This is a fresh and previously un-published trip exclusive to weekenduae.com
This trip will take us east of Bureimi, on the road towards Sohar, Oman, where a unique twist of erosion fate has created a natural water slide into a deep crevice in the drainage wadi of the surrounding mountains. And yes, you can actually slide down the 5-meter slide whooping at the top of your lungs!
But only if there’s flowing water… and, unless you have relatives in the area you can call to check on recent rains, that means you may find it dry on your visit. You also do not want to be too early, when the floodwater is still uphill of you!
The waterslide at Wadi Tarraniya drops you smoothly into a narrow canyon, which feeds the irrigation canal going to the cultivated oasis downstream. The white mineral deposits at the bottom cover the rocks as the water evaporates; when I visited last, recent rains had filled the bowl with fresh water, but we missed the waterslide flowing by a week or so.
The ride to Wadi Tarraniya is part of the fun, as you cut through the Hajar Mountains, and riding a motorbike is definitely the way to enjoy the views!
The Ducati Multistrada is a 1200cc bike designed very cleverly to be a 4-in-1 transformer: sports, tourer, enduro, and commuter. It does this by adjusting the engine output and suspension, as shown here:
Ducati Multistrada was a true all-rounder, giving the rider a clearly different ride depending on which set-up was chosen.
Download the KML file for your GPS by clicking here.
Once downloaded, you can import the file into your GPS device by using GPSbabel to convert it to a format your GPS device likes, and then take it on the road with you; or double-click that file and it will open automatically in Google Earth if you have that installed (all adventurers should! Google Earth).
View Wadi Tarraniya in a larger map
The entrance to Wadi Tarraniya is marked by a well-kept oasis. A hollered Salaam usually brings out the farmers, and maybe even the hospitable owner. There must be few peoples in the world that can match the Omanis for their genuine hospitality and generosity.
Within the oasis, plants of different heights are traditionally planted to maximize the use of the fertile soil: date palms reach for the top; while fruit trees of mango, lime, orange, banana, fig, guava, and pomegranate take the mid-height; leaving maize and various nut trees and bushes at head-height; with herbs, vegetables and animal fodder at ground level. Numerous wild flowers also abound.
A Jasmine flowers happily in the shade of the oasis.
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- Click for larger photo
The irrigation canal (called Falaj in Arabic) runs downhill from the slide at Wadi Tarraniya, collecting fresh flowing water that percolates through the rocky sediment uphill of the waterslide.
The crevice at Wadi Tarraniya - you can see the catchment area upstream, where the run-off from the surrounding mountains is forced into the narrow gorge, and down the waterslide (you can just spot fellow adventurer Dave Mikhail on the right taking a photo straight down the slide).
Please make sure you read the Disclaimer and plan your trips with due care.