At first, the coastal road runs through inhospitable and wild countryside in the hinterland. At Sadah, however, it comes close to the coast of the Indian Ocean again. Here we find a quiet spot in a bay and enjoy the constant sound of the sea. A feeling of remoteness, of infinity, of vacation and relaxation takes hold of us again and again.

Dream coast

From Sadah to Shuwaymiyah, the road follows the coast for 150 km with countless bends and magnificent views. Before Shuwaymiyah, road 42 crosses a mountain range in an impressive road layout, climbing about 700 meters before dropping back down to sea level at Shuwaymiyah beach.
A ride that triggers great enthusiasm and feelings of happiness. We can’t get enough of it and the pictures may only give an incomplete impression.

Shuwaymiyah

The beach

The beach at Shuwaymiyah is over 20 km long. Apart from a few fishermen, we don’t meet anyone. We take a break here “once again” and stay for a day, enjoying the undisturbed peace and quiet. Typical pensioners.

The village

The village of Shuwaymiyah is very tranquil. Life here apparently follows a slow, quiet rhythm. It seems dreamy and sleepy. In addition to several “small grocery stores”, there is at least a somewhat larger supermarket for shopping.
Shuwaymiyah is an example of the many small villages scattered along the coast.

The wadi

Behind the village, a wide valley opens up, bordered by white limestone rock. It is used “agriculturally”, with camels grazing here and there and Bedouins having built simple stables. The wadi is about 30 kilometers long and can be driven up to about kilometer 20. In the first quarter there is a pool of water fed by a karst spring. The gravel road extends to around kilometer 20, after which it is only possible to continue on foot.

Here, at the end of the slope, the water drips down the rocks, so that green stretches up the cliff, demanding every drop of water. The water eventually collects into a small stream that bubbles and gurgles merrily. This is accompanied by the melodic singing of the birds in this absolute silence.

But the wadi does not end here. It stretches at least 10 kilometers further into the Dhofar limestone massif as a notch. From there, an inconspicuous stream gurgles through the valley brine and finally merges into a somewhat wider rivulet.

The moods

The light-colored limestone rock is naturally predestined for incredible light moods in the evening and in the morning. Especially after sunset, there is a phase in which the rocks glow again. And we enjoy this and can’t get enough of it. And when a bird sings a melancholy song to go with it, we are definitely smitten and our hearts melt like butter. And the great thing is that here in Oman we have many opportunities to experience such wonderful evenings and mornings.