leaving me swimming solo. I decided to backtrack and walk up the canyon as it felt a little unsafe to be alone. I’m glad I did, as I soon noticed I would have needed to climb a small waterfall if I’d swum the whole way.

Beyond the waterfall lay a shallow pool where the water continued through the canyon. I swam along, this time with others around, and enjoyed the refreshing water. It was funny to watch those who couldn’t swim try anyway, only to be yelled at by the park staff to head back to the shallow section. I made it to the end where the upper parts are dry and watched the water bubbling out from beneath the rocks.

The contrast between the white stones, reddish rock walls, and blue sky above was magical. Add in the green tint of the water and it was picture-perfect. I went back to my bag, grabbed my phone, and carefully swam back up the canyon to take photos. My phone promptly warned me it was too hot and needed to cool down, and I had to resist the instinct to dunk it in the cooler water. I swear I’m intelligent! 😂

With time up, I walked back down the canyon, changed, and waited for the British couple to do the same. The 40-ish degree heat felt even stronger after that refreshing swim—although it made drying my shorts a lot easier. We left the Wadi and headed for a local restaurant for a well-earned lunch. I’ve never been much of an outdoor water swimmer, mainly because most rivers in Australia are either brown and murky or have crocs in them. I’m so glad I added this to my itinerary: simply breathtaking, a bit of fun, and super refreshing.Les mer