Al-Hoota Cave

I've been feeling this push to tick off as many Oman attractions as physically possible before the baby arrives. Al-Hoota Cave was something I read about before I even moved to Oman, but until about two weeks ago it had been closed.

Now there are two sides to the cave experience, being inside the cave and waiting to get inside. I'll start with the former.

The cave is estimated to be over 2 million years old, and while it has a total length of 4.5 km, about 0.5 km is accessible via a guided tour. Inside are epic rock formations created by water. You enter the cave via an electric train in groups of around 75 and walk along stairs and ramps to explore the various parts. The pace of the tour is a comfortable one, which is great considering it is very hot and humid inside. The guides stop at various points and tell you a bit about the history of the cave, how it was formed, animals living inside etc, and it takes around 45 minutes to do the full circuit.

The cave has been closed for the last four years, but once you step inside you can see the effort that has gone into making it suitable for visitors; there are sturdy paths and steps and good lighting (although there doesn't seem to be disabled access). The cave is mostly rocky, but towards the end of the tour there is a lake, which contains some blind fish and provides a much-needed breeze before you make your way to the exit and take the train back to the main entrance. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fill this post with pretty pictures of the inside of the cave because you aren't allowed to take any, but it is definitely worth a visit, and in theory you could combine it with a trip up to Jebel Shams, as the cave is found at the base of the mountain. It's also worth mentioning that there is a very interesting museum that you can also visit, which has a bit more information about the cave and the general geology of Oman, and there is a place to get food and drinks.

The reason say "in theory" you could combine a trip to the cave with another activity is that getting inside is quite another thing. The cave does have a fancy new website to go with it, and there you can book tickets for a particular time slot, and find out more information about the cave. It certainly gives off a very professional vibe, and you would expect a very organised, smooth operation when you get there.

The first problem starts in the car park. Considering the cave can take 750 visitors a day, there isn't enough parking to accommodate everyone, and if you are unlucky you'll have to park a fair walk away. It's the same with the waiting area inside, and there is general chaos as everyone pushes and bundles together to either sort out their tickets or get on the train. Unfortunately, the people in charge don't do a good job of letting people know there is a system (you get assigned a group number when you collect your tickets) and it means that people just start pushing and generally being disorderly. We did book ahead and had a 12.45 time slot, but this seems mostly arbitrary, and we didn't get in until around 2.30. Interestingly on that day they had been taking bookings between 1 and 2pm, even though we were told there was a "break" at that time. I'm not sure if that break happens every day, but it's worth noting. Your best bet would be to arrive first thing in the morning, and make sure to book tickets as I've heard you can get turned away otherwise.

I don't know if we got particularly unlucky with the day we went (Eid holidays, a few days after opening) but, I hope, the running issues get sorted out quickly and the cave can be the nice addition to the Oman attraction scene that it should be.

Check out Al-Hoota Cave website, here, for more information and to book tickets. 

Here comes the summer

I dread the arrival of summer in Muscat -- the heat, the boredom. Ergh. But this year I've made plans.

1. Troom Oman Escape Room. I've wanted to visit Troom for a while, but I decided to wait for the summer since it is an indoor thing. It's an escape room game where you need to look for clues and solve puzzles to find the key to get out. You get an hour in total, and there are three different themed rooms, which means the chance for more than one trip.

2. Camping in the mountains. We have a camping trip planned to Jebel Shams next month, and if that goes well, I would also like to try Jebel Al Akhdar. Mountains being high as they are means that the temperature is much cooler. If camping isn't your thing, there are hotels, which I would hope will have some special rates for the summer.

3. Go snorkelling or scuba diving. As you all know, diving is my thing now and no phrase rings truer when you think about how hot the summer can get here than the words of Sabastian from The Little Mermaid: "Darling it's better down where it's wetter". Be warned, though. When you are in the water, all is amazing, but it will be very hot travelling to and from the sites and you need to be very careful about getting sunburnt. I'm speaking from sore experience.

4. Visit Salalah. The most popular time to visit Salalah is the Khareef (monsoon) season when the place turns green and cool. That said it is one of those places you can visit anytime, and probably best to visit out of peak season when the hotels get expensive and full. If we do manage to see it this year, I will probably try to plan the trip just outside of the busy season (August) so it's not too crowded and expensive.

5. Spend the day at Wadi Shab. I'm adding this to the list not really knowing if Wadi Shab is feasible when it's hot. I've heard great things about the place, and many people claim it is a favourite so I want to see it for myself.

There are of course lots of other places to be entertained indoors -- the cinema, bowling alleys, ice rink, and the "shopping centres" -- but I do prefer the atypical options.

Where do you plan on seeing out the summer? More ideas are most welcome! 

Out and about: Jebel Sifah

One of my favourite stretches of beach in Oman is at Jebel Sifah. It's one of those places that if in doubt we'll just head there to hang out or have a BBQ. 

So when Jebel Sifah invited my family and me to spend the weekend there, we didn't take long to accept the invite. 

We usually get there by car. The drive takes you through the mountains on long windy roads that open up to pools of water. But, this time, we arrived via water taxi, which is a completely different experience. The taxi leaves from Marina Bandar Rowda and arrives in the marina of Jebel Sifa about 45 minutes later, taking you past the Al Bustan Hotel, Shangri-La and then stretches of mountains. 

When we arrived, we checked into a huge two bedroom flat with a view of the sea. The development is very much like The Wave, with a mixture of flats and houses, coffee shops, places to eat, and, most excitingly, a brand new dive centre. 

One of the great things is that while you have access to the beach and sea, you are also free to enjoy the pool at the hotel Sifawy (which also has a impressive Friday brunch and dinner buffet). 

We had the option to take part in water activities, too. Diving was unfortunately cancelled because of strong winds, but my husband did have a go at jet skiing (I was too scared). 

We also got a chance to look at how the development will expand in the future, with the addition of a couple of 5-star hotels, a golf course, and more houses and flats. It will be impressive. The flats we stayed in are available to rent, either via the hotel for short-term/weekend stays, but there is the option for long-term renting, too.  

We had a great weekend, thank you to Jebel Sifah and Muriya for having us. We'll be back! 

Out and about: Bullfighting

Driving back from Dubai we let our curiosity get the better of us when we saw a large crowd of men and cars gathered at the roadside. We literally swung ourselves off the highway (it's still amazing to me that you are able to do that here) and parked up so we could see what was going on.

The first thing we noticed were huge pick-up vans carrying bulls. Absolutely huge animals, which I expect weigh a ton because you could see that their weight had cause a dip in the vans.

The bulls are Brahma bulls and they become so huge on a diet of milk and honey. In pairs, the bulls were led into the centre of the field along with a few men holding them back. Then I don't really know what happened. There seemed to be a bit of commotion, someone was very excitedly giving commentary somewhere, there was a rise of dust, men running out of the way, and then cheering. Then the whole thing was repeated again.

I would have loved to have taken a closer look and got some really good photos but the place was exclusively men, so I didn't feel comfortable getting out of the car. I was also wearing a very brightly coloured dress that day and worried I might look like an attractive target for the bulls.

At the time, I was a bit worried that there would be a lot of pain involved for the animals and I was a bit uncomfortable watching, but having done some reading since the sport is actually bull-butting rather than the Spanish-style bullfighting. This means that the fighting is actually between two bulls and they lock horns for a bit before being separated. The winning bull is the one which either pushes the other to the ground or forces it to give up its ground.

As I mentioned, it all happened very quickly actually, sometimes the bulls just seemed to not be interested and ran off the other direction and three or four Omani men would be trying to hold them back.

If you are interested in trying to see some bull-butting, there is a ring in Barka (according to Trip Advisor) but the opening times are elusive. Friday seems to be the best day to maybe head down there and take a look, once it cools after 4pm, but I expect it's probably a winter activity and I am sure there will be nothing happening now that Ramadan is about to begin. I think what we saw must have been some sort of "unofficial" gathering, so maybe keep your eyes peeled for one of those.

This has to be the most unique things I have seen in Oman to date. I quite like the glimpse into local life, if you know of anything a little less testosterone-heavy then do let me know. 

Camping: 1000 Nights Camp revisited

It seems appropriate that with Earth Day just passed to share some beautiful pictures of Oman's landscape.

Last weekend we revisited the 1000 Nights Camp in Wahiba Sands, and while I won't go into detail about the camp again (you can read about it, here) I will say that it was a completely different experience this time. We knew how to get to the camp for starters.

On this occasion, we had my aunt, mum, and cousin with us. Before entering the sands, we stopped in what I can only call an oasis for lunch. Right next to the sands, an area filled with green plants and trees. Beautiful. I wish I had the photography skills to get a shot showing the contrast, but just picture sand dunes next to farmland.

After the 40km drive, we arrived at the camp and managed to get a drive up to the top of the dunes to watch the sunset. Our driver gave us a taste of dune bashing, which was terrifying. As you go over the top of a dune, you get that feeling that you do at the peak of a roller coaster, except you are very aware of the fact that there is no suspension to slow you as you fall and you are completely reliant on the skills of the driver.

Having safely arrived at the top of the dunes, we sat and waited for the sunset.

Being April, it was much hotter than last time and we were wrong this time to have got a room without air conditioning, the temperature stays hot throughout the night before dropping very slightly in the early hours of the morning and then heating up all over again. This time the water in the bathroom was warm though, which made having a shower outdoors much more bearable.

The next day we headed along to Wadi Bani Khalid, again. This is still my favourite place in Oman, and while I wouldn't recommend a trip to the desert right now, Wadi Bani Khalid would be a perfect day trip because the pools of water are perfect for cooling off in.

With the summer quickly catching up with us, I'm starting to get a bit of anxiety thinking about being trapped indoors for the next couple of months. How do you cope?! 

Off-Road: Daymaniyat Island

You can't get more off-road than travelling by sea right? Well that is what we did this weekend, visiting Daymaniyat Island, a site better known for diving.

Diving wasn't on the agenda on this occasion (although I am starting diving certification course next weekend!) Instead we wanted to chill and enjoy the sunshine. 

We met at Seeb port at 8.30am, and set sail on a traditional dhow boat at about 9am. The boat benefits from an air conditioned lower deck, and an upper deck that is part outdoors and part indoors so you can get in and out of the heat as you wish. I parked myself in the majlis and crossed my fingers that my seasickness wouldn't kick in, but luckily the sea was very calm and after about 90 minutes we arrived at the island.

Being a nature reserve/protected site the boat had to anchor itself a little away from the island and we were then taken over in batches in a smaller boat and left to enjoy ourselves. The crowd was made up of friends of friends so the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed; there was music, dancing, and a generally just a happy vibe.

I failed a little on the blogging front: for fear of my camera ending up at the bottom of the sea I left it on the boat. The island is beautiful though, and I would urge you to plan a trip yourself. On some parts of the island you might be lucky enough to see a bit of wildlife. On this occasion, I spied crabs -- a lot of them, huge ones. The sand is a little odd, on the most part it is fine, soft sand, but there are these larger rocks and shells determined to ruin your day when you accidently step on them or kick them, which I did, and I ended up with a purple toe. As inviting as the water looked, it was ice cold, I'm not sure if it is like this all year round, and it took me two attempts before I finally plucked up the courage to get in properly.

After the dhow crew managed to lure us all off the island and back onto the boat we enjoyed a lunch of rice, meat and fish, and headed back to Muscat in time for dusk.

Since we were invited along as friends of friends I have no idea how you would go about organising a private trip yourself. Google is your friend though. I know that there are trips that can be organised as part of a tour and again, ask Google for options. I do know that The Phoenix Group is arranging a trip in early April so if you are a member do get in touch with them, I'm sure you will enjoy it. 

Camping: 1000 Nights Camp, Wahiba Sands

I assume most people work up from regular camping to glamping. I'm not convinced I will enjoy a true camping experience, but when my sister arrived in Muscat and said she wanted to see the sands I decided that this time we should experience something a bit more "authentic".

We booked a stay at 1000 Nights Camp. The camp is an hour drive in from the main road; so it's far, approximately 40km in, and you need to know where you are going because once you get deep into the desert there is no phone signal. Annoyingly, the GPS coordinates on the website are wrong, but I have included them below. As you would expect, driving that far into the desert you do get the sense of total isolation, it is easy to be the only car in sight and when you are trying to beat sunset it adds to the thrill of the drive.

When you eventually get there, you arrive at a very authentic looking camp, plus a swimming pool. The tents are typical of what you would expect and depending on your budget you can go basic or luxury. We opted for the Sheikh tent, which has no AC but does have its own "bathroom". Since at this time of year it actually gets very cold at night not having AC is not a problem. I would suggest you take a jumper, and some socks.

Having never been camping showering outside was certainly a new experience for me. I'm not sure I was really that clean though after my 30 second shower, but the lukewarm water and cold air certainly woke me up.

When we first arrived at the camp we wanted to catch the sunset from the top of the dunes again, but since this camp doesn't offer a drive up there and we had to give ourselves plenty of time to walk up the dune, which is steep and tough! The climb reminded me why I really should start doing more exercise. What's nice is that the camp does have sandboards for you to use so if you can drag more than yourself up the dune, it's a fun way to come back down.

When evening came we had a BBQ dinner, which was ok, but I think by this time we were all exhausted, a little cold, and ready for sleep. Breakfast the next morning was good, freshly cooked omelets and crepes were available as well as cereals, fruit, and sausages. We then wandered around the camp before checking out, taking a look at the animals and once it started to heat up I realised why the camp also has a pool.

We heading off to Wadi Bani Khalid again for another explore of the area, which was just as beautiful as the first time.

You can read about Wadi Bani Khalid, here, and our first experience in Wahiba Sands at the very glamourous Desert Nights Camp, here. 

Road trip: Fanja Village

It started with a pair of shoes. After visiting Wadi Bani Khalid we decided that we needed 'adventure shoes' suitable for exploring. So we each treated ourselves to a pair and then didn't go on any road trips for over a month and we wanted to remedy that.

We saw an article in the Times of Oman about Fanja village, a mostly abandoned village about 20-minutes drive out of Muscat, and decided to make this our destination.

The place is a little tricky to find. You follow the signs for Fanja after getting on the highway that goes to Nizwa/Salalah from the Clock Tower roundabout. Eventually, you pass a very small souq area and in the distance can see the village and the mud watch towers higher up on the mountain, at this point it is just a case of driving towards that direction and choosing the appropriate roads to drive up. It was one of the journey's where I felt the four-by-four was a disadvantage since there are a lot of narrow, winding roads leading to the village entrance, which is marked by a portrait of the Sultan.

As you travel up to the village, before you reach the entrance and pass through the old wooden doors, the houses you see are rather typical by Omani standards, but once you go through the door it is quite different. Very much a lost time. There are blocks of ruined mud houses, and if you are brave enough to take a peek inside you can get a hint of how life might have been lived.

As you walk further in you end up at a high point on the mountain overlooking the wadi and the rest of Fanja. There are more ruined houses here and you can see that there were a few people that would have had a fantastic view from their bedroom windows.

A little further along you reach the cannons overlooking the wadi, which according to the article, would have protected the town from rival incursions. Legend has it that the cannons fired plenty of shots against people who tried to invade the territory.

As I mentioned previously, there are still a few who live in the village but in refurbished houses. The juxtaposition between the old and new is quite amazing. Like the village we found at the base of Jebel Akhdar the houses are made of mud and stone, but that village had evidence of two-storeys. The article suggested that the site be protected with heritage status making it more of a tourist attraction, I say, if you can, go along and explore it now while you can have it to yourself. 

Road trip: Wadi Bani Khalid

After leaving Desert Nights Camp we headed to Wadi Bani Khalid, which is less than an hour from the camp.

The surrounding mountains means that there is a constant flow of water throughout the year, which makes it an oasis in the desert, filled with green and large pools of water perfect for cooling off in.

You can explore the North or South of the wadi, we chose the North, parking up in the carpark and taking the short walk along the falaj system to the first pools. Here is a good high-point to look over both sides of the wadi (and a small cafe for a buffet lunch, if needed).

The first pool was full of people swimming and depending on how far you are willing trek into the wadi there are more pools, each one more secluded.

There is also a cave, about a 15 minute walk away. At this point you can really feel like Indiana Jones, climbing, over, under and through the boulders along the valley. The cave itself isn’t really worth seeing though, it is small and dark and the main attraction inside isn’t much of an attraction. There was a group of local boys hanging around nearby and one guided us through with a torch, which is a must-have because once you move away from the entrance you can’t see anything (he of course followed us back to the car for a tip after). If you fancy testing your courage though, do crawl inside, just be prepared to get dirty and a little scared!

Of all our adventures so far Wadi Bani Khalid has been my favourite. The place is beautiful and next time I would like to explore the South side, which has more water pools, some water falls, and rock climbing to experience.