Wadi Mayh


For a taste of a typical Omani wadi within an afternoon’s drive of Muscat, look no further than Wadi Mayh. With towering limestone cliffs forming a canyon, sand-coloured villages, back-garden date plantations, straying goats and feral donkeys – not to mention a compulsory watchtower or two – Wadi Mayh is also a geological wonder. Look out for a pair of stout aflaj (irrigation channels) that follow the course of the wadi, carrying water from one village plantation to the next.

The wadi is distinguished by multicoloured layers of rock that have been forced into a vertical wall, and there are many other notable geological forms along the route indicated by fading green signs. For a description of these, download the Muscat Geotourism Guide app. Wadi Mayh connects the road to Yiti with Hwy 17, the Muscat–Qurayat road, and is sealed for much of the way. That said, the steep sides of the wadi make it vulnerable to fierce flash flooding that often washes out part of the road.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Bandar Jissah Viewpoint

4.5 MILES

This viewpoint (yet to be properly developed) on the road between Al Bustan and Bandar Jissah offers a fine panoramic vista of the chocolate-coloured…

2. Yiti

4.69 MILES

Yiti boasts a beautiful, sandy beach surrounded by craggy mountain scenery that makes an attractive spot for a swim or picnic. The beach is at the end of…

3. Sea Arch

4.83 MILES

Created by rough seas working against the sandstone, this sea arch at the end of the Bandar Jissah headland is a famous landmark of this coast. Fishermen…

4. Sohar

5.14 MILES

Just outside Al Bustan Palace Hotel, opposite the imposing parliament buildings, a small roundabout is home to Sohar, a boat named after the hometown of…

5. Parliament Building

5.25 MILES

This elegant building, completed in 2013, is home to the two houses of the Majlis Ash Shura, Oman's parliament. It is not open to the public, but it does…

6. Marina Bandar Al Rowdha

6.15 MILES

Apart from offering a full range of boating amenities, Marina Bandar Al Rowdha is a popular launching point for a range of water sports, including fishing…

7. Bandar Khayran

6.92 MILES

Beyond Mutrah, the headland close to Muscat shatters into a series of khors (inlets) and bandars (natural harbours), the most extensive of which is Bandar…

8. National Museum

8.32 MILES

Housed in an imposing new building in the heart of Old Muscat, the National Museum makes a fitting consort for the Sultan's Palace opposite. The emphasis…