Taiq Cave & Sinkhole, Dhofar, Oman

  Taiq (also spelled “Tayq) Cave and Sinkhole are just 9 kms from the Tawi Attair Sinkhole in the same area as Wadi Darbat between Salalah and Mirbat.  It can be very dangerous to walk around in the mist of the Dhofar hills without knowing where you’re going.  For example, if I didn’t know any better and I just walked straight ahead here, this is what would happen:  AHHHH!!!  One would surely fall to their death.  Thank God there was a friendly Omani gentlemen at Taiq Cave/Sinkhole who guided me to the proper place before taking off in his car.  That gentleman may very well have saved my life!  The very stylish Salim who showed me around Taiq Cave a bit before departing.  This was about 6:30 to 7pm.  There’s a lot of info on Taiq Cave that is quite fascinating.  Here is a great write-up on this place to give you an idea of its incredible size.  Another amateur “Andy in Oman vid” for your viewing pleasure  🙂  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x___7fv4Gdo

Tawi Attair – The “Well of Birds” Sinkhole

  With Monsoon fog as thick as pea-soup during Salalah’s “Khareef”, it can be a real chore to try and read the signs! 🙂  The scenery between the parking lot and the lookout area of Tawi Attair  It may not look like much, but over that foggy edge, is a drop of more than 200 metres!  Tawi Attair/Atayr is one of the deepest natural sinkholes in the world, 100 metres wide and 211 metres deep.  As the name suggests, Tawi Attair is home to many species of birds that can be seen (or not!!! at least heard…)  swooping in and out of the sinkhole during Khareef (monsoon season).  Here’s a short vid.  Try to ignore the young dudes speaking Arabic in the background, haha.  Impressive tree at the lookout area  Nests everywhere!  Here’s a better video!  Crank up the volume and just listen to those birds! 

In my attempts to get a better look below, I went past the “suggested tourist viewing area” and approached the edge of the cliff.  This was a pretty silly thing to do as the ground was very muddy and slippery due to the rain and there was a point where I thought I might fall over the edge!  It was difficult to get a real good look at the entire sinkhole but impressive nonetheless!

Back to Bimmah Sinkhole

  An Omani family enjoying part of their weekend at the famous sinkhole  This Omani gentleman was really enjoying his visit at the sinkhole and more than happy to allow his photo to be taken.  The kids here are so cute! And yes, the family was totally okay with Harmen (a friend from church) taking their daughter’s photo.  As the tourbook “Oman Offroad” states, “daredevils sometimes jump in from up high, but at great risk (it’s a jump of almost 20 metres).”  Notice the guy in the top right corner thinking and thinking about diving in….and FINALLY…  SPLASH!  Notice the huge impact after he hit the water!  The splash was super loud and I was wondering if the guy was slightly hurt as we walked back to our car!  Here‘s a short clip for your entertainment!

Beautiful Coast near Hwaiyat Najm Park

  This gorgeous coast is about 1 km from the famous Bimmah sinkhole on the Muscat-Sur highway.  The sinkhole is now known as Hwaiyat Najm Park and well worth a visit.  Sometimes even a short video can show SO much more than a series of pics, so here‘s a very short video to give you a feel of what it’s like with the waves rolling in.

Bimmah Sinkhole

  This is a new sign and I believe a new park since my wife and I drove the Muscat-Sur road some 8 months ago.  The “Bimmah Sinkhole” is located 6 kms after Dibab village and is not to be confused with “Bammah” village which is about 20 kms further.  “Hawiyat Najm Park” or “Sinkhole Park” is quite impressive.  We skipped it last time but we are very happy that we decided to check it out this time!  The water was such a vibrant green! Chilin joked that it looked like a giant WC (toilet) because of that color which resembles a toilet bowl cleaner.  Apparently, the green and blue colors are a result of the saltly sea water meeting with fresh water.  This sinkhole is about 500 meters inland and is 40 meters wide and 20 meters deep.  The sinkhole is said to connect all the way to the ocean.  My beautiful wife at the top of the sinkhole  Yours truly enjoying the view from above  It’s a LONG way down! Are those ants near the tree?!  🙂  Those concrete steps are bigger than they look and you really do have to be careful when walking up and down.  If you look real hard, you can see tiny fish that love to nibble peoples’ toes!  It’s quite therapeutic!  My wife seems to get more beautiful with each passing day!  Mr. Chilin Tang taking a few pics with his incredible camera  Mabel Seow really seemed to enjoy soaking her feet in the sinkhole.  A Kodak moment at the Bimmah sinkhole, ha!ha!  Notice the French family taking a dip in the sinkhole.  I would definitely recommend bringing your bathing suit if you get a chance to make it out there. There are toilets/change-rooms at the entrance to the park!  Geologists say that this interesting site was created when limestone collapsed but the locals say that a piece of the moon fell to the earth and made this hole.    Here’s an interesting satellite view.  These local Omani boys took a break from the Ramadan heat to snap a few pics of one another in the sinkhole on their cellphones.  If you live in Muscat and plan a trip to Sur, don’t pass this place by!  We loved it!   (In the past, you needed a 4X4 to get here but this is no longer necessary due to the wonderful new highway!)