AL BATINAH SOUTH

WADI HOQAIN / HOQAIN WATERFALLS

This wadi is an easy and relaxing off road drive featuring some nice water
crossings and a magnificent castle at the end. Technically very easy, it
compensates the so-so thrilling with some ruins ready to be explored and
the newly renovated Al Hazm fort at the end, where you can recover and
listen to some Arabic stories. The most prominent tourist sites in the state
of Rustaq is Hoqain waterfalls that attract thousands of tourists from
citizens, residents and visitors to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries
due to the nature and splendor of the place. Hoqain waterfalls are located
in the Hoqain district of Rustaq state, about 40 km away from the city and
150 km away from the capital Muscat.

WAKAN VILLAGE

Located 2,000 meters above sea level and in the Western Hajar Mountains
is Wakan village (وكان قرية(, a small mountain village with beautiful terraced
gardens overlooking the surrounding mountains above and Wadi Mistal
below. Wakan village is officially part of Wilayt Nakhal in the South Batinah
Governorate, although it’s located right in the border with Al Dakhiliyah
Governorate through Al Hajar mountain range. viewing platform is the first
sight that greets you as soon as you enter the village. It offers spectacular
views of Wadi Mistal (مستل وادي (and the surrounding mountains. There is
also a visitors information center building which is still not opened. From
there you can exploring this beautiful village by foot. There are a couple of
hiking tracks that start at the village, and they are marked by the familiar
yellow, green and red flag that mark most hiking tracks in Oman.

AL HAZM CASTLE

Al Hazm Castle is one of the most magnificent castles in Oman. It was
built in 1708 towards the end of the reign of Al Yarubi tribe over Oman
when they made Al Rustaq the capital at that time.
The designer of this castle was Imam Sultan bin Saif al Yarubi. Al Yarubi
tribe was most famously known for removing the Portuguese from Oman.
They were also responsible for constructing several significant Omani forts
and castles including Nizwa Fort and Jabreen Castle. The difference
between Nizwa Fort and Jabreen Castle on one side and Al Hazm Castle
on the other side demonstrates the shift in the construction of Omani forts
designed to withstand gun attacks, to Omani forts designed to withstand
cannon attacks, with Al Hazm being the more technologically advanced
structure. Al Hazm Castle is a fortified structure and at the same time it was
a palace in which the Imam live in. It is worth noting that Al Hazm Castle is
on the Unesco’s list for World Heritage sites along with Al Rustaq Fort.

NAKHAL FORT

Nakhal
َق, romanized: Qalʿat Nakhal) is a
large fortification in Al Batinah Region of Oman. It is named after
the Wilayah of Nakhal. The fort houses a museum, operated by the Ministry
of Tourism, which has exhibits of historic guns, and the fort also hosts a
weekly goat market.
The fort, also known as Husn Al Heem, was named after the state of
Nakhal that exists above the old village of Nakhl. It has a history which
dates back to the pre-Islamic period when it was originally built by
the Sassanids as a bulwark against incursions by Arab tribes. Imams of
Wadi Bani Kharous and the Ya'arubah dynasty resided here in the past.
Over the centuries, it underwent many renovations and improvements. It
was reconstructed by Omani architects in the 17th century. Initially built as
a protective measure for an area oasis and nearby trade routes, it passes
through the regional capital of Nizwa. The gateway and towers seen now
were extensions built in 1834 attributed to imam Said bin Sultan. In 1990, it
was fully renovated.
In November 2003, Prince Charles visited the restored fort during an official
visit to Oman.

AL NA’AMAN ZOO (BARKA ZOO)

An Naman Zoo is a great place for children to learn about wild as well as
domestic animals. The zoo is near Muscat, in Barka, Oman. It takes a
couple of hours to cover the zoo. It houses a wide variety of species like
emus, ostriches, Arabian oryx, lions, tigers, deer and even parrots. If you’re
travelling with your family and children, and are passing by this zoo, you
could spend some time here.

BAIT NA’AMAN CASTLE

Rather more interesting than Barka’s fort is the beautiful old fortified house
of Bait Na’aman. The unusually tall and narrow house, with alternating
square and round towers, is thought to have been constructed around
1691–92 by imam Bil’arab bin Sultan (or possibly his brother, and
successor as imam, Saif bin Sultan), and was used by both imams during
their visits to the area. According to one tradition, this is also where Sultan
Said bin Sultan murdered his unpopular predecessor Badr bin Saif in 1806
with a single blow from his khanjar. The entire building was beautifully
restored in 1991.
Unlike most of Oman’s forts, the house has been fitted out with a lavish
selection of traditional furnishings and fittings, giving the place an
engagingly domestic atmosphere and making it much easier to imagine
what life was like for its former inhabitants than in most other Omani
heritage buildings. Downstairs you’ll find the original bathroom and stone
toilet, both connected to an underground falaj which formerly brought water all the way from Nakhal. There’s also a storage room, in which
dates were pressed (the holes in the floor were used to siphon off
the juice), as well as a pitch-black ladies’ jail.
The main living areas are situated upstairs, with a sequence of rooms
attractively furnished with traditional rugs, cushions, crockery and jewellery.
These include the men’s and ladies’ majlis, plus a quaint bedroom with
four-poster bed and a wooden hatch in the floor through which water could
be drawn up from below. Nearby is the private majlis of the imam, equipped
with a secret escape passage, and a watchtower with pit-like jails for
miscreants. Further stairs lead up to the roof. The main tower is supported
by beautiful teak beams, with old pictures of ships scratched onto the walls.
The tower originally housed six cannon, backed up by three more cannon
in the house’s second tower – an impressive array of firepower for what
was essentially a private residence rather than a proper fort.
To reach the house, drive around 5km north of the roundabout by the Lulu
hypermarket along the main coastal highway then turn right off the
highway, following the signs to A’Naaman and (just afterwards) the Barka
Health Center, following the road as it twists back towards the coast. The
house is about 3km down the road on your left – it’s not signposted, but is
instantly recognizable.

BARKA FORT

Barka castle or as the residents of Barka call it “The jewel of the state” is
the symbol of civilization and culture in Oman. It is one of the most popular
tourist attractions located in the Barka in the southern Batinah province or
the suq area. It is located between the fish market and the vegetable
market and has great view to the sea and the old houses.

According to the book ‘Division of the Omani Empire’, Barka Castle was
built in the middle of the 17th century and built in two phases. The first
phase was built during the reign of Saif bin Sultan al-Yaraibi and was
completed during the reign of Hamad bin Saeed al-Busaidi. The castle has
since been restored by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture. The castle in
the past was used for the defense and housing for the governor. As time
passed the building continued to stand tall, and now is a popular tourist site
that is under the protection and supervision of the Ministry of Heritage and
Culture. This archaeological treasure remains an important site in the state
of Barka, expressing the Omani people’s history of greatness, strength and
a proof of their achievements.

AL THAWARAH HOT SPRING

Hot springs have been valued for their ability to provide relaxation and
ease pain over the centuries, and if you’re looking for this sort of amazing
therapeutic treatment in Oman, then Nakhal is where you need to go.
Located about 90km from Muscat, Nakhal’s hot water springs have gained
popularity among people across Oman, and are surrounded by some of the
country’s best landscapes. “Close to the Nakhal Fort, along a winding road
framed by palm trees as far as the eye can see, are the Ain Al Thawarah
hot springs. Beyond the date plantations that surround Nakhal Fort, this hot
spring emerges from the wadi walls and is directed into a falaj (irrigation
channel) for the irrigation of the surrounding plantations