Nor far from Wadi Shab, Wadi Tiwi Oman offers another variant of those deep gorges cut in the mountains and running to the sea. Accessible by car during your Oman road trip, it offers pools of emerald waters, old villages and lush plantations. Discover the drive with a video and photos.
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Driving in Wadi Tiwi - video
Let's start with a short video with driving sequences all along Wadi Tiwi Oman. This will give you a feel for the place to see if you want to include it when planning your Oman road trip:
PLANNING TIPS - Wadi Tiwi Oman
The fertile Wadi Tiwi spreads over 36 km. Villages have settled with lush plantations and a road has been built all the way to Mibam. Like Wadi Shab the cliffs are straight and impressive, but this was remains wider for a longer distance.
How to get to Wadi Tiwi - Location
- Starts in Tiwi village, 2 km from Wadi Shab
- North of Tiwi, clearly indicated
- Muscat to Wadi Tiwi = 2h drive
- Sur to Wadi Tiwi = 45min drive
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Visiting Wadi Tiwi Oman
- You can drive all the way in the wadi
- However the road is sometimes narrow and bumpy and locals prefer that you do not (according to my guide). You can instead hike on the road giving you plenty of time to admire the views
- If you want to swim, cover yourself. Contrary to Wadi Shab, locals live nearby the pools and you should behave with respect
Accommodations near Wadi Tiwi
- You can visit on a day trip from Muscat - Check out the best rated accommodations in Muscat
- Or on a half day trip from Sur - Check out the best rated accommodations in Sur
- The closest accommodations would be in Tiwi, Fins or Qalhat, not a lot of choice - see options
Driving in Wadi Tiwi in Photos
The road first runs along plantation and pools full of boulders. After the village of Hara Bidah , the road narrows and the walls of the houses get really close to the car!
The road then continues as a rougher track which at some point climbs steeply. It takes you all the way to the Mibam village.
The river bed and natural pools of Wadi Tiwi
The drive by the river bed was very nice. A you can see the cliffs are steep and the wadi is a lot greener than Wadi Shab. This is why locals have established villages and are cultivating dates and bananas.
The river bed captures huge boulders rolling from the mountains.
The colors of the waters kept changing with shades of green and blue.
Les large boulders create natural pools with incredible colors!
Village at the entrance of Wadi Tiwi Oman
The first village in the oasis is as many viallges in Oman, white or ocre houses with flat roofs.
Mibam: Village deep in the gorge + waterfall
We did not drive all the way to Mibam. We stopped when we got nice views and turn around. As you can see the plantations continue in the valley.
From Mibam, you can find a stunning hiking opportunities. If you walk through the farms you will find emerald pools and a waterfall (some steep paths).
However this is not very developed and not well indicated.
Want to see more of Oman's beauty?
Incredible colors, don't you think?
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Muy interesantes y detallados relatos y fotos de cada wadi. ¿Cuál de los dos está menos visitado por el turismo? Si tuvieras que decidir por uno de los dos wadis ¿Cuál elegirías?
Respecto de la vestimenta para caminar por el wadi en el río. Cuál es la vestimenta para los hombres? y por último: Hay que nadar sí o sí en Wadi Shab o se puede caminar por la montaña? ¿En qué momento del recorrido hay que hacerlo? ¿Al comienzo? Bueno, muchas gracias, muchas preguntas. Jaja. Saludos.
Hi Nicolas
Wadi Tiwi is less touristic but it is inhabited with villages.
Wadi Shab has more tourists but it is so much wilder! If you go early you won’t be bothered by them.
In Wadi Shab, since it is wild and away from local villages you can swim as you wish. However, in Widi Tiwi you should wear a t-shirt.
I wish you a wonderful trip!
Claire