TRAVEL | Trekking in Wadi Tiwi (Oman)

Trekking in Wadi Tiwi (Oman)

It was around April 2018, when a colleague invited me for a Friday hike. Being the lazy person that I am, I declined the offer initially but was later convinced to come. It was a hike in Wadi Tiwi, a wadi in Al Sharqiyah region, adjacent to the very popular Wadi Shab with numerous farms and plantations dotting the wadi, and a stunning pool deep inside towards Mibam village.

Highlights: 

• Assembly at Oman Oil Station (near Lulu Supermarket)
• Drive towards Tiwi via Al Amirat Road
• Drive up to Village in Tiwi
• Important: Trek requires a 4WD

From Muscat, it will take around two hours to reach Tiwi (via Al Amirat Road). Driving around Oman is easy; roads are paved and google maps work very well.

Upon reaching Tiwi, we drove towards the off beaten track - by the stream, over the mountain, and until we reached the small village all the way up. That goes without saying that it requires a 4WD to reach the destination.

Highlights:

• Trek down the rocky wall
• Trek through the waters
• Swim by the river

Best time to start the hike is early morning before the sun rises; as it can be painfully hot on the way. It was a Friday, and we met several other hikers along the way.

My thoughts while hiking - If this was the end of me, at least I did this hiking once in my life. I mean I have done few other extreme activities like rappelling or jumping off dhow; but this hike was not an easy one and if I ever slip or anything, then that's it. Game over.

The initial hike was fairly easy - walking through a narrow path covered in bush and trees. When I heard the sound of water streaming, I started to form this image in my head. I thought that was the final destination.

Lo and behold, it was only the entrance. We needed to climb down the rocky wall in order to reach the river. With no support rope, not even protection gears - everybody became ninja experts. 

One of the participants panicked and broke down in tears. I couldn't blame her. It was the most dangerous thing I have ever done in my life.

And now that I look back on it, I admit that I was proud I survived. But something I won't do again unless my life depended on it.

The group had pause and wait till person who freaked out is able to continue. After the death defying climb down, the path became easy again. It was just water everywhere. I guess the only thing that almost made me didn't reach the end, was the fact that I had to swim the deep river with nothing to hold on to (and boy, didn't I just survived one drowning incident!).

But I was determined. I even left my trainer shoes on the rocks because I couldn't swim in them. I rather lose the shoes than lose my life. And besides, no deep river will ever spoil this day. So I swam and strive to cross the deep part. I was thankful that it didn't really take that long.

Alas, we reached the end of the trek and what greeted us was this spectacular turquoise water which I have not ever seen, not even in the Philippines. It was so beautiful I forgot how dangerous reaching this place was.

The journey back was a lot easier. We already knew what was waiting for us. And we all went home with this unforgettable experience. Something that will forever become etched in our memories.

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Now, when I tell people about this story; about how I barely managed to survive this experience - it's easier to smile and laugh about it. #