Transfer to a mountain village (170 km - 2h 20)

      Visit of a mountain village

We have a round in the village, located at 1400m, at the far end of a valley in shape of an amphitheater. The village and its garden are built on the cliff. We walk across the old village and the terraces where grow garlic, onions, apricots, lime trees, etc… Apricots are the main crop and it's expecialy beautiful in spring when they flower.

- Level 1    
- Duration : 1 hours
- Height difference : +50m/-50m
- Walking time : 1 to 2 hours

      Transfer to a foothill wadi (50 km - 0h 40)

      Small walk in a valley of the foothills

This is a nice very typical valley of the foothills. On our way, we'll see magnesic springs which colour some of the pools in white. This valley runs in the middle of unsual rocks, called ophiolite and which originate from the oceanic floor : a journey up this valley is like a trip to the depth of the earth. The water is here flowing all year long, and we find some small pools to refresh..

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

Nice place with the river near and the massiv hills of ophiolite

Individual camping tent

      Transfer to Al Awabi (40 km - 0h 30)

      Hike through villages, palm gardens, and mountain

We walk in the wadi and on the luxuriant terraces of the palm gardens. The path then heads along the valley, goes up to a small pass and down to an isolated palm garden. The inhabitants of the village where we started the hike come there regularly to take care of the cultures and of the falaj (traditional irrigation system). The entrance in the gardens is now private, so we stop just before and have lunch near the stream and we come back using the same way…

- Level 2    
- Duration : 4 hours
- Height difference : +300m/-300m
- Walking time : 2 to 4 hours

      Transfer to a mountain guesthouse (65 km - 2h 15)

It's an old settlement which was nicely renovated and turned into a guesthouse. The farming activity was kept (fields and cattle). And the staff is particularly nice!

Dormitory
Dormitories from 4 to 10 persons with bunkbeds and A/C. Breakfast & dinner taken at the hotel

      Short hike to a mountain oasis

We walk in the river bed with many trees and birds (sometimes also a stream) and then find a good path which climbs in the mountain and takes us to a beautiful mountain village. We go back the same way.

- Level 2    
- Duration : 4 hours
- Height difference : +400m/-400m
- Walking time : 2 to 3 hours

      Transfer to a mountain village (5 km - 0h 15)

      Walk in a mountain oasis

We start from the main valley and head to a narrow gorge. This part of the walk is just wonderfull! At the end of the gorge, we discover the village. Built in a small hill and surrounded by cliffs, this village is one of the most beautiful of Oman. We walk through the village and the ardens and come back through an other branch of the small gorge.

- Level 1    
- Duration : 2 hours
- Height difference : +50m/-50m
- Walking time : 1 to 2 hours

      Transfer to Nizwa (80 km - 2h)

A beautiful hotel located in an old quarter of Nizwa, just behind the souk. It's a complex of several old houses which have been renovated with a lot of taste. Rooms, bathrooms, majilis, and teraces are spread in a labyrinth of corridors, stairs, and bridges.

Standard Room
Rooms are charmfull. They are furnished in a traditional style and are all equiped with A/C. Mattress are on the floor. Bathrooms are private but may be located outside the room.. Breakfast taken at the hotel

      Souq of Nizwa

Nizwa is a major city of Oman located at the foot of the mointains in the interior. In the past it was the capital of the country and remains the cultural center of the country for mountain people. The Souq was rehabilitated some 15 years ago. Friday is the market day, called 'Souq Al Jumaa', and brings visitors from the nearby mountains as well as bedous from the desert side. The livestock souq is particularly worth a visit. But you find also the fish souq, vegetable souq, meat souq, as well as some people saling moutain honey, dates, incense, and anything you might need.

- Duration : 1 hours 30

      Transfer to our campsite surrounded by sand and rocks (175 km - 2h)

      Short walk at sunset

We go for a walk late afternoon on the rocky hills. It's the time of the day where the light is the best. The red, green, and yellow rocky hills offer wonderfull contrasts.

- Level 1    
- Duration : 1 hours
- Walking time : 0 to 1 hours

It's an environment typical of Oman : geologists call these rocks the "Hawasina Complex"

Individual camping tent

      Visit of a bedouin souk

It's the weekly market day

- Level 1    
- Duration : 2 hours

      Transfer to the white desert, among rocks and sand (270 km - 4h)

      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

      Day in a rocky and sandy desert

We spend the full day in this so beautiful and unsual place where rocky hills of various colours are covered with red or cream sand. We go for a walk early morning and come back to our camp late morning when it starts to get hot to have lunch and take rest under the shade. Late afternoon, when the light becomes beautiful and the heat decreases, we go for another walk until sunset.

- Level 3    
- Duration : 7 hours
- Walking time : 2 to 5 hours

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

Individual camping tent

      Transfer to a fishing village (21 km - 0h 36)

      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 bedouin village between desert and sea (170 km - 2h)

      Transfer to our campsite in the desert (180 km - 4h)

      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 a wadi (80 km - 1h 30)

      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 a foothill village (80 km - 1h 30)

Individual camping tent

      Transfer to a mountain village (120 km - 4h)

      Walk in a mountain oasis

We discover this remote and secluded (the access dirt track was built only in 2013!) village set in a spectacular location. It's a lush green oasis in the middle of on arid mountain!

- Level 2    
- Duration : 3 hours
- Height difference : +100m/-100m
- Walking time : 1 to 2 hours

We camp in the village near a old house which is getting renovated little by little. For the moment, there is no toilet, but it's a project that might be done quickly…

Camping

      Transfer to Tiwi (35 km - 1h 30)

      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

      Short hike in the wadi through palm gardens

We hike in the wadi, through the palm garden (which also hosts bananas, papayas, mango trees, lime, etc…) along the falaj to reach our camp site. Water flows in the river bed, flanks are covered by lush green gardens, dominated by steep cliffs.

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

We camp in a private garden in the wadi. The place is great and walking around late afternoon is great : superb views and lots of birds! For the moment, the place is very simple, but the owner plans to build toitlets soon…

Camping

      Transfer to a wadi (80 km - 1h)

      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

      Transfer to Muttrah (180 km - 2h)

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