It’s time for us to explore another wadi in Oman and this time we’re heading to Wadi Bani Khalid. It’s said to be a lot more developed than Wadi Shab but we were still excited to check it out. This time we didn’t arrive early in the morning, we just rocked up at 1ish which was wadi-rush hour and albeit we found a parking space easily the place was unpleasantly busy with tourists. The wadi is only a short 5 minute stroll from the parking lots so it’s very easy to access and it starts with two large emerald coloured pools where the locals like to sit around the shores and have picnics. Then the gorge begins and the pools narrow to thin slithers of water. We followed the rough trail all the way alongside the gorge, picking our chosen pool to dip in and we found a lovely one with crystal clear water. The sun was shining so it looked extra pretty but it was hard to enjoy it with so many people around. Even though large signs requested everyone to dress modestly in the water and not get changed in public almost every tourist we saw wore a bikini – but bizarrely most of them had guides who I’d of expected to explain and enforce the rule so maybe they like letting that little rule slide for a cheeky look as we saw one who was pretending to be texting but his eyes just kept darting sideways to the bikini wearers. Whilst Craig was swimming through a narrow section a big Russian man built like Arnold Schwarzenegger kicked him as he swam by and we’re pretty sure he’s fractured the bone in Craig’s foot. Annoyingly the Russian walked by afterwards with a spring in his step while I have a hobbling Craig to get back to the car.

We decided to search for a quieter spot and as luck would have it we discovered a hidden pool that no one seemed to know existed. We had it all to ourselves which was lovely. I swam through the pool to a deep section through a narrow canyon where a giant rock had wedged itself so I could swim through it like an open-ended cave…I ‘could’ if I wasn’t scared of deep, dark water and didn’t let my imagination take over. As soon as I overthought what could be lurking in the depths I panic-swam back to a gravelly patch where I could stand. The water was surprisingly warm but as soon as I got out – in full clothing, it was bitterly cold. A chilly breeze whipped through the canyon and suddenly we felt a couple drops of RAIN!! We were cold anyway so we took that as our cue to leave and decided we’d return first thing the next day to see the wadi without the crowds.

We wanted to camp nearby so we could arrive early but down at the wadi carpark wasn’t an option if it was raining, we’re fully aware of the risks involved with rain in desert countries. Flash-floods can happen quickly and other seasonal wadis crossed the road so it wasn’t worth the risk so we drove up a steep hill where we found a good enough option for the night. The only problem was it didn’t stop raining so we realised our pathetic single-skin tent would leak if we used it in rain and therefore we’d have to sleep in our car. Eugh. Well we tried for an hour and both found it unbearably uncomfortable so as soon it seemed like the rain had eased we decided to risk putting the tent up and it just about coped with the light rain during the night, hooray.

The weather was very gloomy when we woke and we figured after the rains the wadi would be flowing with brown water but by the time we finished breakfast the clouds all parted and revealed clear blue skies…and a clear river! We dashed down to the wadi where there was only one other person and it looked so much better with a bright sun shining down and the still waters reflecting the orange cliffs and palm trees. The water wasn’t muddy at all but it was going to take a couple of hours before the sun reached the pools in the narrow canyon so we relaxed on a rock for a while but the closer the sun creeped down the rock-face towards us the more cloud built up in the sky. Not only that but by 9am groups of tourists began arriving so it lost its appeal.

The sky was completely overcast within 30 minutes so after a brief swim we called it a day and by the time we got back to the car it was raining again…and this time it was much heavier. It didn’t take long for large puddles to start forming on the roads and dry wadis to start filling with water. It was quite a beautiful sight though as we drove over the pass the distant mountains were all layered in neat rows and cloud was drifting around the high peaks.

We pulled over for some lunch on a dirt track leading off the highway and we managed to pick a dry spell so we quickly made some pot noodles on the floor. A few locals in 4×4’s gave us big smiles and waves and one chap slammed on his brakes and said “TEA!….you have a cup?” He quickly grabbed his flask and poured a hot, milky tea into our wooden cup. He was a little surprised when we said we just had one cup to share so he made sure to fill it to the top before dashing back to his car and bringing us packets of crisps and biscuits. It was so sweet.

The kindness of strangers took a weird turn in the next place we pulled up in – the little town of Raqah, nestled amongst the orange sand dunes of Wahiba Sands. As soon as we entered the village a car slowed down beside us and asked if we wanted a sand dune tour. This happened about 5 times with people just stopping in the middle of the road trying to sell us a trip 10km into the desert to take some photos of the dunes and ‘a baby’ – his words, not mine. We spent two weeks living in a mud hut in the Sahara so we weren’t too interested in a tour or staying in a desert camp and all we wanted to do was go for a walk up the dunes on our own. The dunes were still wet from the rain but it meant the ripples in the sand were really exaggerated and it was quite a beautiful time to visit. It was pretty windy walking along the sinking ridge lines and sand was whipping all around us. The village laid below us, white flat-roofed houses lined the sides while a huge palm grove sat in the middle, it was quite a lovely little oasis village.

After playing in the dunes we decided to take a stroll through the palm trees where we saw some colourful birds who were all very illusive and tricky to photograph. As we were finishing the walk some kids ran after us and started asking for money. We ignored them and eventually they gave up and as we continued walking we heard them saying “fuck you” repeatedly. We’ve experienced this a lot around the world, I guess I kind of thought with how polite the adults were in Oman that the kids would follow suit.

We wanted to camp in the dunes but another downpour came and after checking my map I could see there were lots of seasonal wadis that crossed the roads so it wasn’t a safe area to stay. We ended up finding a quiet disused road to park to the side of but we couldn’t pitch our tent as we could see lightning flashes all around us. There weren’t any claps of thunder so we felt safe that it was at least 10 miles away but we still felt wary about being in a tent. We managed to stay awake until 11pm and decided to pitch the tent as we still hadn’t heard any thunder and the lightning had lessened. Literally the moment we closed our eyes a huge flash of lightning shone through the tent and it was followed by the moody rumble of thunder and heavy drops of rain. We didn’t waste any time and had the tent packed up in less than two minutes. Now we had no choice but to sleep in the car.

The rain, thunder and lightning continued and it was hard to get any sleep, when the rain became relentless we both got worried that we were at risk of being in a flood zone so we decided to drive to a road nearby which had higher elevation where we spent the rest of the night. In the morning we could see the whole area where we’d originally parked was now a giant puddle. We couldn’t help but wonder what people’s experiences were in the desert camps last night – the accommodation is usually a fabric tent that’s not built to withstand rain, nor a lightning strike.

Wadis spilled across the road and a local pulled over to see where we were heading today. He told us we should only take the main highway as the minor roads are lower and would have water across them still. When I googled the weather local newspaper articles shared some crazy footage of the floods. Cars were totally underwater, trucks were on their sides, 3 children has been killed by the floods and many others rescued, some areas even had hailstorms which were so powerful they smashed all the car windows. I think it must’ve been pretty unusual weather because the worst day was deemed a national holiday and schools were closed for two days!