As you lounge in the comfort of your warm bed in Alila Jabal Akhdar, your gaze out of the window will fall on a set of mountains. Just beyond this, is the Jebel Shams, the tallest mountain range in Oman, and incidentally, the home of Wadi Ghul – Oman’s Grand Canyon. The mountain is approximately 3,000m above sea level, and it is just below this summit that you find the starting point of Wadi Ghul. The canyon is of such immense nature that it is difficult to identify a starting point and an end point to it. The rock formations shaped by ancient rivers and rain that fell for over a thousand years has created an ethereal masterpiece of nature that is sure to captivate all who visit. Wadi Ghul is, in fact, the deepest canyon you will find in the Middle Eastern region, while it is the second deepest canyon in the world, second only to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The flora and fauna in Wadi Ghul is minimal, although it is quite common to come across one sure-footed mountain deer or another on your way up there. However, what will have you clicking away is not the creatures that you find here, but the terrain and the mysterious landscape that would slowly reveal itself to you.
The only way to reach the Canyon is on a 4WD, while the last leg of the journey must be done on foot. There is an abandoned village on the far end of the valley, called Ghul village. The mud-caked homes that seem to materialise out of the mountains itself would draw an interesting contrast with any luxury suite and villa in jabal Akhdar that tourists often opt for accommodation. While the trailhead for the “balcony” of the Canyon begins in this abandoned village, there is a populated village a little way off that can give the visitor a glimpse of the mountainous lifestyle of the locals.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.
