A Relaxing Day Out In Wadi Shab

Described as a “relaxing day out” but it was hardly that as we strode along in pursuit of our delightful Omani guide who was wearing just slip-on beach shoes and made us look rather out of place with our stout walking boots.

Although as it turned out apart from the last part of the walk or rather swim our footwear choice was perfect for our soft European feet.

This day tour was to experience the delights of Wadi Shab with its turquoise pools and a waterfall the final destination our reward after roughly an hour long walk in temperatures of over 35C.

Not really that relaxing, in fact, it was a bit of challenge and I suspect that most people would say the same. Then add to that after the walking you still needed to be able to swim in fresh water a reasonable distance and get through a very narrow cave entrance before the waterfall could be glimpsed!

Wildlife in Wabi Shab
With just slip-on shoes our guide raced onward and upward into the wadi as we did our best to keep pace. He nimbly climbed over the rock strewn bed of the wadi with us following in his wake trying not to fall or twist an ankle.

The wadi is most certainly well worth seeing and a great experience with rewarding sights of birds, lizards and at one point a snake fell off a cliff and landed in a rock pool quickly making a hasty climb back up while probably it had been chasing small lizards sun bathing on the steeply sided canyon.

At last the walking section ended and we had now to drop our rucksacks and camera bags and prepare for the swimming section. Jamaal was again well versed in what to wear and was in the water and pressing ahead and into the cave entrance. Going from mountain goat mode to dolphin like in an instance. Getting through the cave entrance for us was tricky and Jamaal escorted us in safely for the recent rains had increased the flow of water markedly as it funneled through with some force.

Once inside the cavern there was the waterfall that so many had talked about and it was an imposing sight, but the whirlpool action inside the cavern and the thunderous noise did make it difficult to totally fully appreciate but well worth all the effort.

Returning to the description in the tour company’s literature as we did that evening and we just had to laugh about it.

A rather major inaccuracy as relaxing it was not! What it was and should be described as ‘exhilarating’ for we were buzzing after our ‘relaxing’ day out!

http://www.omantourism.gov.om/http://www.omanair.com

Source – Thanks to Geoff Moore :: Travel photographer, writer and blogger Geoff Moore has been a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers for 10 years and has traveled the world for over 30 years.

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