WADI TIWI

Wider than its neighbor, Wadi Shab, Wadi Tiwi can be entered by car. From the seaside village of Tiwi, you enter the wadi on a recently-built road that runs alongside the river and, at the first village, becomes a track through date and banana plantations. It's important to be careful when driving, as some passages are door-crushingly narrow. If you're not comfortable with your off-roader, you'll have to make do with the start of the flat, well-tarmacked access road. On a regular basis, you can park your car at the side of the road for a swim - but choose a discreet spot, as the locals are not used to seeing European women in bathing suits, although this is tolerated. If you like walking, you can also discover the wadi on foot, taking on the hamlets and terraced crops surrounded by low walls specific to Tiwi, also known as "the gorge of nine villages". To visit all the hamlets, allow one to two days on foot, depending on your pace, or several hours by car.

The mountain road, which becomes increasingly steep and narrow, plunges into the wadi for 36 kilometers. After 10 km, you reach the village of Mibam: the citadel of the wadi, perched at an altitude of 800 metres. The complex of mud and stone houses and defensive structures built on a rocky outcrop is fairly well preserved.

On the way, well before Mibam, you can stop at a sign indicating the start of a hike to the picturesque village of Saymah (approx. 1h30 round trip). Clinging to the slopes of Jebel Bani Jabir, this village boasts an ancient round defensive tower, also used as a grain silo.

The wadi features several beautiful natural pools. From the small village of Umq Bir, there's a 6 km-long watery canyon with numerous pools and long reaches to swim in. Lasting around 7 hours, this is a spectacular canyoning trip for hardy, experienced people accompanied by a guide (via Nomad Inn Tiwi, for example).

Experienced hikers willing to live self-sufficiently for three days are also offered the ultimate possibility of linking Wadi Tiwi to Wadi Bani Khaleed via the Hallut plateau. This challenging hike can only be done in the company of a mountain guide familiar with the region. From a rocky balcony at an altitude of 1,900 metres, it offers a beautiful panorama of the Arabian Sea and the entire coastline.