The last part of our trip included a day full of water-based activities. This excited me since my favorite form of exercise is swimming. I was also excited about being able to swim in nature. I just feel much more connected and energized by the earth this way. I was also happy that I was able to ask our guide that day, Juma, to briefly show us Tiwi Beach before finishing at the sinkhole.

Wadi Shab

As stated before, the term “wadi” refers to what is basically a valley or streambed. Wadi Shab (also known as Wadi Ash Shab”) is a well-known tourist hotspot due to its scenic views and long-winding stream that is swimmable (with a cool cave at the end). It’s a two-hour drive from Muscat.

My friend told me that although he can swim, he only learned how to swim a few years prior. While waiting for our turn at the entrance of the wadi to take the brief motorboat ride to the other side (to reach the trail), we both decided to buy some gear for the trek. In the description of the day trip, it was mentioned that people who are not strong swimmers should perhaps avoid trying to swim, or at least swim with a life jacket. So, I ended up getting some water shoes, and he rented a life jacket.

The trek itself lasts about 30 minutes or so, depending on your speed (and what kind of shoes you are wearing).

You know you have arrived when you see the many other tourists there going into and returning from the water.

The area seemed safe enough to leave your items. Juma said he would stay there for as long as we wanted (within the time limit) and watch our things while we swam.

Upon entering the water, I saw a man about to get out who was gliding along with his hands. I couldn’t figure out why, but I just thought, “Whatever, to each their own.” As we moved along, I started to realize why he was doing that. Not everyone was wearing water shoes (or any footwear), and it was clearly affecting their ability to move over the pebbles. My friend looked noticeably slowed down by this. He told me that he regretted not getting water shoes.

We eventually made it to the cave area. Luckily, there was a patch of rock that was close enough to the surface that people could stand on it while waiting to swim into the cave. We took turns sharing the life jacket as one went in while the other waited (he went first). While it is possible to swim in without a life jacket (I saw an even number of people wearing one vs. not wearing one), I would still recommend wearing it as there isn’t that much rock available inside to rest on. 

There was also a rope for anyone daring enough to try to climb up the wall onto the small area above the cave. A few people were even brave enough to try to slowly lower themselves down as much as they could before jumping into the water! The idea appealed to me, and I was wearing water shoes, but I also felt like I wasn’t quite in the mood to be that risky. So, I just floated around and enjoyed the jumping vicariously.

The entire time, I felt quite in touch with nature. The water was certainly cold at first (I hate swimming in frigid water, hence why I dislike swimming in lakes), but it didn’t take long to acclimate. The only part that was genuinely stressful (but brief) was when I slid off of a rock into one of the stream pool areas and came up without my glasses! Yes, I was wearing my glasses, but this was because on the first day (I don’t remember if this was in Qatar or Oman), I accidentally tore one of my contact lenses while trying to rinse it (something I had never done before). I know the saying goes, “There’s a first time for everything,” but that moment didn’t have to be it!

After making our way back, we headed out to lunch. Juma took us to an Afghani place. It was fully occupied, but Juma managed to get us sat down somewhere in the back. I can’t remember the name of the dish that I ordered, but it was some kind of Arabic chicken curry with eggs and what looked like paratha (a kind of Indian flat bread).

Tiwi Beach

Since Tiwi Beach was very close, we were able to stop by for a brief visit. I decided I wanted to stop by here due to some photos I had seen online. I wouldn’t say that it disappointed, but it lacked the awe that I was hoping to feel while here.

It was here that I discovered exactly how it felt to walk along a rocky waterfront area with many pebbles of varying sizes. Upon getting close to the shore, I decided I had had enough, and I had to hobble my way back toward my bag to put my water shoes back on. I think this portion of the trip was maybe 20 minutes or so in total.

Bimmah Sinkhole

Given that this entire three-day trip was still quite expensive, I was wondering if this last stop would be worth the time and money. As one reviewer noted online, “it’s a sinkhole, so what?” Once we arrived and looked over the edge of the area below, I felt that this stop was indeed worth it. Despite a crowd that was larger than I had wanted (given that this was getting toward the end of the day), I still managed to go for a quick swim in the deep, dark green saline waters.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque (final day)

Since we didn’t have time to see other local sites, we decided that the only time left to see the city’s famous grand mosque was in the morning before heading to the airport.

Sultan Qaboos is the largest mosque in all of Oman. It took six years to build, and it’s the only mosque in Oman that allows non-Muslims of any religion to see inside the prayer halls.

On the plane ride back to Qatar, I ended up having the window seat. Normally I’m not a fan of the window seat; however, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was able to see lots of contrast in the landscape.

While I may not have fallen in love with Qatar, I’m glad that I had the chance to see it and Oman. Would I come back to visit Oman? Perhaps. Would I consider moving here to live and work? I felt like I didn’t spend enough time there to really get a good enough sense of whether I could stay there long-term. But perhaps a return visit someday would be a great next step! So, حتى في المرة القادمة (hataa fi almarat alqadima) “until next time.”