CROSSING OMAN FROM NORTH TO SOUTH

      Transfer to a wadi (120 km - 1h 30)

      Walk and swim in a wadi

We start with a refreshing swim in the vast pool down the village where we park. We then walk up the wadi around large boulders and across water pools until the canyons narrows to form very long pools. We swim there and go back the same way. Warning : in some places, you might have to step in the water ; you shoes and pants might get wet…

- Level 2    
- Duration : 4 hours
- Walking Time : 2 to 3 hours

We set up our camp on a flat area at the foot of beautiful mountains, with a panoramic view

Individual camping tent

      Transfer to Tiwi (60 km - 0h 30)

      Hike through gardens and water pools

A wonderfull valley, with a river and water pools, a huge palm grove streching along it on terraces, villages, and scenic mountain slopes. We spend there the whole day alterning walking and swim stop(s) : several itineraries are possible for a nice full day walking not too difficult

- Level 2    
- Duration : 6 hours
- Height Difference : +100m/-100m
- Walking Time : 2 to 4 hours

A nice small hotel very well located, just before the village of Tiwi, in front of the sea, and at the entrance of Wadi Tiwi. The hotel has a swimming pool and a garden.

Standard Room
Modern and comfortable room with private bathroom. Breakfast taken at the hotel

      Walk and swim in Wadi Shab

We start from the sea and start hiking in the wadi. After 45 minutes or 1 hour walk in this beautiful wadi we'll go to the water : we swim from pool to pool to reach a waterfall flowing in a cave. We come back the same way. The valley, the walk, and the swim are very beautiful, but the place iis now very touristic and often crowded.

- Level 1    
- Duration : 3 hours
- Walking Time : 1 to 2 hours

      Transfer to Sur (80 km - 0h 45)

      Visit of the city of Sur

Sur is a big city living quietly. It is built on the seashore and extends along a wonderful lagune. It was famous in the past for the naval construction. This traditional industry is declining but there is still one factory which produces wondeful traditional arabic dhows. We stop to visit it. We then walk up to a watch tower from which we have the best view over the city.

- Duration : 2 hours

A good hotel with modern and comfortable rooms, located just outside the city on the lagoon

Standard Room
. Breakfast taken at the hotel

      Transfer to a wadi (150 km - 2h)

      Hike to waterfalls and swimming

The lower part of this valley forms a narrow and wild canyon. We start from a lovely village in the valley and cross its palm garden to access the entrance of the canyon. We hike in the canyon between big boulders (the way is not very easy but doesn't last long) until we arrive to a splendid pool with waterfall. We have rest here and enjoy a swim. For those who like jumping, a very nice 10 meters jump is possible there… According to the rains and floods which change the river course, it can happen that we need to swim or hike in the water to reach the waterfalls

- Level 2    
- Duration : 3 hours
- Walking Time : 1 to 2 hours

      Transfer to our campsite in the desert (70 km - 1h 30)

      Sunset in the dunes

We start a walk across the dunes in late afternoon. The heat isn't too strong anymore and the sunlight is the more beautiful. The setting sun always gives changing colour to the sand and the shades. This a great unforgetable time.

- Level 1    
- Duration : 1 hours

A very nice camp which lays in the middle of the sand dunes, in a quiet and wild area.

Arabic Tent with private bathroom
Arabic tent nicely equiped as an hotel room : bed, carpets, tabe, chairs. Private bathroom.. Breakfast & Dinner taken at the hotel

      Transfer to the white desert, among rocks and sand (420 km - 7h)

      Sunset between White desert and rocky hills

We walk up a small plateau next to our camp. On the one side we perceive the white desert which we will cross the day after. On the other side, the sun sets on rocky hills.

- Level 1    
- Duration : 2 hours
- Walking Time : 1 to 2 hours

Varied landscape : sand dunes, rocky hills, and an accacia "forest"

Individual camping tent

      Transfer to a fishing village (60 km - 1h)

      Stop in a beduin coastal village

This is a very picturesc fishing beduin village : feelings to be t the far end of the world where old 4WD cover with algaes and shells tow small boats coming back from fishing.

- Duration : 1 hours

      Transfer to the white desert, on the seaside (20 km - 0h 20)

      Swimming in the Indian Ocean

Hard to say if we are on the bech or in the desert, since the dunes arrive in the sea… Here endless beaches strech along the Indian Ocean. The bath is just great!

- Duration : 2 hours

      Walk to see sunset in the white desert

We walk a little to enjoy the sunset light on this surrealistic landscape.

- Level 1    
- Duration : 2 hours
- Walking Time : 1 to 2 hours

Unusual landscape : on one side we have pure white dunes, whereas on the other side we have the Indian Ocean…

Individual camping tent

      Transfer to a fishing village (271 km - 3h 36)

      Hike on a wild coast

. We first walk down a wonderful bowl along white limestone cliffs. We then walk on the beach (we can here have a nice swim in the Indian Ocean).

- Level 2    
- Duration : 4 hours
- Height Difference : +0m/-200m
- Walking Time : 2 to 3 hours

We set up our camp on this wild coast, on a sandy white beach, surrounded by black rocks et bordered by the Indian Ocean…

Individual camping tent

      Walk to the cape

We start our walk on the beach. The rocks change quickly : we leave the white limestone and enter the ophiolites, the rocks of the oceanic crust that are only visible in such quantity in Oman. They take a black polish and are sharply erroded. Between these back hills, the white sandy beaches bring a wonderful contrast...

- Level 2    
- Duration : 2 hours
- Height Difference : +50m/-50m
- Walking Time : 1 to 2 hours

      Transfer to Shuwaymiyah (370 km - 4h)

      Short walk above Shuwaymiyah

We have a walk on the cliffs overlooking the wide bay of Shuwaymiyah

- Level 1    
- Duration : 1 hours
- Walking Time : 1 to 1 hours

Individual camping tent

A standard hotel in a great location, facing the sea and near to the port

Standard Appartment

      Visit of Mirbat and Bin Ali Tomb

As we arrive in Mibat, we stop to have a ook at the tom of Muhamed Bin Ali Al Alawi, descendant of Ali, son-in-law of the prophet Muhamed. He came from Yemen opened a cornic school in Mirbat in the 12th century. We'll then have a round in the nice village of Mirbat

- Duration : 1 hours

      Transfer to the heights of Jebel Samhan (60 km - 0h 45)

      Walk Along the ridge of Jebel Samhan

We have a pleasant walk along the ridge of Jebel Samhan overlooking Mirbat's plain and the ocean. The cliffs down us catch and block clouds during the monsoon : the coastal slopes are wooded while the plateau on the top is dry ; the contrast is syartling... This easy walk offers countinuously stunning views and gives us the opportunity to discover a particular ecosystem, at the limit of the clouds...

- Level 2    
- Duration : 4 hours
- Height Difference : +500m/-150m
- Walking Time : 3 to 4 hours

We camp at an height of 1500m

Individual camping tent

      Transfer to Wadi Darbat (30 km - 0h 30)

      Short hike in Wadi Darbat

Wadi Darbat is one of the most famous wadis in Oman. During Khareef (between july and september, the monsoon time) it is a of the favourite place of omani tourists who come here to enjoy the greenry and nice river. We''ll hike up the valley.

- Level 1    
- Duration : 3 hours
- Walking Time : 1 to 2 hours

      Transfer to the archeological site of Khor Ruri / Sumhuram (15 km - 0h 15)

      Visit of Khor Rori and Sumhuram ruins

Khor Ruri Wadi Darbat's estuary. Seabirds are numerous there. Above the estuary are the ruins of Sumhuram, that was an importanat port during the Antiquity. It was located at the far east of the kingdom of Hadramaut, zone of production of frankincense, resin taken from a tree that was once more valued than gold.

- Duration : 1 hours 30

      Transfer to Salalah (45 km - 0h 30)

We spend the night in this nice hotel. The hotel is located in Al Dhariz, facing the sea, and has a swimming pool.

Standard Non Sea-view room
. Breakfast taken at the hotel

      salalah Food Souq

Salalah food souq is worth a visit : it is very lively! We find there wondeful fishes, meat, vegetable, fruits, dates, and traditional medicines...

- Duration : 1 hours

      Discover the fruits stalls of Salalah

Salalah is a modern city but still having many agricultural fields in the middle of the city. On the streets there are numerous salls selling the fruits produced here : coconuts, banana, papayas, sugar cane, etc...

- Duration : 1 hours

      Visit of Al Baleed Archeological Site

This archeological site lies in the city of salalah, facing the sea. This city was previously known as Dhofar (which is now the name of the region). The area was inhabited since since 4000 years BC, but the remainings date from the 10th century AD. Its position made it an important port in the region. Next to the site is a museum with a hall about history and another about boats.

- Duration : 1 hours

      Visit of Souq Al Husn

Al Husn Souq is Salalah popular market. It is above all famous for the sale of frankincense, perfumes, and omani shawls. It is for the moment under renovation und therefore limited in size.

- Duration : 2 hours

We spend the night in this nice hotel. The hotel is located in Al Dhariz, facing the sea, and has a swimming pool.

Standard Non Sea-view room
. Breakfast taken at the hotel

      Transfer to the archeological site of Shisr Ubar (190 km - 2h)

      Visit of Ubar ruins in Shishr

We stop on the way to visit the ruins of what is believed to be Ubar, this mytical city located 'between Hadramaut and the trees of Oman'. This city was partly detroyed when a subterranean cavity coallapsed to form a sinkhole. The main tower and traces of fortifications remain visible. We'll visit them as well as a smal museum about how the site was discovered.

- Duration : 1 hours

      Transfer to our campsite in Rub al Khali (110 km - 2h)

      Short walk in the sands to sea the sunset

We go have a walk across the high dune of the Rub Al Khali (Empty quarter in arabic), the huge and arid desert of Saudi Arabia that crosses Oman's border. We'll walk up a dune to see sunset in this unbelievable landascpe…

- Level 2    
- Duration : 1 hours
- Height Difference : +150m/-150m
- Walking Time : 1 to 2 hours

We set our camp at the foot of the huge dunes of the Rub Al Khali

Individual camping tent

      Hiking in Rub al Khali

Morning, we start walking from our camp. We climb several high dunes which surround us : the ascent is sometimes exhausting, but the descent is quick and fun and gives us sometimes the opportunity to have the dune sing. Around noon, we walk back to our our camp and have lunch and rest under a shady place. Late afternoon, we climb another huge dune to get to its summit and enjoy a wonderful sunset at the top.

- Level 2 & 3    
- Duration : 8 hours
- Height Difference : +250m/-250m
- Walking Time : 4 to 6 hours

We set our camp at the foot of the huge dunes of the Rub Al Khali

Individual camping tent

      Hiking in Rub al Khali

Morning, we start walking from our camp. We climb several high dunes which surround us : the ascent is sometimes exhausting, but the descent is quick and fun and gives us sometimes the opportunity to have the dune sing. Around noon, we walk back to our our camp and have lunch and rest under a shady place. Late afternoon, we climb another huge dune to get to its summit and enjoy a wonderful sunset at the top.

- Level 2 & 3    
- Duration : 8 hours
- Height Difference : +250m/-250m
- Walking Time : 4 to 6 hours

We set our camp at the foot of the huge dunes of the Rub Al Khali

Individual camping tent

      Transfer to Salalah (275 km - 3h 30)

      Transfer to wild beaches (70 km - 1h)

      Swimming on a white sandy beach

We enjoy a swim in the indian ocean on one of the numerous beaches of the bay.

- Duration : 2 hours

We camp on a splendid sandy white beach

Individual camping tent

      Short hike along the coast

We start walking where the tracck ends and head to a wonderful beach. On a good path we follow the coast until a small valley where frankincense trees grow next to the sea. We come back the same way and enjoy a swim before getting to the cars.

- Level 2    
- Duration : 3 hours
- Walking Time : 1 to 2 hours

      Transfer to the viewpoint (40 km - 1h)

      View Point

We stop at a view point : we are 1000m high and down the cliffs is the sea. During moonson time the clouds hit the cliffs which get lush green.

- Duration : 0 hours 15

      Transfer to the heights of Jebel Al Qamr (20 km - 0h 20)

      Short walk on the top

We walk on a nice trail used mainly by cows and camels going grazing. We are around 1000m high and overlook the sea. The landscape is bucolic with grazing lands, high trees, and numerous birds…

- Level 1    
- Duration : 2 hours
- Walking Time : 1 to 2 hours

      Transfer to Salalah (120 km - 2h)

We spend the night in this nice hotel. The hotel is located in Al Dhariz, facing the sea, and has a swimming pool.

Standard Non Sea-view room
. Breakfast taken at the hotel

www.omantrekkingguides.com, website of AL MAALAM TOURS , company registered under Commercial Register Number (1087801), and with
(local tour operator licence)
AL MAALAM TOURS - PO BOX 917 - Post Code 611 - NIZWA - SULTANATE OF OMAN