Places

UNESCO World Heritage site protecting a forest of Boswellia sacra frankincense trees. Active harvesting still practiced. Interpretive signs explain the ancient trade.

Wadi Hibi lies inland from Sohar in North Al Batinah, where a nineteenth century fort with five towers watches over the valley. At its heart sits Al Hajal, a village of mudbrick houses said to be nearly five centuries old, fed by falaj channels that once irrigated dates, bananas and grapes. Fresh water runs through the wadi year round, drawing visitors for swimming, hiking and photography among its natural pools.

Al Khadha lies about twenty kilometres from the centre of Wilayat Rustaq in the Wadi Bani Ghafar area, where water flows year round between palm oases shaded by ghaf, samr and sidr trees. Families from Rustaq visit almost daily to enjoy its clear pools and greenery, even though the site still has little tourism infrastructure. Its enduring natural flow makes it one of the greener escapes in Al Batinah South.

Wadi Qahfi lies in the mountains of Al Buraimi Governorate, roughly fifty kilometres from Wilayat Mahdah along a narrow winding road that leads through the village of Al Fayy. Clear, turquoise water flows through rocky pools in the wadi for most of the year, and unlike many mountain wadis in Oman, it can be reached without a 4wd vehicle or a long walk. It remains a favourite of local adventurers who discovered its beauty long before it appeared on any tourist list.

A tidal inlet where the sea meets a wadi channel. Birdlife is the main draw, especially in winter.

Secluded wadi with emerald green rock pools nicknamed "fairy pools." Requires a scramble through narrow slots. Magical atmosphere with light filtering through canyon walls.