Exploring Oman‘s Natural Wonders

Slowly, but surely, our little Oman adventure was drawing to a close as today we would be driving to Muscat, Oman's capital and our last destination. That said, on the way to the city, there were still a few things we would explore. Namely the famous Wadi Shab and the intriguing Bimmah Sinkhole.

But first things first. Upon checking out, we headed to Sunaysilah Fort, which was still in Sur and provided us with great views over the city and the ocean as it was located on a little hill.

The sheer amount of minarets still amazed all of us - we counted at least 15 dotted all across the city. The Fort was permanently closed for visitors, so we simply walked around it and soaked up the views.

Then we were heading to Wadi Shab which is probably among the most well-known and beautiful Wadis in Oman. Even though it was still early in the morning (just past eight), it was already hot and humid. Once we arrived, we took a small boat for two minutes to get to the other side of a little stream and then walked towards the natural pools.

The first part of the walk was uneventful, but we started to get a sense of the scale. In effect, we were walking through a small canyon with the canyon walls rising into the sky on our left and right. After some 15 minutes, the Wadi turned spectacular, though.

Climbing a few stairs up, a smaragd green lake unfolded in front of us, starkly contrasting with the rocky and brown coloured canyon walls to its side. All I could think of was "Wow, what a sight". It really is amazing what nature can and has created.
We took a little break there to admire the scenery in front of us, took a few snaps and drank lots of water. There was a little bit of shade, which was very welcomed, especially for my mom, who really does not like the humid heat.

After just 5-10 minutes more, we finally arrived at the pools and it didn't take long for me and my dad to jump into the refreshing water. What a feeling it was. Something surely needed after the little 25-30 minute walk. To this day, I am not quite sure why dad doesn't like to jump into the open water (ie ocean) but is happening the Wadis, while mom seems to avoid the water of the Wadis, but jumps into the ocean - strange parents sometimes.

Anyway, we lingered there for a little bit more than an hour before returning to our car and heading to our next destination - the Bimmah Sinkhole.

The sinkhole very much reminded me of Cenotes in Mexico or the sinkhole in Samoa. It is basically very close to the ocean (so the water is a little salty), has a round opening and feels like an imaginary ceiling has basically just collapsed giving way to a round pool in which you can swim.

The difference to the aforementioned locations is that this one does not have grass or trees growing inside and above, but has merely the yellow, beige, sandy colour given its location in a very hot climate.

This time, I was the only one walking down the steps and swimming in the sinkhole, while my parents were chilling up top in the shade. I think the heat (42 degrees) had really gotten the better of both of them by now. To be fair, it was very hot, which is why the water in the sinkhole felt really nice and refreshing.

Then it was finally the moment when we would drive to Muscat, our very last destination. We treated ourselves a little bit by staying in the Sheraton Hotel. I mainly picked this hotel, because it also has a pool. After arriving, I quickly made my way down to the pool, jumped in and then relaxed there for the rest of the afternoon. My parents took a nap and then also came down after some time to join me.

In the evening, we went for a traditional and delicious Omani dinner before going to bed early. Tomorrow would be our last full day and we would wander around Oman's vibrant capital.

Recapping today, it was a great day of exploring Oman's most famous natural wonders - and wonders they were. The incredible thing about them is also that they were free to visit and were not crowded at all. Maybe it is the time of year (May is already very hot in Oman), but yeah, I was, once again, stunned by the natural beauty of this country.

That said, by now, we had left nature behind us and were ready to experience city life.Läs mer