MOUNTAIN HIDDEN TREASURES

DAY 01: NAKHAL – WADI BANI AWF – JEBEL SHAMS

Your guide will pick you up at your hotel at 8h30 AM to start a wonderful day through the mountain range. Start the day by a visit of Nakhal Fort, this 17th Century Fort has some stunning views from the battlements which shows just what a prime position this fort use to command and is really worth the climb.

The track to Wadi Bani Awf is a stunning, exhilarating trip over the mountains. Deep in Oman's countryside are many villages that still retain their traditional charm. Perhaps the most appealing of these is Bilad Sayt, a tranquil mountain hamlet tucked away in the mountains. The road or should I say track is steep to go on the other side but worth the trip. Your next stop will be, Misfat Al Abreen, set in a stunning landscape above terraced plantations of date palms. This is a rare sight in Oman as most palms are grown on the plains. The ancient houses and ruined watchtower perched on the mountain complete the scene. Continue your journey to the top of Jebel Shams, “Sun Mountain”, Oman’s highest peak, 3009 m. The cooler temperatures will surprise as you reach the top to get a spectacular view of the “Grand Canyon”.

Sleeping in high altitude will get you closer to the stars.

Night in a camp in the mountain

Day 02: JEBEL SHAMS – WADI NAKHR – NIZWA – MUSCAT

After a nice breakfast, stop for another spectacular view of this beautiful canyon, the light in the morning is very different then at dusk. As you go down the mountain, there is an interesting wadi, Wadi Nakhar, a narrow canyon. It is a stunning beautiful place, and is geologically spectacular, being one of the deepest canyons on the planet. Go deep inside to visit the village where the main activity is weaving, especially Omani rugs woven in patterns of either brown or white, from natural wool. The villagers obtained the wool for weaving by shearing sheep and goats and then spinning it into yarn - a slow process done by the shepherds, women and older children whenever they had spare time. Each ball of yarn, called a kubba, took about four days to complete, and nine balls of yarn were needed for a complete rug. You can also buy rugs there directly from the rug makers.

Continue your journey to Nizwa who was once the capital of Oman, go through the traditional and craft Souk where you can buy some souvenirs before visiting the Fort of Nizwa with its large circular tower and imagine life inside the Fort in the 17th Century. The breathtaking view from the tower will show you how big the plantation is.

Head back to Muscat.