Travelling Wadi Shab With Kids

Travelling Wadi Shab in Oman With Kids is a lot of fun. You can spend your entire day hiking, exploring, and swimming in clear water pools. What a blessing it is for parents when their children say how much they loved tracking and swimming in a natural pool.

If you have never visited Oman, let me assure you that Oman is one of the most beautiful and diverse countries on the Arabian Peninsula, and if you live here, this is the place where you will find the most interesting sights.

Beauty of Oman

Visit forts, deserts, mountains, mosques, beaches, and bathe in breathtaking wadis in Oman. You will not be disappointed by this diverse, safe, unique, and easy-to-travel country!

We had been trapped in our homes for over a year due to the pandemic, so during the children’s winter vacation, we decided to get some fresh air. We’ve been in Oman since 2009, so we’ve seen most of the sights of tourist interest. We decided to go for a quick day out of Wadi Shab in Oman with the kids.

If you live here still, I am almost certain that there will be many places that will surprise you and that, as you get to know them better, they will appear to be a great plan. We wanted to enjoy our trip with kids without feeling rushed, so we hired a tour guide. This time, no driving.

Our tour guide picked us up on time from our hotel in a very comfortable car and made our journey enjoyable, especially since we were travelling with kids.

Wadi Shaab

Wadi Shab is a very popular wadi in the Al Sharqiyah region of Oman, which is hardly 170km from Muscat on the beautiful scenic road towards Sur. You can spend the day hiking, exploring, and swimming in clear water pools. It is one of the most popular outdoor Oman attractions for both locals and foreigners to come here to relax and swim in the freshwater pools.

Google map for reaching Wadi Shab

You will be thrilled watching emerald pools and lush palm trees surrounded by rocky canyons and sheer cliffs.

The main attraction of the wadi is the waterfall in the cave, which you can reach by hiking for about 10 minutes and swimming through 2-3 pools.

The Boat Ride At Wadi Shab

You need to hire a boat to get across to the other side where the hike begins. ( this was paid for by our tour guide) There are villagers right in the parking lot who will take you across the pond for 1 OMR per person. This includes the return ride from the other side once you’ve finished. The boat ride across the river takes less than three minutes, but it is a fun way to begin your journey.

It’s one of the most lovely things we’ve ever seen! We had an unforgettable day in paradise. Walking and climbing for 45 minutes may seem difficult, but our tour guide made it look easy. I was surprised that my younger daughter (8 years old) breezed through it.

All along the trail, you have these beautiful sights which are quite a bliss. A little greenery, a few shallow streams, and a few steep rocks add to the excitement. The hike is not difficult, but the rocks are quite slippery so make sure to wear some good shoes.

Swimming in Wadi

When you reach the pools, you got to swim across three small pools to reach the caves. It takes about 20-30 minutes to cross the pools, and trust me, they’re not difficult. In the end, you’ll enter the cave, which is the trail’s high point. It has a small waterfall inside and it feels amazing to be inside the cave.

Swimming in Wadi Shab is a wonderful experience, but I want to be completely honest with you: there is space, but not big enough.

It’s long-distance for little legs, but the kids did fantastically. Furthermore, the wadi itself is well worth the walk!

I was a little nervous at the start of our journey because we were travelling with children, but our tour guide made the entire trip and trek worthwhile. He was quite the gentleman who was from the same area and knows the place inside and out. The entire session to and fro was about 3-5 hours and from the start, he’d been patient, helpful, and guided us step by step ensuring we were safe throughout the journey.

You would love to read: Travel tips for flying with kids

What must pack:

• Sunscreen
• Snacks, juice and plenty of drinking water.
• Swimming clothes.
• Quick-dry towel
• Water goggles.
• Waterproof bag for wet swimming clothes.
• Tracking or comfortable shoes
• Camera
• Waterproof case for mobile and camera(for clicking in a cave).
• Polarized Sunglasses
• Hat
• Floating aids

What to wear

It’s always advisable to wear a breathable cotton dress while tracking.

Male:

Swim shorts and swim T-shirt

Female:

The accepted swim attire for women varies strongly by the place you are visiting. though Wadi Shab is less strict. You will see many women swimming in their regular bathing suits and bikinis, no problem!

To be safe, you should always be prepared to swim in a shirt and shorts (ideally until your knees, no hot pants).

When visiting Oman, pack clothing that is not only appropriate for the harsh desert climate but also respectful of the local culture.

Dress code for Oman

Best Time To Visit Wadi Shab

The best time to visit Wadi Shab is from November to March when the trek to the wadi is pleasant with mild winds. The water will be a little cooler than usual to swim in during the winter, but it will still be extremely fun!

Avoid visiting Wadi Shab (or any such wadi, or remote locations) during or on the forecast of any rough weather, stormy, or even a little rainy day. Rain can be a real spoiler and dangerous too. Strict NO on a rainy/stormy day.

Final thoughts on visiting Wadi Shab with kids

Wadi Shab felt like a proper adventure, hiking and scrambling over rocks, wading through the streams, and eventually arriving at emerald pools to swim in. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. It was exactly what we needed to enjoy with kids.

If you can, avoid going on a weekend (Friday & Saturday) as there will be many locals in addition to all the tourists.

There are no restaurants to fulfill your savour near the place yet, you will find a food joint or two in Tiwi (24 km away), that’s kind of just OK. As such all kinds of foods taste good particularly when you are tired and hungry, and I think our tour guide knew it very well. I will suggest keeping a bag full of snacks, and juice packs for your kids.

I hope you find this guide useful in planning Wadi Shab, Oman.

For Tour guides and Travel services check: Discover Mazoon Tours Oman