2016 The Sultanate of Oman - 4x4 road trip
April 2 to 16, 2016
A discovery of the sultanate in freedom (4 nights in the hotel, the rest in bivouac under the stars or in the 4x4). This is greatly facilitated with the help of a GPS and the OMAN guide OFF-ROAD 2015 (purchased on site in the Borders boutique in the LuLu mall)
Discovery of Muscat
Arrival in Muscat. Visit to the Grand Mosque of Sultan Qaboos and Old Muscat. The Grand Mosque is a must-visit. Shopping at Lulu mall and Carrefour mall for the next few days. Visit to Matrah bay and from Old Muscat in the evening.
The Great Mosque
The Great Mosque
Chandelier
Interior view
Bay of Old Muscat
Old Mscat Waterfront
Jabal Shams and the Grand Canyon
Direction Nizwa and Jabal Shams. The mountains of Jabal Shams (route #05 Oman Off-road). The Grand Canyon and Balcony Walk (route #07 Oman Off-road). Bivouac in absolute calm The next day direction Misfat al Abriyyin (first invitation to drink Omani coffee) and walk along the edge of the falajs. Direction the Sayq plateau and the green mountain Jabal al Akhdar (route #14 Oman Off-road). Access to the plateau is reserved for vehicles with 'low gear' 14 km of ascent and... descent: very impressive. Bivouac near Hail al Yemen. The next day hike through 4 villages on the Sayq plateau (route #15 Oman Off- road)
The Grand Canyon
Sunset over the Grand Canyon
Village near the Grand Canyon
Falajs
Valley
Terrace crops
Nizwa, its fort. The village of Birkat Al Mawz
and very very big storms. Arrival in Nizwa. End of the livestock market (dromedaries, goats, sheep, birds, etc.). Visit to the fort and the souq of Nizwa. Walk along the falajs in the village of Birkat Al Mawz and its palm groves. Start of storm around 3 p.m.... roads flooded in a few minutes. Return to Nizwa impossible because road flooded... return a few kms back but wadi also overflowing... we will end up shipwrecked from the road! The storm with its downpours will last 5 hours.
Nizwa Fort
Nizwa Fort
Room in Nizwa Fort
village Birkat Al Mawz
village Birkat Al Mawz
Wadi flooding the road
Bahla Fort and Jabrin Castle
Perfectly renovated fort and castle. Visit to Balhal fort (rather military) then Jabrin castle (rather cultural, perfectly highlighted). Big storm at the end of the afternoon with continuous lightning
Exterior view
hall of Bahla fort
hall of Bahla fort
Exterior view
inner courtyard
Jabrin Castle Hall
A Wahiba Sands Desert Experience
Entering via Bidiyyah... reassured, the sand track is hard. Not very interested in a night package (quite expensive), we improvise. Our 3rd contact will be the right one. We sink a few km into the desert (route #34 Oman Off-road). Afternoon with a Bedouin family in the shade of the tent with the intention of bivouac a little higher up on the dunes (see the car in the 2nd photo). Our host family leaves their camp (direction the city) around 5 p.m. We will understand why later... VERY VERY big storm at the end of the evening with heavy rain
young Bedouin girls
Bidiyyah, Wahiba Sands
bedouin tent interior
dunes and camel Wahiba Sands
Wahiba Sands storm