Travelogue Oman 2019
Wadi Bani Khalid
Our next stop was Wadi Bani Khalid. A wadi is a valley or river course that often only temporarily carries water after heavy or prolonged rainfall, in Oman these are often deeply incised canyons. When the rain starts, these can be a death trap. If it does not rain, then they offer the opportunity for wonderful hikes and nature experiences.
On the first afternoon we visited something like an Omani natural outdoor pool in the upper part of the wadi near the small village of Miqil.
Of course, there are more (local) tourists in the main area, but when we were there, there wasn’t much going on. Still, the closer you are to the locals, the more you should make sure to wear appropriate clothing even when swimming.
We walked past the main pools and straight into the less visited northern part. The water here is very pleasantly warm, not only because of the generally high air temperatures but also because the river springs from something like thermal springs.
For the next day we had planned a hike through the lower part of the Wadi Bani Khalid, which according to the off-road travel guide can hold a candle to the famous Snake Canyon (Wadi Bimmah). Unfortunately we didn’t manage to visit the latter on this trip, but firstly we can go to Oman again and secondly Wadi Bani Kahlid is also really great.
Tip number 1: Make sure you leave on time. For some reason we didn’t get to the start of the hike until about eleven. The guide said the tour would take four to five hours for most groups. But if you want to enjoy the details, take a real break somewhere, and/or take a lot of photos, then it can quickly become significantly longer. It was only because we really stepped it up in the second half that we made it in just over five hours and the sun set shortly after our arrival. At other times of the year you might have a bit more time, but still being stuck in the wadi after dark would hardly be recommended.
Tip number 2: A waterproof bag big enough to hold anything you don’t want to get wet is a must.
Tip number 3: Download a map in advance that also includes hiking trails, e.g. maps.me. The paths marked there are only to be taken as orientation in the wadi itself, but nevertheless it is a good feeling to know how much of the way you have already done. There are of course no signposts or anything like that, or at most sporadically and at most in the upper part of the hike.
We set out as a couple, without a guide. At the beginning of the Wadi we were on the way at the same time with a French travel group, but they turned around at the big pool (see below). Beside the guide of the group, there were almost no locals in this area but a few teenagers who jumped into the water from an adventurous height at the big pool and maybe they were only there because some lightly dressed female tourists pass by. Considering this we and especially Malina did not take it so strictly with the clothing habits on this hike 😉
After a while Malina and I set off again and from then on we are alone in the wadi for the next four hours.
However, that was not the end of our adventure. I had completely blown it that there was no direct road from Sayk back to Bidah. Further, I was so spoiled by our experiences in the capital that you can hail a taxi to take you anywhere in a matter of minutes via an app that I hadn’t given any thought to getting back. Well, it turned out there was a footpath, but it was far too late for that and we were too tired. Or a 60 kilometer loop on normal roads … but still no taxi.
So we sat down in the middle of the small village and I started considering our options. And so something happened to us that I had already experienced in Jordan: Friendly people immediately noticed that there were tourists in a place where they actually did not belong and approached us.
First, a very high-end looking car pulled up with three well-groomed men in it who spoke very good English. After a short conversation and some explanations on our part, they asked us to stay where we were, they would organize a solution for us.
The second man who approached me first inquired of me, so that no one else could hear, if I knew of any way to get meteroite finds out of the country. Exports of any kind, even just ordinary shellfish shells, are strictly regulated in Oman. He even showed me photos of the meteroite. I indicated that I had no idea at all about such things, and showed that I did not want to go into the subject any further. Then this man also said that he would arrange a ride for us. He was not impressed by the fact that I told him that someone was already helping us. He didn’t want to name a price either, we should just give what we thought was adequate.
In the meantime, a young man who spoke no English but indicated that he would drive us, had turned up next to Malina. Malina refused his offer, since we were waiting for the three men from the beginning.
Then came a second young man sent by the meteroite finder. He didn’t speak English either. When I signalled him to please wait, we had to see if our first helpers were coming back, he disappeared and was not seen again.
And then actually our first three helpers came back … and were very surprised that we were still there. It turned out that the young man Malina had sent away was the help they had organized … We were embarrassed, of course. The men spoke briefly and then told us that they themselves would take us back to our car and they insisted to do it without any payment whatsoever. They drove us the first thirty kilometers to the company of one of the three, and from there one of their employees drove us to our car.
And that’s not all. They asked us where we were going to spend the night. We said we didn’t know yet. We’d find a place or camp out. Well, what can I say, we were invited to stay with one of the three, in a guest house in his – you can’t call it anything else – palace from 1001 nights. Of course, we tried several times to turn down the offer, but to no avail. By the way: at least in some Arab countries it is a must to reject offers at first. Only if you are repeatedly invited with insistence, you can be sure that the host did not issue the invitation just out of politeness.
Afterwards they burned incense for us (which is very important and of the highest quality in Oman) and introduced us to all the male members of the extended family. We didn’t see any of the women.
Talal continued to be in contact with us throughout the rest of our trip and beyond, helping us with a lot of very useful information. We hope to be able to host him with us someday, even if it will be a “little bit” less luxurious.