Wadis Arbaeen, Shab & Tiwi

As you drive along the coast from Muscat, you will pass by some of Oman’s most impressive wadis. Veering away from the coast slightly, firstly, you hit the often-deserted Wadi Arbaeen, where it is hard to resist a swim in the untouched pools and a walk to soak in the rugged mountainous surroundings. Further along the road towards Sur are Wadi Tiwi and Wadi Shab. Wadi Tiwi can be reached by road and is surrounded by date plantations and a local village, from here it is even possible to do a tough two-day trek over to Wadi Bani Khalid. Finally, you come to Wadi Shab, which is incredibly picturesque but you cannot drive there. This means that a visit involves taking a boat over a salt-water lagoon and then trekking for 45 minutes through spectacular gorges. The effort is richly rewarded however, with delightful pools for swimming and some interesting caves.