Note: This article pertaining to Approaching Wadi Shab in Oman was originally published on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at 1:15 in the afternoon and has been updated.
Driving southeast on Highway 17 — which is also known as the Qurayyat Sur Coastal Road or simply The Coastal Road — from the small town of Fins, I noticed that the craggy barren brown mountains to the west contrasted the brilliant aquamarine waters of the Gulf of Oman to the east; and there was little more than that on the almost-deserted desert highway.
Approaching Wadi Shab in Oman
I approached the exit to Wadi Shab — which was clearly marked with a brown traffic sign — where I was to visit out of curiosity: a veritable oasis in the desert were it not for the Gulf of Oman and the hot, humid air.
A winding road on a moderate downhill grade approached the small town of Tiwi — all of which combined to obscure the actual entrance to Wadi Shab.
The winding road provides a view of the calm waters of the Gulf of Oman.
Signs indicate a plethora of warnings for motorists — but the winding road is basically about as easy to navigate as a similar road in the United States…
…as long as you drive carefully, which results in slowing down and noticing the local architecture of the town.
I do not exactly know why; but I thought that the road approaching Wadi Shab was rather cool, for lack of a better word — even though it is no Lombard Street in San Francisco in terms of grade and curves.
Wadi Shab — which is also known as Wadi Ash Shab — is easily accessible from the city of Muscat, which is approximately 140 kilometers to the northwest.
At the bottom of the hill, the entrance to Wadi Shab suddenly appeared at the sign shown in the photograph above.
The sign was secured solidly to its base by four bolts — which is more than I can say about the stability of the base itself.
You might say that things are looking rather rocky for this sign; and the goats which wandered around lackadaisically near the entrance to Wadi Shab did not even bother to greet me.
Ba-a-a-a-a-ah. Stupid goats…
I turned right into the parking lot next to the waters of Wadi Shab, which was situated directly under the overpass of Highway 17.
The hike from the parking lot inland is approximately 2.5 kilometers.
I was rather fortunate that plenty of parking was available, as it could get quite crowded during peak season.
The circular huts of fisherman that were found in this historic valley in Oman supposedly date back as many as 6,000 years.
I parked the rental car in the shade in a fleeting attempt to keep the car from being even hotter as a result of the desert sun shining on it — which, of course, was eventually unsuccessful as the sun moved across the sky.
The building on the right housed public toilets.
I got out of the car and looked back towards the entrance to the parking lot.
I walked around the area of Wadi Shab near the highway.
Final Boarding Call
This series of articles continues in the following order:
- Wadi Shab in Oman: A Photographic Essay of Its Entrance
- The Boat Ride Into Wadi Shab in Oman
- Wadi Shab in Oman: A Photographic Essay of the Trek Inland
- Finale: The Oasis at Wadi Shab in Oman
All photographs ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
