East of Suez – Part 17 – Nizwa, Wadi Shab and the Bimmah Sinkhole

21st to 23rd February, 2024.

Wednesday saw us set off on our postponed trip to Nizwa. This is a popular destination roughly south-west of Muscat, which is famous for its souq and fort. It used to be the capital of Oman proper (as distinct from Muscat before they were joined as one, in or around 1970) and was the capital of the Imamate of Oman. It is a very ancient site with close links to very early Islam.

It is about 158 km from Muscat (with 40 speed cameras!!) and we passed some large and rugged mountains.

We arrived and the first stop was the Souq, which is made up of different buildings each catering for different products from vegetables and fish to meat, pots, and halwa (Omani sweets – absolutely delicious) as well as a goat market.

We then had a traditional Omani meal of lamb and rice, salad and Omani bread. The lamb is cooked by wrapping it in a sort of mat and then lowering it in to a hole with charcoal in it and leaving it for a day. I have to say that it was delicious, though we ordered way too much. Lucky for Ahmed who took the doggy bag home.

Next was the fort, which was much bigger than I thought it would be.

The fort was built in 1668, taking 12 years to complete. It is surrounded by a wall that is 1,200 years old. There is also a castle that is part of the overall complex and is even older (late 8th Century AD).

We had a long drive back, but it had been a fun and interesting day. The ideal is to stay in Nizwa, get up early and visit the Souq, especially on a Friday, when the goats are sold. We did well, though, we felt, but were glad to get to bed that night (after a rather good Indonesian restaurant dinner).

Thursday saw us off on another adventure, this time heading due south to Wadi Shab. A wadi is a river and this is exactly what it is. I should add that Oman has numerous wadis, but most are dry at this time of year, though you do get storms that bring torrents of water down from the mountains.

This a popular tourist destination as you effectively walk up the wadi and then swim in various pools, the final ones leading to a waterfall in a cave. Unfortunately it would have been way too challenging for Val, so she and Ahmed took up residence at a nearby cafe and I set off paying 1 Omani Rial for the boat trip to the other side of the wadi where the path started. It did slightly feel like paying Charon to take me over the River Styx!

So that was fun. I could have happily spent the whole day there, but sadly time was against us. Even so, it was a real highlight of the trip.

Our last stop was at the Bimmah Sinkhole, a rather unusual feature, where the sea appears in, as you might have guessed, a hole. It is a popular spot for swimming.

It was then back to Muscat, via the coastal road which was interesting as you could see the numerous caravans, RVs and tents along the coast where Omanis will come and set up camp for a while. They are well equipped, with water and solar panels and separate loos.

We had to say goodbye to Ahmed at the hotel. He has been a really good find and has made Muscat and Oman for us, He will be much missed.

Today has been a quiet day, though we did walk up to the mall. Home tomorrow, which will be fun too, but we have thoroughly enjoyed the trip, which has been a great success.

I hope you have enjoyed these posts. Not sure when or where the next adventure will be, but I am sure we will soon be on our travels again soon.