Natural Crafts Turtle Coast

It is one of the most famous wadis of the sultanate for its superb freshwater basins of a beautiful emerald. As always, you are advised to take precautions before venturing out. Don't venture out without a sun hat, sun cream and of course water, as the heat can be overwhelming; and above all, check the weather forecast to make sure that no thunderstorms are expected that day, as the risks of flooding and drowning are real in the wadis. To access the more remote pools, you must first swim across the arm of the river or simply go by boat. Some kids propose this crossing of a few meters. Opposite, a dirt path drowned in palm trees leads to the heart of the wadi along the river. Very quickly, the water disappears and we find ourselves walking on the rock, between mountains with steep walls. Big boulders and touches of greenery: a wild and rather masterful environment, especially when the water shows up again, in the form of punctual basins of incredible green! The most beautiful ones are at the bottom, about 40 minutes walk away on a pseudo path that one loses and finds again at random luck (but, impossible to get lost, since one is so to speak "stuck" in the dry river bed). After about 20 minutes, keep to the right and go up a few meters overhanging following the cliff face and in particular a black pipeline. The path goes down naturally and you must then walk until you spot some abandoned stone constructions, a little higher up, on the left. Further on, there are several pools lined with small pebble or coarse sand beaches: an idyllic setting to spend a few hours. The highlight of the walk is there. It's not really a secret: in informed circles, we all talk about "the famous wadi Shab cave". But still, if you don't know, you can't find it! It is by swimming to get there, following the pools to the bottom, where the mountain forms a sort of cul-de-sac. Slightly on the left, a corridor of a few meters offers itself as a notch, which allows only the passage of the head (the rest of the body remains immersed, which allows to progress while swimming). One enters it with a little apprehension, with one's eyes riveted on the light, at the bottom. Suddenly, the reward is there: an open-air cave into which an adorable waterfall falls! A basin of a few meters in diameter, but abyssally deep, set in its rocky setting.

Much wider than its neighbour the Wadi Shab, the Wadi Tiwi allows you to drive there. It can be reached by a recent road, then by a track that runs along the river through the plantations of date palms, banana and fig trees. It is important to be very careful while driving, as some passages are quite brittle or narrow. A driver who does not feel comfortable with his off-road vehicle will have to make do with the access road, which is flat and well paved. On a regular basis, it is possible to park your car on the side for a swimming break - opt for a discreet spot, as the locals are not used to seeing European women in swimsuits, although this is tolerated. If you like walking, you can also discover the wadi on foot, as you explore the hamlets and terraced fields surrounded by low walls specific to Tiwi, also known as "the gorges of the nine villages". To visit all the hamlets, count one or two days on foot depending on the pace adopted or several hours by car.

The increasingly steep and narrow mountain road goes down 36 kilometres into the wadi and reaches the very last village of Mybam: the wadi citadel, perched at an altitude of 800 metres. The complex, consisting of mud and stone houses and defensive constructions built on a rocky outcrop, is fairly well preserved.

On the way, about 20 km from the entrance to the wadi, you can stop at the sign indicating the start of the hike to the very picturesque village of Saymah (about 1h30 round trip). Clinging to the side of the Bani Jabir djebel, this one conceals an old defensive round tower also used as a grain silo.

Several beautiful natural pools decorate the wadi. From the small village of Umq Bir there is a superb aquatic canyon 6 kilometres long, with numerous pools and long pools to swim in. Lasting about 7 hours, this canyoning is spectacular and is for experienced and enduring people accompanied by a guide (www.omantrekkingguides.com).

For experienced hikers who are willing to be self-sufficient for three days, there is also the ultimate opportunity to link Wadi Tiwi to Wadi Bani Khaleed via the Hallut Plateau. This is a good level hike that can only be done in the company of a mountain guide who knows the area well. It offers a beautiful panorama of the Arabian Sea and the entire coast from a rocky balcony at an altitude of 1,900 metres.

Some moments, during the journey, are immediately precious, certified unforgettable. On this island, made far away by the brisk slowness of its ferry, half a thousand kilometres from the capital and as if light years away from the present time, here is one of these rare moments. They do not appear on any catalogue of approved tour operators, are not signposted, let alone listed in the guides. They are a precipitate of simple nature at the birth of the world, a wild shock. There are two solutions: you can either sleep in a hotel 13 km to the north and come here on a day trip, or you can stay overnight and maybe get a chance to see the Loggerhead ladies in the early morning. To bivouac or swim, you may prefer to go down 6 km further south, on the other magnificent beach decorated with a wreck, with the advantage of a narrower sand ribbon making the sea easier to access by car. Travellers are asked to show the utmost respect and a true sense of responsibility so as not to disrupt the egg-laying process and lead to a premature return to the sea: do not walk anywhere at night on the beaches where turtles breed (risk of crushing the young or cutting off reptiles), do not shine flashlights or use flashes, do not speak untimely, do not encircle the animals or try to approach them. Overall: remain discreet, keep your distance and do not touch anything.

It is the local "croisette" where you can stroll in the mild hours if you sleep on the spot. The place runs along the beach and comes alive especially at the end of the day, when the football players take the sand by storm and the fishermen come to sell their catches. The cornice is then enlivened by a beautiful effervescence, very local and essentially masculine. At high tide, as you approach the port, you can watch the ballet of fishing boats and dhows coming in and out. Little advice to these ladies: as always, wear covering clothes.

The dam on the still-watering Dayqah wadi is the largest in the sultanate, forming Oman's largest artificial lake, with a superb color ranging from blue to emerald. It was built to supply the cities of Muscat and Quriyat and stores 100 million^m3 of water. Well-known to Omanis, who like to spend days or weekends here with their families, the area, encircled by brown mountains, is well equipped for leisure activities (camping, activity center, etc.). To appreciate the beauty of the site, walk to the top of the dam wall.

Lined with terraced plantations and smooth, polished rocks, this oasis is constantly filled with water and offers a succession of pools wedged between two cliffs: a spot for swimming! Muscat's residents make no mistake and regularly come here to bask at weekends. Thanks to their orientation, the canyon's walls provide shade where it's good to rest or hike for a few hours - a footpath along the old caravan route that linked the port of Qurayyat to the interior.

Its name alone makes you dream, and means "the gathering place of geniuses" (the ones with the lamp, not the nerds ;). Gigantic and spectacular, it's one of the 10 largest caves in the world - see the photos posted on the web to get an idea of the immensity of the chasm! Located on the Selma Plateau, it was discovered by Americans Cheryl Jones and her husband Don Davidson during aerial exploration.

Since then, this geological wonder has been a fascinating playground for caving and climbing enthusiasts - those who are used to the sport, of course, and even those who are, will do well to enlist the services of a local guide. The impressive descent is by rope. Once at the bottom, the tunnels and caves offer plenty of places to explore with suitable equipment. The main underground chamber is a masterly 347 metres long by 245 metres wide, with a total height of 120 metres. There are three entrances at the top of the chamber, which, once at the bottom, project as many halos of light into the cavity.

Local legend has it that the cave was originally inhabited by a woman named Selma who, for some unknown reason, provoked the wrath of an enormous one-eyed genie. As he chased her across the plateau, he tried to kill her by hurling powerful lightning bolts at her. Luckily, the genie's eyesight was poor, and three of these bolts of lightning were lost, fracturing the rock of the plateau in three places and opening up three entrances to the cavern...

In calm weather, this wild and secluded beach is a great spot for both swimming and camping. Embedded between two cliffs, the clear sand is bordered by an emerald sea with translucent water, which make up an idyllic landscape for a few hours of idleness away from the city or an overnight stay in the open air during a road trip to or from Ras al-Jinz for example. In windy weather, a swell forms and the bay becomes capricious - avoid swimming. Access is easy from Sur if you always follow the road closest to the sea.