Wahiba Sands Tour

Description

Wahiba Sands

The Wahiba Sand Sea in the Sultanate of Oman is composed of two physiographic units that can be roughly divided into northern and southern regions. The Northern Wahiba is predominantly a large mega ridge system, whereas the Southern Wahiba mostly comprises linear dunes, sand sheets, and Nabkha fields. Although the dunes of the two regions are of different ages, it has previously been hypothesized that their sands were derived primarily from the same source, namely coastal sands. However, mineralogical, geochemical, and grain-size data in this study suggest that the two regions have different sources. The Northern Wahiba sands have a high composition of mafic minerals and came primarily from local wadis that drain the adjacent Hajar Mountains. One of the prominent wadi sources is presently buried under the sands of the Southern Wahiba, eliminating it as a current source of the Northern Wahiba. The Southern Wahiba sands have a more mineralogically mature, quartz-rich composition and are derived from separate sources, likely to be the Oman coast or adjacent Sabkha plains.

Wadi Bani Khalid

Wadi Bani Khalid is a wadi about 203 km from Muscat, Oman. It is the best-known wadi of the Sharqiyah region. Its stream maintains a constant flow of water throughout the year. Large pools of water and boulders are scattered along the course of the wadi. As a geographical area, Wadi Bani Khalid covers a large swathe of low land and mountains with green palm trees. The Wadi has very challenging tracks along wadis and you can enjoy swimming to the natural pools.