Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Turkish restaurant (open from 11am to midnight) is a pleasant place to enjoy watching
dhows beaching at low tide in the lagoon.
To reach Ayjah, you can either cross the bridge (Oman's first and only suspension
bridge) or drive 10km around the lagoon.
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Sinkhole Park (Hawiyat Najm Park)
The blue-green, brackish water at the bottom of this peculiar 40m by 20m limestone hole
invites a swim and a snorkel. The intrepid can inch round the ledges that surround the
pool and dive into the deep unknown. It's known locally as Bayt al-Afreet (House of the
Demon); you could come face to face with more than you bargained for in the water, the
depth of which is still uncertain. If the demon eludes you, look out for the equally elusive
blind cavefish instead.
The sinkhole is beside the Muscat-Sur Hwy, near the village of Dibab. Follow the sign-
posts off the highway towards a green oasis. There are toilets but no changing or other fa-
cilities at this picnic spot.
From the sinkhole, you can drive along the old coast road for a closer look at the sea
and rejoin the highway at the next junction in either direction.
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Mountain Road to Jaylah
Along the Muscat-Sur coastal highway, you'll notice several roads zigzagging up the
mountainside into the clouds that often top the Eastern Hajar range. They mostly connect
with small villages, such as Umq, in the heart of the mountains from where there is no on-
ward route except by foot.
One exception, however, is the graded track carved out of the rock face that leads to the
cliff-hugging village of
Qaran
. The route is strictly 4WD and is not for the faint-hearted as
the last part of the ascent is a near-vertical climb with sharp hairpin bends. The ascent of-
fers a panoramic view of the coastal plain and an idea of the arid plateau that characterises
the top of the Eastern Hajar range. If you're feeling brave, have a good sense of direction
and spare petrol, you can follow the road across the plateau to the tombs at Jaylah and
descend towards Ibra on the other side of the mountains.
