If you like a good hike and swimming, then Wadi Shab is the place to be as it is famous for its picturesque gorge between the cliffs. Bimmah Sinkhole is another popular place to go for swimming as it is easily accessible through concrete staircase leading down to the sinkhole.
On the way to Wadi Shab along the coast between Sur and Muscat, we stopped briefly on the side of the highway to take some photos of Bibi Maryam Mausoleum. This tomb is all that remains of an ancient city, Qalhat.
Getting to Wadi Shab:
Wadi Shab is about 1.5 hours drive from Muscat. The entrance to Wadi Shab is actually a parking lot underneath a highway bridge. Parking is free but the parking space is limited, and it can get crowded. As seen from picture above, some cars actually park on the road side and it’s a small distance to walk to the entrance.
The only bathrooms in the area is located besides the parking lot. It is free. Be sure to go before you start taking the boat across the river.
The other side of the bridge is actually the sea.
A goat wandering around a column with pretty painting and sign of Wadi Shab.
To get to the beginning of the hike, you must take a very short boat ride across the river. The boat ride costs 1 OMR per person, to be paid in cash.
The hike will take about an hour to reach the swimming area and a cave with hidden waterfalls.
Unfortunately, as I have limited time, I did not do the hiking. It is probably not suitable to bring a young child along for the hike as halfway through the hike, you will need to climb over boulders, as advised by other bloggers. Well, maybe next time, if I have the opportunity to revisit Oman.
After the short stopover at Wadi Shab, we headed to Bimmah Sinkhole which is about 20-minute drive away from Wadi Shab.
The locals believe that the sinkhole was created by a meteorite. Hence, the park built around it is called Hawiyat Najm Park (meaning ‘The Falling Star’ in Arabic). In fact, the sinkhole was formed by a collapse of the surface layer due to dissolution of the underlying limestone.
There is also a free parking lot outside Hawiyat Najm Park. Free toilets are located near the entrance gate. I would recommend changing into swimwear in the toilet unless you’re already wearing swimwear underneath your outer clothes. The park is equipped with children playgrounds, picnic tables and some shades. It is perfect for a family outing even if you don’t swim in the sinkhole.
View of Bimmah Sinkhole from the top. The sinkhole is 50m by 70m wide and approximately 20m deep, according to Wikipedia.
A wall was built surrounding the opening of the sinkhole for safety reasons, I presumed.
Visitors can descend a flight of concrete stairs to reach the pool of the sinkhole.
The sinkhole was really crowded that day as it was a public holiday in Oman.
From the bottom, I once saw a daredevil climbed over the wall and jumped from the top of the rim into the sinkhole! It isn’t for the faint of heart for sure. Basically, you dive or swim at your risk. There’s no life guard available in the area.
The floor of the sinkhole is uneven. Some parts of the pool are shallow enough for people to just dip their toes, but it can also suddenly drop to a much deeper level without warning. Remember to stay with a young child at all the times in the sinkhole.
My hubby and son had fun fully soaked in the water while I just dipped my feet.
Much like Wadi Bani Khaled, the little ‘fish doctors’ in the sinkhole will come nibble at the dead skin on your feet or any exposed skin if you dip in the water. It’s ticklish sensation at first, but you won’t notice it after a while.
My son had so much fun that he didn’t want to leave the sinkhole. When it was time to leave, my son was kicking and screaming so much that some people might thought that we’re abducting our son in public, haha.
Other than that, we had a fun day visiting two wadis and a sinkhole.
Wadi Shab
Bimmah Sinkhole
The park is open from 8am to 8pm.
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