Wadi Shab — Attraction in Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate

We drove 6 hrs ± from Dubai. This is our first hiking trip in the middle east.

This is a public space and it doesn't belong to the tour company URL in Google maps. You can choose to plan your own journey without a guide but you must be able to swim. Reading blogs about the place should be sufficient information to get you ready for the trip.

Use Google map drive to Wadi Shab Parking area. There is a boat operator waiting just next to the parking. They start as early as 7 am. Pay 1 Omani rial a person for a boat return ride to get across to the other side. Keep the receipt you'll need it for your return trip.

Once you got off fhe boat, follow the path, you'll be walking through a village. You will first pass some noisy mules tied to trees and herds of mountain goats. Keep walking forward until you see water - the beginning of the wadi, your hike now begins. Turn to go your right and you'll see a clear path leading up to the side of the canyon. The walk is relatively easy but not wheel chair accessible. There is a bit of a climb at some places but it's easy. Keep walking till the end of the path and you will have to go into the river. You will need to swim across to go forward. Some parts walking across what seems to be the ocean bed milllions if years ago and some parts swimming in natural pools. You are trying to get to right up to what seems to be the end of the river. There are several spots you can stop and just enjoy the springs and the gorges. They are magnificent geographical phenomenon. The river is very deep so you'll need to be able to swim. If you can't wear a vest. I would recommend for younger children to wear vests as the river can get very deep at some parts.

Once you get to the end surrounded by mountains, on your left there is a small opening leading to a cave with a waterfall. Just a short swim along a narrow opening you'll get into the cave. For experienced rock climbers, you can climb up the waterfall, very slippery rocks, and jump off the 15- 20 feet cliff into the springs.

Spend some time there and then turn around and hike back out to the parking area. The spring water is very dense, I felt I was buoyant and it took quite a bit of effort to swim the short distance I could have easily done in a pool. When we got back to the car, we realised we've spent 4 hrs for the entire excursion. It was an amazing experience. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Packing for the trip : The journey to the cave requires walking, climbing and swimming. I wore my gym workout gear and a pair of trainers. Kept them on throughout the whole journey. We didn't carry any bags with us or our phones or camera (not water proof) - we will certainly invest in a go-pro for our future hikes. We left our belongings locked in the car. You'll need both your hands free to scramble and climb and swim!!!

Have a hearty breakfast to keep you going for 4 hours. We started at 7 am it wasn't hot - 30C and we weren't thirsty. We lugged a large bottle of water with us - didnt finish it. Go early to avoid the crazy crowd and it gets too hot in the afternoon.

Driving into Oman 🇴🇲 Research on the laws of bringing a vehicle into the country and prep for that before going. Of course your travel documents are...

Breathtaking and memorable. Make sure you bring enough drinking water, water resistent bag for your phone and keys, backpack to ensure your hands stay clutter-free and something to cover you from the sun, try to go for early morning or afternoon, try to avoid midday if you are not used to the heat. Please, respect the environment!!! Do not litter, do not purposefully destroy plants or kill animals and please bring empty bottles and wrappers back to your car. It is so sad to see such a wonderful place being spoilt by people to lazy to bring back thier rubbish.

Grab boat for 1 rial (return included) and start at the farm on the other side, walking upstream. Being used to hiking the Alps I came prepared with hiking boots - not the wisest option on looking back, as your shoes will get soaked multiple times as you need to cross through the water a couple of times (if tracking the wadi by yourself). Some parts of the trail are so well trodden, that the stone has become well polished, making it easy to slip with wet shoes if you are not mindful of your step. The guides tend to take an easy route navigating around all obsticales but giving you less impressive views. Going on your own is no problem... Basically follow the wadi upstream, sometimes there are multiple options for which way to take. We basically hiked past the first pool as we thought "pool" indicated a larger body of water.. Actullay it's more like the size of a jacuzzi, so feel free to get a quick dip in it before you move on to avoid overheating. Further up the path follow the irrigation system to get to the other pools. With a normal level of fitness the wadi is very easy to explore by yourself. My daughters (12 and 15) ditched thier hiking boots for socks with grip-bottoms and hiked both ways effortlessly (wise choice as the stones do get slippery when your shoes are wet). If you are not used to hiking (as in altitude changes, being able to navigate through uneven terrain, going over boulders), or if you are not an experienced swimmer/afraid of deep waters (5-8m) or you are not comfortable with physical exertion in the heat, please make sure to take a guide with you!!! We saw some people who braved the hike but were too afraid to swim through the deep pools, I felt so sorry for them- guides will bring life vests and guide you safely through the wadi. Make sure not to miss the last boat back to the parking lot. Oh and don't feed the goats they will want to get a ride...

I have to start with a piece of my mind, that this place was my favorite part the Oman trip. Abstract If you like nature, this place is a must!! A 70 minute hike, with a small elevation gain (50 min if not takeing pictures). Bring alternatives to summer slipers because of the rocky terrain ( those sandals that can tie around Your wrist are the best. You need those to walk though the shallow pond without pain :) ) Water and sunshade ( umbrella ) will make the visit much more comfortable, especially if you plan it in the summer. Plan to arrive at the Wadi at 15 o'clock the latest, so that you have a good hour in the pond. You arrive there by a car, and park under the bridge, next to the water. The parking capacity is around 50 cars, by free estimation. After that, you pay for a 3 minute long boat ride, that takes you across. Swimming at this point is prohibited, so that ride is a must. Once you reach the other side, the hike begins. After 100m (~30ft) you will find a cafe/restaurant. It's a great place to rest before after the ride, and before the hike. This is also good to do now, because if you don't plan to camp there, the visit ends around 18 o'clock. At the start there is a 10 minute straight hike that is not that hood for pictures :) (personal opinion). The picture i placed is at the end of that stretch. At this point the trail takes you along the edge of the cliff, with a drop that varies from 1 to 8 meter ( 3 to 25 ft ). That part is amazing for taking memories. It is like a scene from a movie.. simply stunning. 30 minutes into the hike, you have passed the cliffs and its a hike on big rocks untill the main attraction, the swimming pond. PRO TIP On the left, and right side you will see the famous Omani water management sistem. Keep walking near the right sided one, so that at 40 min into the hike, you can climb on it, and walk to the pond ( saves you 5 minutes on the burning sun. The pond is a wondet on its own. The water has a refreshing temperature, and some small fishes that might nimble on your feet dead skin. The pond has at least 4 parts that you can swim in, all of which are separated by slippery boulders or shallow water. At the end there is a biger pond that has a submerged cave. It leads to a lake on the other side, but I will say that I didn't have the time to go under it ( I was scared to ). I didn't have the time because we arrived at 15 at the Wadi, so at 17 we...