How would you feel plunging into a natural swimming pool that is constantly replenished by fresh spring water? How about a family picnic in a cool and quite environ under the shadow of a sunkissed mountain? Is rock climbing or trekking interest you? Are you in the mood of taking a relaxed fish pedicure?
All these experiences, yes everything mentioned above coupled with a background that reminisces a perfect Arabian Desert oasis would come alive once you enter this beautiful landscape called Wadi Bani Khalid. We have been to this place twice and wouldn’t mind to be there for a third time!
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As you travel along the old Sur road and enter the Sharqiyah region at about a distance of 200 km from Muscat, the view of rocky and dry mountains, that is very much archetypal of the Sultanate of Oman, slowly disappears into endless red sand dunes of its only desert – Wahiba Sands. Not far from this desert – may be just at a distance of 30 kilometers or so from desert town of Bidiya, there is this natural wetland we are talking about – an oasis full of greenery fed by continuous flow of natural spring waters. It’s a small village called Wadi Bani Khalid (WBK) where the farmers cultivate varieties of fruits, vegetables and crops.
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| The colourful road towards Wadi Bani Khalid |
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| Springwater cannels |
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| Wadi Bani Khalid - first view |
It’s truly a delight, a paradise not much explored. You will not find many tourists here (only if you visit during weekdays), nor has this place found a mention in many travel guides. Away from the hustles and bustles, this place will steal your heart with its calm and quite milieu and breathtaking view.
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| This pool is ideal for fish pedicure |
How to reach:
If you like reading directions, here is a short description of the road to WBK
1. If you start from Muscat, head towards airport. Just after crossing the airport take left turn from Al Mawalah roundabout towards Nizwa. This is a dual carriageway road, route no. 15 to be precise, that leads to Nizwa.
2. After half an hour or so, you will reach the town of Fanja. Keep moving straight until you reach Bidbid. From here, take a left turn towards Ibra. This is route no. 23 and a single carriageway which means a tardy driving experience.
3. After one and half hour or so, you will reach Ibra. Keep moving straight and you will enter the Sharqiah region. Here, you will be greeted by a view of red sand dunes on both sides of the road and if you are lucky you might see hoards of camels!
4. The town near the Wahiba sands is called Bidiya. Once you cross Bidiya and travel for around 15 km, you need to look cautiously towards left for a brown signboard written Wadi Bani Khalid and Mukal Cave. Take a left turn.
5. Keep moving until you hit a T junction. Take left from here. Then take the second right turn to reach the parking. From here, you can clearly see the fertile valley and vegetation. Start walking for about 10 minutes along the cannels that irrigate the place. Here you are!
Found the directions confusing? Not a problem. Just have look at this google map:
View Larger Map
Once you reach near the place, you might find it difficult to exactly locate the place. Ask any local villager where the water pool is located. Never ask where is WBK, because the entire village is called Wadi Bani Khalid. The villager will be more than happy to guide you.
What to see and do:
Here is a list of things to see and do at WBK – arranged from low to high activity level:
#Visit the village and see the farmland, #Picnic and BBQ, #Fish Therapy, #Trekking, #Swimming, #Snorkeling, #Diving, #Rock climbing, # Exploring inside the Mukal cave.
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| Follow the directions in brown signboard towards the cave |
Precautions to take:
1. Once you enter the wadi, you will notice a signboard asking the tourists not to engage any local villager for porter or any other services. Still, some local children might approach you to guide you through the valley anticipating some tips. There is no need for a tourist guide unless you want to explore the inside of the cave. Nonetheless, there is no harm in offering a small tip to the young kid.
2. Never swim in the first pool. It is full of algae and fungus that might harm your skin.
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| Never swim here |
4. Keep water and food items with you. The nearest restaurant is at Bidiya – at a distance of 35 km. Also, don’t forget to bring a torch/flashlight in case you want to explore the cave.
5. In case of heavy rain, or even mild rain continuing for more than half an hour, leave this place immediately. Rain waters flow down from all the mountains and engulf the wadi very quickly. The whole area might get flooded in no time and eventually lead to a road block. Oman has lost many lives in floods caused by rainwater. The wadis in Oman turn very dangerous in case of rain.
Plan your itinerary for 2 days of stay at Oman:
Wadi Bani Khalid is an experience to remember, a must visit site of Oman. Still, you would like to have more fun to compensate the long drive of 7 hours (3 and half hours each side), especially if you are visiting Oman for a short duration and want to explore as much as possible in a short time. So, here is an itinerary how you can club other must visit attractions of Oman for an overnight stay:
1. Reach WBK at about 10 am in the morning. Irrespective of your choice of activity to do, you can spend at least 3 hours at this place. Thereafter head towards Wahiba sands (35 km) for Dune bashing at the desert (Remember to book a car in advance for dune bashing, or you can get one at Bidiya).
2. a) Stay overnight at a desert camp. A number of tour operators offer desert night camps. Book one in advance. Many of them offer barbeque dinner, local musical song and dance shows, camel riding etc. Spending a night at a desert camp with campfire and music will definitely remind you of the stories from Arabian nights that you might have read in your childhood.
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| A view of Wahiba Sands |
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| Sur bridge |
4. Things to see and do along the new Sur Road: Lots! Wadi Shab, Wadi Tiwi, Bimah Sinkhole, Wadi al Arbaeen, and the list go on. But I realise now my article getting too lengthy and I’m afraid I might turn you off. So, I stop here and promise to write about all the great things that could happen to you along the new Sur road in another blog article.
Other facts:
Finally I could not resist writing about some facts I found worth sharing about these places.
1. If you are not from the Middle East, you might be wondering what a Wadi is! It’s just like a river that only carries rainwater or spring water to the sea. They are mostly dry. In case of heavy rain, wadis are flooded with water from all the surrounding mountains.
2. Wadi bani Khalid is located at a mountain gorge. It is surrounded by tall steep mountains from all the sides, which means a late morning and an early evening.
3. The turn off from highway (route no. 23) to Wadi Bani Khalid crisscrosses many hills on its way. These hills are decorated in colourful stones as if someone has carelessly painted them using all possible colours available in this universe. Perhaps only a geologist can tell you the real meaning of these colours!
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| Coloured mountains - on the way to WBK |
5. Sur is located at the conjunction of two seas – Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. Maybe due to this reason it has got some spectacular wild beaches that are a pleasure to indulge in!