Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
series of deep
pools
in the narrow end of the wadi, and
Moqal Cave
. Both are well signposted
from the Muscat-Sur Hwy.
The pools have been developed into a tourist destination with a small (too small) car
park, a concrete pathway and a series of picnic huts. Swimming is possible here but only
if clothed in shorts and a T-shirt over the top of a swimming costume. The site is rather
unattractive but at least efforts have at last been made to enhance access to this beauty
spot. It is heavily crowded at weekends and during public holidays, but it is possible to es-
cape the visitors relatively easily by going in search of the cave or by climbing above the
wadi on the marked path. The path eventually leads to Tiwi by the coast. It takes three
days to walk (with donkeys carrying camping equipment) and is a popular hike organised
by tour agents in Muscat.
To reach the cave, look for a lower path above the picnic area and walk along the bot-
tom of the wadi. You will have to scramble over and squeeze under boulders and ford the
water several times. For precise directions, ask the goat herders. If they don't tell you the
right place, it's because they don't like tourists swimming deeper into the wadi. Then
again, they may just be worried you'll be lured into the land of gardens and cool streams
revealed to all who strike the rocks of Moqal Cave and utter the magic words '
Salim bin
Saliym Salam'.
The cave, however, is more likely to reveal evidence of bats and previous
visitors. The narrow entrance is finally accessed by a concrete stairway. A torch is needed
to see anything, and to find the underground pools, you will need to be prepared to
scramble and slither through the mud. To reach the cave, walking shoes are advisable, to-
gether with a reasonable level of fitness. If the water levels are high, the route should be
avoided. It's inadvisable to enter the cave alone.
For a panoramic view of the wadi plantations, stop at the
Tourist Service Centre
(
7am-7pm)
on the approach road to Moqal Cave. It's currently closed, but hopefully this cafe
will open again soon as it overlooks a sea of palm trees and is blissfully peaceful at sunset
when most day trippers have gone home. You can at least bring your own picnic and enjoy
the view from the terrace of the car park.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Jaylah
This exciting destination on top of the Eastern Hajar Mountains is worth the effort as
much for the journey through crumbling cliffs and past remote mountain villages as for
the reward of seeing ancient tombs on the summit.
