Published with the support

and encouragement of
Jenny Walker and Sam Owen
in the Sultanate of Oman
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2 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Introduction
Published by Motivate Publishing
Dubai: PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE
Tel: (+971 4) 282 4060, fax: (+971 4) 282 0428
e-mail: books@motivate.ae www.booksarabia.com
Office 508, Building No 8, Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE
Tel: (+971 4) 390 3550, fax: (+971 4) 390 4845
Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tel: (+971 2) 677 2005, fax: (+971 2) 677 0124
London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER
e-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae
Directors: Obaid Humaid Al Tayer and Ian Fairservice
Consultant Editor: David Steele
Deputy Editor: Moushumi Nandy
Assistant Editor: Zelda Pinto
Art Director: Andrea Willmore
Designer: Cithadel Francisco
General Manager Books: Jonathan Griffiths
Publishing Coordinator: Jenny Bateman
First published 2007
Front cover: Typical Omani off-road scenery between Wadi Bani Awf and
Wadi as Sahtan.
Back cover: A new road on the steep ascent into Al Bir.
Title page: An unexpected rainfall and rainbow in Wadi al Hijayr.
Motivate Publishing and Jenny Walker and Sam Owen, 2007
Photographs Jenny Walker and Sam Owen
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including
photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of the
copyright holders. Applications for the copyright holders written permission to reproduce any part
of this publication should be addressed to the publishers. In accordance with the International
Copyright Act 1956 and the UAE Federal Copyright Law No 40 of 1992, any person acting in
contravention of this copyright will be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
ISBN: 978 1 86063 164 1
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.
Printed and bound by Rashid Printers, UAE
Prelims.indd 2 6/10/07 10:15:46 AM
8 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Contents
Using this Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Key to Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Off-road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Routes: Northern Oman
1 Five-Forts Drive . . . . . . Muscat to As Sawadi via Ar Rustaq . . . . . . 14
2 One Day Honey . . . . . . Muscat to Ar Rustaq . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3 Rock and Awe . . . . . . . Muscat Round Trip via Nizwa . . . . . . . . 36
4 Top of the Beanstalk . . . . Nizwa to Al Jabal al Akhdar . . . . . . . . . 50
5 Get Knotted . . . . . . . . Nizwa Round Trip via Jabal Shams . . . . . . 58
6 Raining Bones . . . . . . . Muscat Round Trip via Sohar and Ibri . . . . . 66
7 Going Round the Bend . . . . Sohar Round Trip via Musandam . . . . . . . 78
The Routes: Eastern Oman
8 The Khawr Tour . . . . . . Muscat Round Trip via Yiti . . . . . . . . . . 90
9 Wet and Wild . . . . . . . . Muscat Round Trip via Qurayyat and Sur . . . . 96
10 Bucket-and-Spade Tour . . . . Rimal ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah Sands) . . 116
The Routes: Central and Southern Oman
11 Journey of a Thousand Miles . . Muscat to Salalah via Coastal Road . . . . . . 126
12 Searching for Unicorns . . . . Hayma Round Trip via Jaaluni . . . . . . . . 142
13 East of Eden . . . . . . . . Salalah Round Trip (East) . . . . . . . . . . 152
14 Barking Mad . . . . . . . . Salalah Round Trip (West) . . . . . . . . . . 160
15 In Thesigers Footsteps . . . . Salalah to Muscat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Special-interest Boxes
Route 1 Forts of Oman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Route 2 Dates and Honey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Route 3 Oman Exotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Route 4 Rose Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Route 5 Carpet Weaving on Jabal Shams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Route 6 Sinbads Eighth Voyage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Route 7 Going Round the Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Route 8 Bird Migration in Oman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Route 9 The Falaj System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Route 9 Turning Turtle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Route 10 Off-road in the Sands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Route 11 Shell Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Route 12 The Oryx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Route 13 Bugs of Oman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Route 14 Frankincense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Route 15 Wubar Atlantis of the Sands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
About the Authors and Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
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Times and distances
quoted for each leg
are approximate and
allow for a little time
of your own.
A word of caution: off-roading can be dangerous and heavy rain, roadworks
and other factors can quickly change the landscape of a route. While the
authors and publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of in-
formation, they cannot be held responsible for any claim arising from its use.
4 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
The Routes: Northern Oman
1 Five-Forts Drive Muscat to as sawaDi via ar rustaq 14
Leg 1 Muscat to Barka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 50 km 4x4 14
Leg 2 Barka to Nakhal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 40 km Saloon 17
Leg 3 Nakhal to Ar Rustaq . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 55 km Saloon 18
Leg 4 Ar Rustaq to Al Hazm via Wadi al Hawqayn . . 2 Hours 70 km 4x4 19
Leg 5 Al Hazm to As Sawadi . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 55 km Saloon 21
2 one Day Honey Muscat to ar rustaq 22
Leg 1 Muscat to Nakhal . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 85 km Saloon 22
Leg 2 Nakhal to Wadi Mistall . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hours 120 km 4x4 25
Leg 3 Wadi Mistall to Wadi Bani Awf . . . . . . . 1 Hour 40 km 4x4 28
Leg 4 Wadi Bani Awf to Ar Rustaq via Wadi as Sahtan 4 Hours 95 km 4x4 32
3 rock anD awe Muscat rounD trip via nizwa 36
Leg 1 Muscat to Nizwa via Wadi Fanja. . . . . . . 3 Hours 160 km 4x4 36
Leg 2 Nizwa to Al Bir via Hat . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hours 95 km 4x4 40
Leg 3 Al Bir to Al Awabi via Wadi Bani Kharus . . . 4 Hours 110 km 4x4 45
Leg 4 Al Awabi to Muscat via Wadi al Abyad . . . . 2 Hours 130 km 4x4 48
4 top oF tHe Beanstalk nizwa to al JaBal al akHDar 50
Leg 1 Nizwa to Sayq Plateau. . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 70 km 4x4 52
Leg 2 Lower Sayq Plateau . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Hours 60 km 4x4 53
Leg 3 Upper Sayq Plateau . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hours 75 km 4x4 56
5 Get knotteD nizwa rounD trip via JaBal sHaMs 58
Leg 1 Nizwa to Tanuf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 35 km 4x4/Saloon 58
Leg 2 Tanuf to Al Hamra . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 55 km 4x4 60
Leg 3 Al Hamra to Jabal Shams . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 50 km 4x4 62
Leg 4 Jabal Shams to Jabrin . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 35 km Saloon 63
Leg 5 Jabrin to Nizwa via Manah . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 60 km 4x4/Saloon 64
6 raininG Bones Muscat rounD trip via soHar anD iBri 66
Leg 1 Myths of Muscat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 10 km Saloon 66
Leg 2 Muscat to Sohar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hours 230 km Saloon 69
Leg 3 Sohar to Yanqul via Wadi Hibi . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 140 km 4x4/Saloon 71
Leg 4 Yanqul to Ibri via Wadi Dank . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 110 km 4x4 72
Leg 5 Ibri to Wadi al Ayn via Bat . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 70 km 4x4 73
Leg 6 Bat (Wadi al Ayn) to Muscat via Sint and Bahla 6 Hours 400 km 4x4 75
7 GoinG rounD tHe BenD soHar rounD trip via MusanDaM 78
Leg 1 Sohar to Khasab . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Hours 400 km Saloon 80
Leg 2 Khasab to Khawr Najd . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 30 km 4x4 82
Leg 3 Khawr Najd to Jabal Harim. . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 50 km 4x4 85
Leg 4 Jabal Harim to Ar Rawdah Bowl . . . . . . 3 Hours 30 km 4x4 87
Leg 5 Ar Rawdah Bowl to Sohar . . . . . . . . . 4 Hours 230 km 4x4 88
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o OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
The Routes: Eastern Oman
8 tHe Khawr tour Muscat rounD trip via yiti 90
Leg 1 Airport to Bawshar . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 20 km Saloon 90
Leg 2 Bawshar to Al Qurm . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 20 km Saloon 93
Leg 3 Al Qurm to Yiti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 45 km 4x4/Saloon 93
Leg 4 Yiti to As Sifah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 80 km 4x4/Saloon 94
Leg 5 Yiti to Muscat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 75 km 4x4 95
9 wet anD wilD Muscat rounD trip via qurayyat anD sur 96
Leg 1 Muscat to Qurayyat via Wadi Mijlas. . . . . . 2 Hours 120 km 4x4/Saloon 98
Leg 2 Qurayyat to Al Mazari via Wadi Dayqah . . . . 2 Hours 40 km 4x4/Saloon 98
Leg 3 Al Mazari to Dibab via Wadi al Arbiyyin . . . 3 Hours 35 km 4x4 101
Leg 4 Dibab to Sur via Wadi Shab and Wadi Tiwi . . 4 Hours 110 km 4x4 104
Leg 5 Sur to Al Kamil via Ras al Hadd. . . . . . . 6 Hours 250 km 4x4 106
Leg 6 Al Kamil to Ibra via Wadi al Khabbah . . . . 6 Hours 310 km 4x4 110
Bonus Ash Shariq to Tiwi via Al Jaylah . . . . . . 4 Hours 75 km 4x4 112
10 Bucket-anD-spaDe tour riMal asH sHarqiyaH (asH sHarqiyaH sanDs) 116
Leg 1 Ibra to Al Raha Camp. . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 55 km 4x4 116
Leg 2 Al Raha Camp to Ash Shiraykhah . . . . . . 5 Hours 220 km 4x4 119
Leg 3 Ash Shiraykhah to Khuwaymah. . . . . . . 8 Hours 210 km 4x4 120
Leg 4 Khuwaymah to Ibra . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hours 240 km 4x4/Saloon 124
The Routes: Central And Southern Oman
11 Journey oF a tHousanD Miles Muscat to salalaH via coastal roaD 126
Leg 1 Al Bustan Palace Hotel to Hijj . . . . . . . . 4 Hours 380 km Saloon 126
Leg 2 Side Trip to Masirah Island . . . . . . . . 12 Hours 260 km 4x4/Saloon 128
Leg 3 Hijj to Ad Duqm . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Hours 290 km 4x4/Saloon 130
Leg 4 Ad Duqm to Thumrayt via Ash Shuwaymiyah 12 Hours 820 km 4x4/Saloon 134
Leg 5 Thumrayt to Salalah via Wadi Dhahbun . . . . 8 Hours 450 km 4x4 139
12 searcHinG For unicorns HayMa rounD trip via Jaaluni 142
Leg 1 Hayma to Jaaluni . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 120 km 4x4 142
Leg 2 Jaaluni to Ad Duqm . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 170 km Saloon 146
Leg 3 Ad Duqm to Hayma via Wadi Sharm. . . . . 6 Hours 290 km 4x4 146
13 east oF eDen salalaH rounD trip (east) 152
Leg 1 Salalah to Jabal Samhan . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 85 km 4x4 152
Leg 2 Jabal Samhan to Wadi Darbat . . . . . . . . 1 Hour 45 km Saloon 156
Leg 3 Wadi Darbat to Salalah via Ayn Razat . . . . 2 Hours 120 km 4x4 158
14 BarkinG MaD salalaH rounD trip (west) 160
Leg 1 Salalah to Jobs Tomb . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hours 90 km 4x4 160
Leg 2 Jobs Tomb to Salalah . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hours 60 km 4x4 162
15 in tHesiGers Footsteps salalaH to Muscat 164
Leg 1 Salalah to Rakhyut via Al Mughsayl . . . . . 3 Hours 120 km 4x4 164
Leg 2 Rakhyut to Mudayy . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hours 115 km 4x4 168
Leg 3 Mudayy to Shisr via the Empty Quarter . . . . 6 Hours 170 km 4x4 169
Leg 4 Shisr to Muscat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Hours 1,040 km 4x4 171
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O OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
This book has been designed to offer a
variety of routes that will suit all types of
travel lers. Some routes are intended as a
pleasant half or whole days outing. Others
involve more challen ging driving and
naviga tional skills, with full camping and
survival equipment.
The 15 routes cover almost every corner
of Oman. While they all have spectacular
scenery, each route focuses on some specific
area of interest geology, entomology, and
so forth. If the theme doesnt interest you, it
can be ignored without detracting from the
route itself. Further reading is provided for
each theme in the relevant route.
Each route is split into a number of legs,
each of which has its own points of interest.
If you dont wish or havent time to com-
plete a whole route, any of these legs will
provide a satisfying short excursion. You can
use the leg chart in the details of routes on
the two previous pages to gauge approxi-
mately how long each leg will take
(including time for brief stops), the distance
involved and whether 4x4 is needed.
The beginning and end point of each leg
has been carefully planned around major
junctions. This should allow you to mix and
match legs to fit your own itinerary. The
maps indicate where one route can be
integrated with another.
Its possible to drive all the routes just by
following the text. To make navigation
easier, however, GPS coordinates are given
and corresponding waypoints indicated on
the map. A working odometer, a full-length
map of Oman and an in-car compass are
useful for all routes and essential for some.
To avoid getting into trouble, it is advis-
able to read the whole of a route before
attempting it. For the preservation of the
wilderness, all routes stick resolutely to
previously-made tracks. May we respectfully
ask you to do the same.
Key to Maps
Using this Book
Final copy etc to
be done.
Dual carriageway
Tarred road
Good quality dirt road
Track
Poor quality track
Walking trail
Plantation
Village
Roundabout
Khawr or pool
Point of interest
Airport
Campsite
Aqueduct
Fort
Petrol station
Mosque
Viewpoint
Settlement
Power station
The maps in this guide book are not an authority on international boundaries.
Please note the English spelling of all place names in this book conforms to the standards of the
National Survey Authority of Oman. The English spelling of place names on signposts often
varies from one signpost to the next.
Prelims.indd 6 6/10/07 10:15:49 AM
/ OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Map of Oman
0
KILOMETRES
50 100 km
This map is not an authority
on international boundaries.
The number on the corner of
each positioning grid indicates
the route illustrated.
1
6
7
8
10
15
11A
12
13
14
11B
2
5
3
4
9
GULF OF OMAN
ARABIAN
SEA
KINGDOM OF SAUDI
ARABIA
REPUBLIC
OF
YEMEN
THE EMPTY QUARTER
(AR RUB AL KHALI)
ARABIAN
GULF
Khasab
Ash Sharjah
Abu Dhabi
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Muscat
Ibri
Ar Rustaq
Nakhal
Izki
Nizwa
Bahla
Al Ghabah
Sarab
Hijj
Masirah
Island
Ad Duqm
Hayma
Dawkah
Marmul
Thumrayt
Salalah
Sadah
Mirbat
Adam
Yanqul
Al Buraymi
Al Ain
Umm al Qiwayn
Ras al Khaymah
Al Mudaybi
Ibra
Al Kamil
Sur
As Seeb
Barka
Qurayyat
Dubai
Daba
Al Fujayrah
Madha
Juzor ad Daymaniyat
Juzor al Hallaniyat
Sohar
Prelims.indd 7 6/10/07 10:15:50 AM
8 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
T
he pace of change in Oman since
1970 when His Majesty, Sultan
Qaboos bin Said, came to power has
been prodigious. Within the living memory
of many Omani elders, the most common
means of transport was donkey or camel,
there were only a few kilometres of tarmac
road, education comprised of reciting the
Quran under a tree and healthcare was
limited to home and herbal remedies.
Change has brought new infrastructure
with roads and electricity, fresh water and
drainage systems servicing even the most
outlying villages of the mountains and desert.
Education and healthcare have been
given priority with the result that literacy
and longevity have increased to
internationally comparable standards.
With these new facilities, new
opportunities have been provided for the
Omani people with the result that a skilled
workforce is beginning to enjoy all the
benefits of the modern world and indeed,
contribute in a very real way to the
international forum.
It may be wondered whether such a rapid
pace of change has led to a dilution of
cultural identity or a change in fundamental
values. It does not take very long in the
country to recognize that this has not been
the case. One of the great successes of
Omans transition into a sophisticated
country of the 21st century has been the
preservation of the elements that make
Oman distinct from any other country in
the region.
This can be seen in the on-going concern
for preserving historic monuments, such as
Omans many forts and castles. It is also
evidenced in the internationally renowned
conservation efforts, inspired by His
Majestys personal concern for the
environment. Mostly, however, Omans
identity is being preserved through the
customs and traditions of its people who offer
a hand of friendship and commercial partner-
ship to visitors from overseas.
Eurocopter helicopters are operated in
many countries worldwide and are preferred
for exploring the natural and cultural
heritage of a country quickly and efficiently.
Their low-noise and high safety design make
them an environmentally friendly comple-
ment to road travel.
The Sultanate of Oman is revealed in the
15 exciting and insightful off-road routes in
this book. The authors, Jenny Walker and
Sam Owen, veteran explorers of Oman, have
researched in depth to bring the character of
the countrys history and landscape closer to
the reader in a way that will both fascinate
and delight.
As such, it is our pleasure to support this
valuable endeavour.
Xavier Hay,
Vice President
Middle East and Africa Eurocopter
Foreword
Prelims.indd 8 6/10/07 10:15:53 AM
9 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Introduction
D
riving to work recently, a familiar
scene unfolded from the window.
The traffic, along the beautifully
landscaped piece of road in the interior,
slowed down to let a man on a donkey cross
the modern carriageway. Meanwhile, in the
capital a troop of liveried camels walked
good-naturedly along the white lines to a
lush area of grazing. There was no horn-
blowing and only mild surprise.
The incident serves to show the extent to
which driving in Oman is an inclusive
rather than an exclusive exercise. The new
road systems have been put in place because
the Omani people like to travel. You only
have to visit a mountain village or a settle-
ment on the plains to see how, road or no
road, vehicles are taken to places most
people wouldnt drag a pair of boots.
It seems churlish to lament the coming of
new tarmac roads. They may not look quite
so quaint but they help protect the environ-
ment from ever-widening tracks, they save
the local flora and fauna from regular dust-
baths and they help preserve the sanity of
those who live in out-of-the-way places. For
the visitor, new roads have opened up areas
of Oman previously only accessible on foot
or by many days of travel.
In researching and writing this book,
then, we decided to celebrate the on-road as
well as the off-road experience. The 15
routes use a combination of both to climb
mountains and dunes, ford wadis and khors,
and cross the plains of this magnificent
country. In so doing we hope weve been
able to reveal some of the uniqueness of this
countrys heritage and the great wealth and
beauty of its natural resources.
Jenny Walker and Sam Owen
Prelims.indd 9 6/10/07 10:15:56 AM
10 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
O
ff-road driving is enormous fun but
it does take a certain amount of
skill. Most of that skill is easily
picked up through practice. Listed on the
following pages, however, are a few tips that
may help shortcut the learning process for
newcomers and act as a bit of revision for
veteran off-roaders.
Oman, for much of its great and glorious
length, is a wild country with an extreme
desert and mountain environment that
doesnt take prisoners. It may only take a
second puncture or a flat battery to turn a
pleasant afternoon excursion into an epic.
The emergency services are well-trained
and remarkably efficient but, if youre
marooned in a wadi, without GSM
coverage, without proper shoes to go for
help, without a map or a compass, and with
only enough water to cover a picnic (it
happens!), you could be only metres away
from help and not be found.
But enough of the dire warnings. With an
ounce of common sense, and a few
preliminary precautions, an off-road drive in
Oman is generally the highlight of
someones experience of the country.
Although parts of the 15 routes in this
book can be managed in a car, youll need a
4x4 vehicle for the off-road portions.
Were frequently asked: Can I go there
in my car Ive seen taxis drive that way?
The answer is that anything is possible but
that doesnt make it a good idea.
The suspension of saloon cars is not
designed for uneven surfaces and they dont
have the safety features you may need if you
run into a problem. Flash floods occur
without warning; an unexpected rock fall or
a landslide may mean you have to turn back
these are the kind of problems a 4x4 can
help you negotiate or avoid.
Essential Equipment: Its tempting to
think have book, will travel but at the
price of half a days preparation, the
following pieces of equipment could literally
be a lifeline:
Filling up with petrol in parts of Oman can be a challenge: the best advice is to top up at each
petrol station in case theres no petrol at the next garage.
Off-road driving
Prelims.indd 10 6/10/07 10:16:02 AM
11 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Map, compass and preferably GPS.
Warm clothing and stout footwear.
At least 10 litres of water.
Dry dates: these are very nutritious if you
get stuck for a few days.
A jerrycan, especially if your vehicle has
a small tank, and a funnel.
At least one, preferably two spare tyres
and a jack.
Sand ladders (2 pairs of light-weight
aluminium step-ladders will do).
A spade and planks of wood for
prolonged sand or sabkha driving.
Compressor to reinflate tyres for
prolonged trips in sand.
Two tow ropes. If you get stuck, a rescue
vehicle may not be able to get close
enough with just one tow rope.
A watch: keep an eye on the time.
Driving off-road in the dark is not
everyones cup of tea.
Mosquito net and repellent, especially for
the coast and Dhofar during the khareef.
Navigation: The first rule of navigation is
always to tell someone where youre going
and when you expect to be back, even if
youre only popping out for the afternoon.
Chances are you wont bother but, believe
us, if you get stuck or lost, you will really
wish you had. Here are some other tips:
If youre unsure of your direction, keep
looking for landmarks behind you, in case
you need to retrace your steps. Land marks
can often be unrecognizable in reverse.
The Bedouin navigate by the sun and the
stars. It works. If nothing else, remember
that the sun rises in the east and sinks in
the west.
Most road signs (with the exception of
the Empty Quarter) are written in
English as well as Arabic. Dont be
confused, however, by several different
spellings of the same place name.
Programme in the coordinates given on
the route map before you leave.
Please stay on established tracks at all
times: the desert may look dead hard, but
it supports a surprisingly fragile eco-
system. In parts, the plains (Route 12)
are becoming criss-crossed with car tracks
to the detriment of the flora and fauna.
Mountain Driving: The key to safety in
the mountains is being prepared. The
weather can change very quickly in the
mountains and it can get surprisingly cold at
3,000 m. In addition, remember to:
Engage low gear on prolonged descents.
Even in a new vehicle, brakes can wear
out very quickly with over-use. This is
why police insist on 4x4 on the tarmac
ascent to Al Jabal al Akhdar (Route 4).
Dont park or camp in a wadi. It may look
appealing and as dry as a bone, but flash
floods often occur without warning and
you can judge the outcome by the
uprooted palm trees.
As a mark of respect, explore mountain
villages on foot.
Sand Driving: This takes some practice!
Here are a few dos:
Pack sand ladders and a spade.
Go with another vehicle.
Consider hiring a guide in the Rimal ash
Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah Sands) (Route
10) or in the Empty Quarter (Route 15) if
youre unfamiliar with the area.
Plan on getting stuck: however
experienced you are, it happens.
Deflate the tyres slightly before entering
the dunes.
Remember to reinflate your tyres when
you reach the tarmac.
Keep up speed when climbing a dune.
Stop on a slope, if you have to stop. You
may be able to drive out of a problem
with gravity on your side.
Have a trial run before planning a long
trip in the sands (Route 10).
Off-road driving
Prelims.indd 11 6/10/07 10:16:02 AM
12 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
And a few donts:
Dont go alone.
Dont stop on soft sand. When you start
again, the wheels will spin.
Dont try to dig out if your wheels are
firmly entrenched the car will just sink
further. Let more air out, wedge the
ladders under the back wheels and
engage low ratio.
Dont stray away from the car if youre
seriously lost and/or stuck. Wait with it.
Sabkha Driving: Its simple, dont do it!
Sabkha is wet sand with a hard crust. It can
usually be detected as a flat plain with a salty,
whitish sheen. It may feel firm to walk on but
can give way without warning and is then
very difficult to get out of. If you have to
cross an area of sabkha, however, bear the
following in mind:
Stick only to prior tracks.
If theres water on the tracks, steer
through the water, not round it. Water
only rests on a hard surface.
One mans camping equipment is another mans road hazard.
Glorious mud! Nothing quite like it for
cooling the engine.
Off-road driving
Prelims.indd 12 6/10/07 10:16:08 AM
18 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Check the map for areas of sabkha. If you
have to cross sabkha on one of the routes
in this book, careful directions are given.
If you plan on driving on sabkha for a
prolonged distance (as at Barr al Hikman,
Route 10), take boards.
If you get stuck in sabkha, jack each tyre
up and wedge them with boards. This
will give some purchase for towing.
Coastal Driving: On the whole, driving
on the beach isnt to be recommended. In
towns, its discouraged for the sake of those
using the beach for recreation; in conser-
vation areas, its forbidden, particularly at
turtle-nesting sites (Route 9).
There are routes, however, where fisher-
men use the beach to get from one village to
another village and you may do the same
(Routes 10 and 11), providing you heed the
following advice:
Only attempt the drive if youve seen
fishermen crossing.
Follow in their tracks.
Dont attempt to drive at high tide.
Check the solidity of the surface by
walking on it first.
It is a gut-wrenching feeling when your
vehicle grinds to a halt on the beach with
the tide turning. If in doubt, dont go.
Fording Water: Many of the wadis in
Oman flow either permanently or occasion-
ally with water. This means that you will
more than likely need to ford water at some
point, especially if youre driving in the
Al Hajar Mountains (Routes 19). The
following tips may be helpful:
Always wade first through deep water to
gauge its depth.
Remember that wet brakes may not work
efficiently: give them time to dry out
before a steep descent.
Mud and algae on wadi pebbles can make
for an especially slippery surface under
water. Be careful not to over-correct
the steering.
Avoid driving through saltwater; if you
cant, make sure you give the underside
of the car a good wash after wards.
Obey the red road markers: it may seem
unlikely on a cloudless day in mid-sum-
mer, but flash floods can race across the
desert at great speed. If you try to cross
these floods, even if they dont seem very
deep, the current can whisk the wheels
from under you.
Hazards: You can be fined for having a
dirty car. You are obliged to use dipped lights
in dust-storms. Beware of camels, especially
in Dhofar in the khareef.
Refuelling: Petrol stations are indicated on
most tourist maps of Oman. If there are few
or none during the longer legs of the drives
in this book, weve suggested where you
should fill up before leaving the tarmac.
Here are some tips:
Dont forget that using low gear consumes
more petrol.
You cant rely on every petrol station
having petrol particularly on the
coastal road to Salalah (see Route 11):
keep topping up the tank each time you
see a garage.
Be aware of your petrol consumption: if
you get lost, keep estimating the amount
of petrol you need to retrace your steps.
You can often buy petrol from villagers or
the Bedouin: make sure you have a
funnel (the top of a water bottle will do).
Lastly, if you havent had much experience
driving off-road, dont let the list of
shoulds put you off. Most of them are
common sense, and a few hard-won
through experience.
Try an easy trip first, such as Route 1 or
Route 8, and build up some confidence.
Most of all, enjoy it.
Off-road driving
Prelims.indd 13 6/10/07 10:16:08 AM
14 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Route 1 Five-Forts Drive
E
ven the casual visitor to Oman cannot
fail to notice that there is barely a hill
or a promontory without one: indeed,
including watchtowers and stray, rambling
fortifications, there are more than 1,000
forts and castles in Oman in various states
of repair.
This drive, which links five of Omans
most memorable forts, and throws in a few
bonus ones for fun, takes you into the heart
of the flat Al Batinah Plain, up to the legs of
the mountains and back again through one
of the most accessible, fertile wadis in Oman.
How to get there
Leg 1 Muscat to Barka: Driving up
Highway 1 from Muscat to Barka is a joy in
its own right: flanked by lime-green neem
trees, orange-flowering cordias and hedges
of privet and bougainvillea for much of the
way, the road is more like a lineal garden
than Omans busiest highway.
To catch some of the highlights of the
drive to Barka, zero your odometer at the
Airport Roundabout, and look out for the
palaces of modern Omans founding fathers
on the left at 7.8 km, the beautiful domed
mosque of the Royal Guard at 16.3 km, the
Sultans country seat along a private road at
26 km, and two giant coffee pots outside a
private residence on the right at 27.8 km.
On the right at 29.3 km is the popular An
Nasim Garden. Dont be tempted to stop
for a picnic or you will never make it round
the rest of the route. If you dont fancy
going off-road this early in the trip, you
can drive on up to the Barka Round about
STARTING POINT: Muscat
FINISHING POINT: As Sawadi
DISTANCE: Approximately 270 km
TIME REQUIRED: Full day
CATEGORY: Partly tarmac and partly easy,
off-road, wadi driving.
HIGHLIGHTS: Five spectacular forts, sandy
beaches, the coastal plain contrasted with
dramatic mountain cliffs, hot springs, planta-
tions, a fertile wadi with all-year-round water,
active falaj . . . and a spot of fort counting.
IN BRIEF
Unkempt and unvisited, Sur ar Rumays is one of a legion of forts to discover off-road in Oman.
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Route 1.indd 14 6/7/07 4:02:36 PM
15 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Muscat to As Sawadi via Ar Rustaq
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Route 1.indd 15 6/7/07 4:02:36 PM
16 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Route 1 Five-Forts Drive
You dont need the Five-Forts Drive to see one,
nor do you need to be a military historian to
understand the place of the fort in Omani
culture. Take a look at any government building,
queue for the public phone or pay with a half-
rial note, and youll notice they all give homage
to the same architectural feature. Forts crop up
across the Arab World, from the great crusader
castles such as the Crak de Chevalier in Syria,
to the mud ruins of Diriyah in Saudi Arabia. But
they dont invade the living consciousness of a
country quite as noticeably as in Oman.
Fortifications, be it a sur, or simple walled
enclosure such as Sur ar Rumays, or a grand
edifice like the fort at Nakhal, have a longer
lineage on this soil than the country itself. Some,
such as Ar Rustaq Fort, partly predate Islam.
Erected by local tribes to protect trade routes
from the interior, or, as in the case of the fort at
Barka, built to withstand marauding forces from
the sea, they have been part and parcel of the
birth of a nation. They have also prominently
featured in the countrys rebirth: in 1976, at the
same time that hospitals, schools and roads
were being developed, the ambitious fort-
restoration programme undertaken by the
Ministry of National Culture and Heritage formed
a linchpin of Omans Renaissance. Fort
restoration may be a dying skill in Oman (many
restorers have to be brought in from abroad),
but the need to save these landmarks for
posterity is very much alive. Take the on-going
Bahla project, a UNESCO World Heritage Site:
this is the forts fourth makeover, follow ing
restoration in the 9th, 17th and 19th centuries.
So what is an Omani fort? It is a military
structure designed, like the imposing Al Hazm
Fort (illustrated above) to protect a community
unlike a castle (such as Bayt an Naaman
(Numan) in Barka) which is primarily a fortified
private residence. As such, the fort is a piece of
civic pride: a symbol of a communitys indepen-
dence and interdependence something the
Portu guese failed to appreciate when they
conquered Muscat with Forts Al Mirani, Al
Jalali and Mutrah but failed to conquer the
people within.
What should you look for in a fort? Think
boiling cauldrons of honey, hinged over door-
ways; spiked doors to repel battering; round
towers to deflect cannon balls, falaj in case of a
siege . . . but most of all, enjoy the view from
the battlements.
FORTS OF OMAN
For more on forts, see Dinteman,
Walter (1993), Forts of Oman (Motivate
Publishing, Dubai).
Route 1.indd 16 6/7/07 4:02:41 PM
17 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Muscat to As Sawadi via Ar Rustaq
and take up the route from leg two.
If you want to see the first of our five
forts, however, at 30.8 km turn right at the
Dates Roundabout WP1: N23 41.352 E58
01.952, signposted An Nasim Garden. Turn
immediately left towards Barka and keep
parallel to the highway until 34.2 km; turn
right after the pylons, just before Modern
Oman bakery. Turn right again at 34.8 km,
and keep right as you follow the road
through the village.
At 35.3 km turn left at the t-junction
opposite an archway and at 36.4 km turn
right onto some rough tracks: youll see Sur
ar Rumays Fort WP2: N23 41.368 E57 59.369
in front of you. If you get lost in zigzagging
through the village, just look for the forts
crumbling crenulations over the rooftops.
What makes this a special fort is that it is
virtually unvisited, unwritten about,
unrestored pretty much unloved in fact,
except by the odd grazing goat. It is perhaps
all the more evocative of the rise and fall of
past strongholds because of it.
You are now going to drive towards the
sea: keep the fort on your right and head
north-east, veering to the left of a poultry
farm. Fork left at 37.7 km. Many tracks
meander through the acacia woodland: you
are aiming for the power station to your left
and more especially the small tarmac road in
front of it. Head west on this tarmac road
with the power station on your right and at
41.3 km, turn right at the t-junction WP3:
N23 42.116 E57 56.985.
At 42.5 km take a small detour down to
the sea. This is a great beach for another
kind of fort builder: the ghost crab.
Apparently the crab with the biggest wins
fair lady no surprises there. What is
surprising, is that it takes the space of only
one tide for the crabs to completely recast
the shape of the beach.
Back on the road, continue towards
Barka for 5 km. Youll pass through an old
date plantation; like many along the Al
Batinah Coast it is suffering from salinity of
the soil, because of increased freshwater
usage. The next of our forts looms over the
town on the right. Unusual for its octagonal
tower, Barka Fort marks the end of the
Persian presence in Oman: in 1747 Persian
guests invited to a banquet got more than
they bargained for including a one-way
ticket out to sea. Pass the fort on your right,
and take the next left, signposted Muscat
and Sohar. Look out for shops selling halwa:
Barka is famous for Omans national
delicacy, made of sugar (or sometimes dates),
wheat starch, spices and rose water.
Leg 2 Barka to Nakhal: At the Barka
Roundabout, zero your odometer again and
take Highway 13 to Nakhal and Ar Rustaq.
At 3.5 km on the right, theres an ostrich
farm. If that seems like an odd sight today, it
would not have been so unexpected in the
days of our fort builders when apparently
ostriches used to roam the whole of the
Arabian Peninsula. According to one 18th-
century traveller in the region, there were
regular reports of ostriches using their tails
as sunshades and crocodiles that forbore in
the eating of Christians. If neither story
seems very credible, that just shows what
dull travellers weve become.
There is nothing dull about the way the
plain runs into the mountains at Nakhal.
Jabal Nakhal (1,588 m) makes a standing
Master castle builders busy on Barka Beach.
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18 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Route 1 Five-Forts Drive
start from the plantation at its base and
dwarfs our third, nonetheless mighty, fort: at
25 km its just visible, floating between date
palm and mountain wall.
At 29.4 km turn left for Nakhal: the fort
is unmissable on the right at 30.9 km. If you
are going to explore the inside of only one
fort, this 17th-century construction is
probably the one to choose. The stunning
view from the battlements shows just what a
prime position this fort commands. Even at
the height of summer, a breeze carries across
the plain and enters the windows of the
majlis at the top of the fort, making it a
balmy place to sit for a few minutes before
getting lost on the way back down.
Just past the fort, at 31.6 km, theres a
right fork to Ayn ath Thuwarah which is
worth a moments detour. Indian rollers and
iridescent bee-eaters are easy to spot as they
flash through the plantations of banana,
papaya, dates and lime. The hot spring at
the end of the road (33.6 km) is a popular
local picnic spot and theres generally a
collection of boys, goats and Masafi water
bottles floating beneath the chutes of water.
If dipping a toe doesnt appeal, try the
egg roll-ups in the cafe instead, before
heading back to Highway 13.
Leg 3 Nakhal to Ar Rustaq: At the Nakhal
Junction on Highway 13, zero your odometer
once more as you turn left towards Ar
Rustaq. Three great wadis run into the Al
Hajar Mountains on this side of the range,
and they can all be accessed from this part of
Highway 13. The first two (Wadi Mistall at
15.2 km and Wadi Bani Kharus at 34.1 km)
are essentially cul-de-sacs but the third, at
40.5 km, is the important thoroughfare of
The stately Nakhal Fort, with its finely restored interior, lies at the junction of plain and
mountain. The view from the ramparts is well worth the climb.
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19 OFF-ROAD IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN
Muscat to As Sawadi via Ar Rustaq
Wadi Bani Awf. All three wadis make
exciting and spectacular half- or full-day off-
road excursions (see Routes 2 and 3). Indeed,
if you fancy extending the current trip into
an overnighter, you could combine it with
Route 2 and camp in Wadi as Sahtan.
A watchtower at 47.5 km, guarding a
patch of maize and onions, signals the
approach to Ar Rustaq. This vibrant town,
at the crossroads between mountain and
plain betrays something of its noble lineage
as Omans capital, albeit briefly, in the
17th century.
Turn left at Ar Rustaq Roundabout
(51.5 km) for our fourth fort of the trip and
follow the road round the town, turning left
at the small roundabout at 55.3 km. The
great angular pile that rises up on your left
dates back to pre-Islamic times; was
extended twice in the 17th and 19th cen-
turies; saw action in the Jabal War of 1950,
and had an administrative role until the
1970s. It too is worth a stroll, if only to
admire the massive battlements. There are
tombs, hot springs and a busy market in
Ar Rustaq if you have time to explore.
Leg 4 Ar Rustaq to Al Hazm via Wadi al
Hawqayn: Return to Ar Rustaq Round about
and go straight over on Highway 11. If you
want out of the Five-Forts Drive then this is
the time to make a run for it. High way 11
will take you directly back to Highway 1.
If, on the other hand, youre game for the
full set of crenulations, head along Highway
11 for 3.1 km, turn left at Ar Rustaqs Grand
Mosque for Ibri, and fill up at Oman Oil.
The track to Wadi as Sahtan (see Route 2)
emerges from the left at 8.6 km. After 6 km,
turn right for Wadi Bani Hinayy (just before
the bridge) WP4: N23 25.293 E57 17.982, zero
your odometer and slip down onto the graded
wadi bottom. This leads to Wadi al Hawqayn.
After 2 km youll have a first glance of
two of our bonus forts. Without wishing to
be too technical about things, the one on
the hill is more properly a watchtower and
the spectacular ruin right in the middle of
the wadi WP5: N23 25.978 E57 19.215 is more
castle than fort (see box on forts for the
difference). Whatever theyre called, in the
late afternoon they glow like burnished
coffee pots in the wadi and are irresistibly
photogenic. Small paths lead into the plan-
tations offering glimpses of life under the
date palms. In mid-August, when the dates
are ready for harvesting, giant bunches of
red and yellow fruit hang like purses of coins
in this rich little wadi.
The route passes through shallow pools of
water and climbs the left bank of the wadi at
8.8 km, past some shops and a ruined tower
with a satellite dish at 9 km in the village of
Aqd an Nizuh. At 10.7 km, a picturesque
watchtower looms over the s-bend in the
wadi below and, at 11.5 km, along the right
Ar Rustaq Fort, at a crossroads to the inter ior,
guards ancient trade routes and hot springs.
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