Wadi Al Khoudh (وادي الخوض) is a popular wadi located next to the old Khoudh Village in Muscat. Wadi Al Khoudh is a very popular attraction for Muscat residents to visit, especially lovers of off-road driving and wadi bashing (is that even a term now? ). However, even if you’re not into off-roading, Wadi Al Khoudh is still well worth a visit due to its clear water pools, green outcrops and the beautiful rock formations surrounding it.
I have been to Wadi Al Khoudh a couple of times, and the last time I went was to escape the summer heat in Muscat city hoping for relatively “less-hot” conditions in the wadi, and boy was I pleasantly surprised. There was such a nice breeze there that I felt like I just walked into a different season, and the contrast between the lush green colors of the reeds and palm trees against the wadi stones and surrounding rock formations made for a great experience. I have not ventured more than a couple of kilometers inside Wadi Al Khoudh, but I suspect you will be rewarded with a more “virgin wadi” feeling than at the start. It also looks like it is a beautiful place for a picnic, as long as you manage to get a shaded place under a palm tree (it gets crowded in winters and on weekends).
Wadi Al Khoudh is still primarily a wadi to take your 4×4 and enjoy the drive, and I would not really say it is a ‘trek-able’ wadi by foot, unless you’re happy walking for miles on wadi stones with sporadic water pools here and there. Despite these water pools here and there in Wadi Al Khoudh, I also wouldn’t say it is the place to visit if you’re looking for clear water pools to swim in (for these you’d need to drive a bit further to Wadi Shab or Wadi Al Arbaeen); however, there are still a few pools here that you may want to stop and take a dip in after driving for a fit, just keep in mind that you may have few jeeps whizzing-by especially if you’re closer to the entrance.
Overall, Wadi Al Khoudh is a pleasant place to visit for a quick escape from Muscat city, whether you want to test your car’s 4×4 capabilities or just to enjoy the green and blue surroundings of a typical Omani Wadi.
How to get to Wadi Al Khoudh:
You can get to Wadi Al Khoudh by taking the Muscat Express Road and taking the exit to Al Khoudh Village. The drive is about 30 minutes from Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. After going through the village, the road ends into the wadi, in which you must go through a small stretch of really uncomfortably uneven wadi rocks to get into the wadi, see the google maps link below. You will definitely need a 4×4 car to drive in the wadi, and preferably a proper 4×4 as I have seen people in AWD (All Wheel Drive) cars get stuck there badly. Also, make sure you get out of there before it gets dark as the entrance/exit is quite hard to find in the dark.
