Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
plateau. The graded road (4WD essential) zigzags up a neighbouring flank of the moun-
tain.
Jebel Shams Resort$$
MOUNTAIN CAMP
( 99 382639;
www.jebelshamsresort.com
; half board tents s/d OR35/50, cabins s/d OR55/70; )
Offering
cosy stone cabins with bathroom, verandah and heater and some Arabic tents popular with
Omanis at weekends, this camp is so close to the canyon rim, you'll have to be strapped
down if you're a sleepwalker. Mountain-bike hire (OR5 per hour), pitch and putt, and air-
rifle practice (OR1 for 10 shots) are available. Pitch your own tent for OR4 (OR16 with
food).
The camp is signposted from the Shell petrol station in Al-Hamra, 39km (40 minutes'
drive) up the flank of Jebel Shams.
Getting There & Away
The junction for Jebel Shams is clearly signposted off the Nizwa-Bahla road, 30.6km
from the topic roundabout in Nizwa. Turn right at the Omanoil petrol station then left after
11.8km at a Shell petrol station and follow the sealed road along the bottom of the wadi.
At 9.1km after the Shell petrol station, the road passes the vacant
village of Ghul
at the en-
trance of the Wadi Ghul canyon (you can access the canyon for a short distance only),
providing a good photo opportunity.
The road climbs through a series of sharp hairpin bends to the top of Jebel Shams. The
road then gives way to a well-graded track that climbs eventually to the military radar site
on the summit (closed to visitors). There's a right turn just before the summit that leads,
after 10 minutes' drive or so, to the canyon rim, 28km from the Shell station.
It is possible but foolhardy to attempt the drive without a 4WD, and car-hire agencies
won't thank you for the uninsurable abuse of their car. There is no public transport here.
For a rewarding drive with spectacular views, you can continue up the graded track to-
wards the summit of Jebel Shams (the very top is a restricted area, closed to the public)
and follow the signs for Krub and Al Marrat. Continue around the loop via the Sunrise
Resort, passing the ruins of ancient burial sites. A graded road from this area is under con-
struction and by the end of 2013 will lead to Rustaq, cutting 90 minutes off the current
drive time.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
