Wadi Darbat is without any doubt is the most visited Wadi in Dhofar and anyone who is visiting Salalah is visiting this stunning place on the eastern side of Salalah. Located in the Taqa wilayat of Dhofar Governorate, this place is a tourist destination all the year round. Due to popularity of Salalah as a tourist destination, this beautiful valley is commonly known as Wadi Darbat Salalah Oman.
Many people have question what activities to do at Wadi Darbat or where Wadi Darbat is located. I will try to answer these queries through this post. This is not Wadi Darbat map or Wadi Darbat Wikipedia article, but a tourist guide for the visitors.
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Wadi Darbat Location
Wadi Darbat Oman is on the eastern side of Salalah. If you are driving, drive on Highway 49. After the town of Taqa, follow the road signs to Wadi Darbat. After exiting from the main highway, a single carriageway will lead to the Wadi, with some sharp bents.
Do you need Half Day Tour to Wadi Darbat?
It depends from person to person. If you have rent a car and want to explore on your own, you can drive to the mountain. In Khareef season, it is foggy and visibility is low. If you are comfortable in driving on mountain with less visibility, you can do that. If you are not, you can opt for a half day East Salalah tour with any of the tour company in Salalah.
My recommendation is Beautiful Salalah, which is number 1 tour operating company on Trip Advisor. You can book the half day trip to Wadi Darbat online at TripAdvisor or via Beautiful Salalah email or whatsapp +968 9120 6678.
Stay Near Wadi Darbat Oman
There are some great resorts nearby Taqa / Wadi Darbat Oman, within 20 minutes drive.
Both of the above resorts are 5 star and are on the shore of an Indian Ocean. What’s better to have on vacation then to open the window of your room and see the ocean?
Places to Visit in Wadi Darbat
Wadi Darbat is a must see place in Dhofar and it has lots to offer for a day trip. There are five places to see in Wadi Darbat.
1. Wadi Darbat Boating Area
A year round canal runs throughout the wadi and that’s what make this valley different from rest of the places in Dhofar. The canal water follows along the wadi from the North side to the South.
Sometimes, this canal is referred to as a lake as in some parts it is a bit wide, and looks like a lake. There are couple of activities on the canal for kids and adults.
For the safety, the bright color safety vest should be worn during boating. This vest is provided by the boating company.
Kayaking is one of those. A kayak is a watercraft, which is narrow and small and is propelled by hand operated paddles. There are one person kayak and tandem (two persons) kayak. Ticket: 2 Omani Rials per 20 minutes.
The second option for the watercraft is paddle boats. As with kayaking, there are two types of paddle boats available for boating based on size. The smaller ones can accommodate two adults, while the larger ones can accommodate up to four adults. Ticket: 3 Omani Rials per 20 minutes for two persons’ boat and 5 Omani Rials per 20 minutes for four persons’ boat.
For larger families or for those who don’t want to paddle, motor boats are available. Each round with motor boat takes around twenty minutes. Ticket: 5 Omani rials per round
2. The Cascade Waterfall at Wadi Darbat
I am living in Salalah since 2013, but this waterfall wasn’t available in Khareef season until 2018. Since Mekunu cyclone in May 2018, this waterfall is operational non-stop. The addition of this waterfall has enhanced the beauty of this valley and now even when it’s not Khareef, there is a waterfall to look forward to.
At the extreme end of Wadi Darbat accessible by road, the flow of the canal is on the right side. Somewhere in the middle, the canal change the route to the left side of the road. This same canal results in this waterfall. Check Wadi Darbat Waterfall Location
Due to the pattern of the fall, it’s called Wadi Darbat Cascade Waterfall.
3. The Wadi Plains
Ideally, these are a picnic place, where you lay the mat, or place the portable chairs and sit and enjoy the nature. I cooked the meat on these plains once before Mekunu on the charcoal. The experience was great.
There are parking areas for the cars on both side of the road, the cars cannot be taken into the plains.
The plains are barricaded by wooden fence or by the concrete barriers, which are placed after Mekunu as some of the wooden fence is damaged.
4. Wadi Darbat Waterfall at the Base of the Wadi
The water from the above mentioned waterfall carries out the journey and resulted in another waterfall, which was awesome. The water fell from the wadi down to the basement. This waterfall continued some months after Mekunu, before it disappeared. In Khareef 2019, the waterfall was present again.
There are two ways from where one can see the waterfall.
The first one is via trekking on the mud and stones to reach the catchment of the waterfall. This is an amazing trek along the river which is made due to the waterfall.
Beware, the trek is slippery due to drizzling on the sand, which convert the ground into mud. A proper footware is recommended. Don’t do it alone, as in case of emergency the other person will be able to help. Keep a water bottle with you as the trek will make you dehydrated.
The second way is to go on the mountain and see the waterfall from the front side. If you have 4×4 / SUV, a small off road ascending track will lead to the picnic area. If you are in Saloon car, like us, you have to park the car at the designated parking area and then do a small but difficult hiking to the view point. The hike can be challenging if its drizzling as the mud will be very slippery.
Both of these areas are not marked on the map and visiting with a native or a guide is highly recommended. Book 4×4 Vehicle online
5. The View Point
This is another amazing place to visit when you are going to Wadi Darbat. The place has many huts / canopies, where you can sit and make delicious barbecue lunch.
From the view point, you can have breathtaking views of the Wadi Darbat Canal from the top of a mountain.
If you are lucky, you will also find clouds passing through the huts and yourself, which is indeed not a moment to forget.
Can you visit Wadi Darbat from October to May?
Yes, Wadi Darbat is a tourist attraction throughout the year. In Khareef season, it’s mostly crowded by tourists and residents. But outside of Khareef, from October to May each year, the wadi is visited by tourists coming from Charter planes and cruise ships. You can book the trip to Wadi Darbat on TripAdvisor.
What and Where to Eat in Wadi Darbat Oman?
There are two places, where I have personally eaten and would recommend to have lunch or snacks. Although both of these eateries are not upscale restaurants, but they are one of the few options available to go to.
The first restaurant I want to mention is at the start of Wadi. The restaurant has ample parking and has a view of Taqa from there. We had Mangoes, and tea from this restaurant.
The second one is at the end of the Wadi, besides the boating area. From here we had our lunch.
We ate Fatira, which is a bread with cheese or egg inside and fried with oil. Once cooked, over the cheese Fatira honey is added to make it Cheese Honey Fatira. Pop-corn, Sweat Corn, French Fries and many other food items and beverages are also available at this eatery.
Praying at Wadi Darbat
For Muslims, they can pray Zuhr or Asr in Taqa, there are couple of Mosques, I would point out the below two as they have praying place for the women worshipers as well.
- Jama Sheikha Salma Mosque Taqa
- Sheikh Al Afif Mosque Taqa
Especially Wadi Darbat is a treat worth visiting. We visited at the end of the Khareef and it wasn’t too muddy. Check it out: https://youtu.be/6FHia74ycBM