Day Two: Sink Hole and Wadi Al Shab

We start our day with some local street food breakfast. As we going to drive about 135 km to the Sink Hole and 44 km to Wadi Al SHab. Today going to be a long day for us. In order to save more time, we just grab and take away our breakfast and eat them inside the car.

Maldouf, a Omani bread yields a deeply flavorful, flaky bread with a subtle molasses sweetness that complements spicier dishes or curries. Even I eat them without the curries, is also delicious and yummy.

A crisp, crackly flatbread loaded with something sweet inside with soft egg.

A local mini cake from the bakery.

Local Omani chips. When talking about the road trip, junk food such as chips is a must to be our companies during the trips especially when we get hungry in the middle of the trips.

We start driving from Muscat to Bimmah sinkhole. The drive to Bimmah Sinkhole is just 1.5 hours from Muscat and 55 minutes from the town of Sur. Definitely is a perfect day trip in Oman. It is incredibly easy to get to Bimmah Sinkhole because there is no hiking or long drives. It is located right off the main highway and is easy to walk to. As soon as you turn off the highway, you have a less than 5-minute drive until you arrive at the Bimmah Sinkhole parking lot. 

Bimmah sinkhole was formed in limestone by a collapse of large cave chamber. Earlier locals believed that this hole was formed by meteorite ("piece of Moon"). The sink hole is approximately 50 by 70 m large, 20 – 30 m deep. At the bottom is located deep blue-green lake with a heap of rock – remnants of the collapse.

Bimmah Sinkhole is fed by both fresh water from the mountains that comes out in the little cave and seawater that flows in from underneath the deepest part of the sinkhole.

The water is almost perfectly clear- turquoise, blue and green in colour.

After spend around an hour at the sink hole, we continue driving to Wadi Al Shab. Wadi Shab is a stunning valley with a river that runs through it and within the valley, there is a hidden waterfall in a secret cave. In order to get there we are require to hike and swim.

On the way to Wadi Shab, we stopping at this area just take a picture of that. The sea, perfectly calm, was like a peaceful lake, and its soft murmurs were scarcely audible. The waves seemed to sleep. A line of darker blue marked the curve of the horizon.

From the left is picture of my tour guide, me and Elena.

Well at least I'm trying my best to post like a car model!

Once we arrived and park the car, we find a restroom and quickly get change. We start by taking a short boat ride that cost around 1 OMR. After the short boat ride, we walk through the wadi, it usually takes around 45 minutes.

The goats fighting with each other around the wadis.

Wadi Shab is an astounding gorge situated between the cliffs. The walking and hiking to reach the waterfalls is incredible. We hiked about less than an hour of undulated mountainous terrain and saunter alongside the meandering of a river to finally reach the source of this water body where a cave will greet your eyes.

Trekking through the wadis to the cave and waterfalls.

As we walk up close to the structure of the cave, you will discover its distinctive features which a stunning waterfall that spurts forth from inside the hollow of the cave and flops down onto the rocky land. You will be readily tempted to take off your shoes and take dips in this clean and beautiful waterfall, and after you satiate yourself to the hilt, it gets time to make your way inside the cave for further exploration gradually.

From here, we need to swim through a small crack into the cave where you will find the hidden waterfall inside. Depending on the water level, you might have to submerge your head for a few seconds to squeeze yourself into the crack. The water depth is around 7 to 9 meter. Since I don't know how to float so i wear a life jacket.

It took a lot of effort and energy to reach the hidden waterfall. Then inside is hidden waterfall with a beautiful small cavern while the sun ray illuminates the surrounding.

There are numerous pools of clear turquoise waters around, we just enjoying and relaxing here.

In fact, the entire hiking session leading up to the cave will be a rewarding experience. With the yellowish brownness of the towering and rugged mountains that rise from the surroundings of the uneven valley, which sprinkles with the intermittently growing palm trees, and crystal-clear pools and waterfalls, Wadi Shab will be a hike to remember.

Love,

Elene