COAST OF OMAN

This journey takes you along the very pretty coastal route all the way to Sur. From Muscat we drive southward along Wadi Hatat to reach the small fishing town of Quriyat. A little after Quriyat, the graded road begins and offers some of the most spectacular views of the Gulf of Oman, as it now runs parallel to the coast all the way to Sur. Our first stop is at Bimah where you will see a natural crater in the limestone created due to the collapsing of a cave roof. At the bottom of this sinkhole is clear green brackish water, in which you can also swim & snorkel. Another lovely opportunity to swim out in the open is a little further at the Fins Beach, a beach with sand as white as it gets. Not very far from here is the spectacular Wadi Shab. Here it is possible to cross the wadi over a narrow bridge and walk a bit inward along the river bed to explore its lush green vegetation. Drive further to Wadi Tiwi, another equally pretty wadi, where sheer cliffs on both sides of the wadi rise high into the sky forming the sidewalls. Located deep inside this wadi are also small clusters of houses forming small villages of the farmers, who grow various types of fruits & vegetables in the fertile bed of this wadi. A little before the city of Sur, you will arrive in Qalhat, where you can view Bibi Mariam’s tomb and the ruins of the ancient town of Qalhat. Driving past the huge plant of Oman LNG, you will arrive in Sur, famous due to its long & proud tradition of dhow building. These wooden dhows are still built along the traditional lines by the engineers and craftsmen working in the dhow yards of Sur with their traditional tools. Following photostops at another few charming places in Sur like the lighthouse of Ayga and the pretty Corniche Road, return to Muscat via tarmac road (Muscat-Sur highway).