Wild Arabia
Wanderlust Travel Magazine|July/August 2018

Known as one of the most authentic countries on the Arabian Peninsula, Oman has an even wilder side still – head south to Salalah for wonderful wadis, beautiful birds and baobab forests…

Phoebe Smith
Wild Arabia

Teetering on the edge of a chasm, the darkness echoing below my feet, I thought I was going to fall. Around me, trees had squeezed their way out of every rocky crevice and stretched outwards and upwards, desperately hoping to catch the sun’s rays. Yet I remained deep in the shadows.

“Stay where you are,” whispered my guide, Justin Halls. I didn’t dare move an inch. Then it happened.

First, a single shrill cry from a fan-tailed raven was soon joined by another, more tuneful, chirp from a South Arabian wheatear. Adding to the choir came the melody of the hoopoe, then, finally, to bring some alto into proceedings, a particularly noisy crowd of Tristram’s grackle called out. The sound bounced off the rocks and echoed all around me. It was like being in an opera house, only with all the musicians replaced by birds.

I was stood near the bottom of a 210m sinkhole called Tawi Atair, also rather aptly known as the ‘Well of the Birds’. Here, in Salalah, 1,000km (and a one-and-a-half-hour flight) from the Omani capital of Muscat, it was the ideal beginning to my quest to find some of the country’s wildest and least-explored corners.

When it comes to the Sultanate of Oman – squeezed between the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen – they do things a little differently. Sure, there is a Grand Mosque and the usual chain hotels found in most established Middle Eastern countries, but there is also a law prohibiting the construction of skyscrapers. As such, you’ll find no gaudy Burj Khalifa-type towers competing to become the tallest building in the world here. No, instead, the whole place appears much more understated, with smaller houses and apartments typically making up the cityscape of the capital.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July/August 2018 من Wanderlust Travel Magazine.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July/August 2018 من Wanderlust Travel Magazine.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من WANDERLUST TRAVEL MAGAZINE مشاهدة الكل
Vermont, USA
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

Vermont, USA

The Wanderlust team relocated to New England for part of this issue, as we explored a lush state filled with outdoor escapes, historic towns... and lashings of maple syrup

time-read
6 mins  |
October/November 2023
Unique North America
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

Unique North America

See a side to the USA and Canada beyond the big cities and discover incredible stories and special wildlife with our pick of the trips

time-read
5 mins  |
October/November 2023
The call of the Rockies
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

The call of the Rockies

From historic ski lodges to rustic backcountry cabins and a mock-Scottish castle, we pick the stays in Canada's Rocky Mountains that make the most of their setting

time-read
6 mins  |
October/November 2023
A new dawn for the Garifuna community
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

A new dawn for the Garifuna community

When the Garifuna people settled in Belize, they had to carry their traditions and culture with them; now a new trail is inviting visitors to explore this heritage through local communities

time-read
9 mins  |
October/November 2023
On the edge of history
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

On the edge of history

In south-west Colorado lies the largest archaeological preserve in the USA, a series of vast cliff dwellings whose residents 'vanished' overnight. But was the answer to their disappearance in plain sight?

time-read
10+ mins  |
October/November 2023
Tigers burning bright
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

Tigers burning bright

As India celebrates 50 years of its Project Tiger conservation scheme, we visit the reserves of Madhya Pradesh to see how its success has impacted a tiger population that once looked in danger of disappearing

time-read
9 mins  |
October/November 2023
SEASON'S GREETINGS
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

SEASON'S GREETINGS

From fiery fall foliage to art fairs and harvest festivals, opens up a wealth of across the USA and Canada autumn experiences

time-read
10 mins  |
October/November 2023
Waking a sleeping GIANT
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

Waking a sleeping GIANT

A slow drive along the North Wales Way, from the English border to Anglesey, reveals not only a land of incredible local food and castles, but a region that is slowly reimagining itself

time-read
8 mins  |
October/November 2023
The rebirth of old JEDDAH
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

The rebirth of old JEDDAH

As efforts to restore Al-Balad, Jeddah's historical district, take hold, we get an exclusive peek at how art and culture are taking centre stage

time-read
10 mins  |
October/November 2023
Star-studded escapes
Wanderlust Travel Magazine

Star-studded escapes

Wilderness, history and wildlife combine at some of Britain's most iconic stargazing sites, as more and more travellers are looking to the heavens

time-read
8 mins  |
October/November 2023