Stashed within the Western Hajar Mountains, just south of Muscat, lies the district (“waliyah”) of Rustaq. Rustaq was once the capital of Oman, during the era of Imam Nasir bin Murshid al Ya’arubi. It is 150 Kilometers from the Governorate of Muscat with a population of 67,641 living within its 170 villages. The village contains many enchanting wadis, around 200 aflaj (traditional irrigation systems), hot springs, as well as dozens of lush green palm farms.

The Ya’ariba ruling tripe of the region understood the importance of obtaining good drinking water from their wadis and underground springs, just as they recognized the dangers of salinity on the Batinah plain. In tackling the problem they looked to the future and realised that the solution lay in digging a falaj to carry water from Rustaq to the neighboring villages.

Although Rustaq is a very ancient city with origins that date from Oman’s earliest history, Rustaq Fort is one of only a few visible traces of its past that can be seen today. With its fertile soil and plentiful water supplies, the area is a major farming area. Bee-keeping is a popular occupation in these fertile wadis, where the bees sip the nectar from the wild flowers and flowering trees.

Hike Info

The main wadi is a beautiful water canyon, filled with pools, sediment walls and farms that lie at the top of this stunning location. We will enter through a few small pools that lie within the open gravel plain. As the wadi begins to narrow into a ravine, deep water swimming becomes the only option to carry through the trek.

Some of the canyon obstacles include a bit of climbing and navigating through the water ways. Here we will find different water colors (emerald green, turquoise blue, and even milky white), ferns and vegetation growing from the canyon walls. The total deep water canyoning is less than 2 km, but with all the obstacles, beautiful sights, and hungry tiny feeder fish nibbling around your legs, you’ll feel like you’ve been brought to an untapped paradise. Personal flotation devices are a must, but as the wadi does not contain swift water, it’s an adventure that can be shared by nature lovers of all kinds!