Balad Sayt: what to expect from this picturesque remote mountain village

On our first day in Oman we went to pick up some supplies from the Oman Mall and a huge picture of a beautiful village caught my eye. A higgeldy piggeldy collection of houses nestled underneath a striking mountain range with luminous green terraces in the foreground. It was a picture perfect scene.

And it is gorgeous in real life - although for picture perfect, you need to go in the right season when the terraces are green - more on that later.

The journey to reach the village is jaw-dropping, in every sense of the word. The scenery is fantastic and the road at times, a little hairy. A visit to Balad Sayt is definitely as much about the journey as it is the destination and you really can create your own adventure.

Here’s how we planned ours.

A quick heads up on what to expect from Balad Sayt (Bilad Sayt)

Balad Sayt is a small traditional village as yet untouched by mass tourism. This may be set to change as when we visited a big new hotel had just been built. But I imagine it will take a little while for it to properly hit the tourist trail.

For now there’s little to do beyond meandering the narrow streets and date plantations and taking in the views from the small fort (we did a nice circuit walk which took around one hour at a leisurely pace including time at the fort), there were some steps and a few little uphill sections, but it was generally easy).

You can spend the night in a traditional heritage hotel and eat breakfast and dinner amongst the date palms. It’s a taste of local life in a remote location and the lack of touristy activities is part of its charm.

A couple of long distance hiking trails do run through the village, so you can definitely do some hiking and there’s plenty to do in the surrounding area, with several great wadis and a whole lot of epic 4x4 driving.

We were very close to the end of our trip (read we had exhausted ourselves by doing three back to back wadis in the preceding days) when we visited, so we didn’t do an awful lot, but we did have a couple of little wadi dips and photo stops which we’ll detail below.

The road to Balad Sayt - the adventure begins

There are two possible routes you can take to Balad Sayt, which is located in the Al Hajar Mountains, both are 4WD roads, but one is easier than the other.

The easier option is via Rustaq and is roughly 46km. The more challenging route is via Al Hamra which is around 41km, with approximately 13km being off road (but it’s a very slow 13km!). You could actually make it one straight line (with a very short detour into the village itself) by driving from Rustaq to Balad Sayt and then out of the mountains via Al Hamra.

We didn’t take the the full route from Rustaq, so can’t comment on the entire journey, but the bit we did see was significantly easier than the road to Al Hamra.

Both roads are proper 4WD roads with steep unfenced cliff edges and the route from Al Hamra was at times very narrow.

We weren’t sure we were going to be up to driving the road having zero off road mountain driving experience and decided to go with a guide. Many tourists drive themselves and that would be an epic adventure as long as you’re prepared.

If you’re a confident off road driver, it may be one of the most spectacular and fun drives you ever take. If you’re not, it could be mildly terrifying and I would recommend at least starting from Rustaq and seeing how you find it before committing to the road via Al Hamra.

We met many tourists driving out from Balad Sayt to Al Hamra and some were so capable that we didn’t even realise they weren’t locals until they directly passed by. Others were in various states of regret.

I don’t say this to put anyone off, but just to try and give some info as to what it’s like.

We met one couple who had only driven the easy bit and were asking how much longer the horrible road went on. We also met a couple who ran out of petrol midway through the journey; make sure you fill up before leaving the nearest village, as engaging 4WD on steep dirt roads will use more petrol than the range of your car suggests. Finally, we met one group who forced us to reverse back up a mountain road because they couldn’t bear to reverse into the flat passing area behind them. Some people covered their eyes when two cars had to pass on narrow sections.

The road between Al Hamra and Balad Sayt is paved for the first 28km and therefore very easy. Beyond this you’re on a gravel/dirt track, which is often quite narrow (in terms of two cars passing) and often steep.

Some sections of the road have little rocks or sand which requires good traction. Being able to pass people on narrow steep sections requires confidence when there is a sheer drop to one side of you.

You need a good 4WD to make sure you have full traction on the steep bits.

As a passenger, I didn’t find the road scary and it’s probably one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever been on, but I would have found it nail biting if I’d been in the drivers seat. We’d actually love to learn a bit more about 4WD driving so we can tackle things like this on our own, because it would definitely be a great adventure. Our guide was brill, but there’s nothing like going it alone.

If you find unfenced cliff edges unnerving, I wouldn’t suggest taking the route from Al Hamra - even as a passenger - as it probably won’t be much fun. The 30 or so minutes we saw of the route from Rustaq (and according to our guide who was a Balad Sayt local), it’s a much better road so maybe opt for that instead.

For everyone else, the scenery is so good you’ll want your camera at the ready at all times. The mountains are incredibly dramatic and the road is especially picturesque because it isn’t paved and blends into the mountain landscape.

I don’t think I’ve ever done a drive for the sake of a drive, but I would actually consider it for this road, that’s how stunning it is.

Possible stops in the Al Hajar Mountains on route to Balad Sayt

Whichever direction you take, it’s possible to make a couple of very worthwhile stops. These can be as leisurely or adventurous as you like.

As mentioned, we didn’t tackle this adventure in our usual indepth manner as we were pretty exhausted by this point in the trip, so we opted for some easy stops, but you could absolutely do some proper hiking.

Stop one - Snake Canyon

The first stop, which is very close to Balad Sayt, is Snake Canyon (Wadi Bani Awf). You can traverse the whole length of the canyon which looks absolutely mind blowing - a proper slot canyon adventure - but that takes around five hours.

You’ll also need gear or a guide, or both. It involves some abseiling and jumps and of course lots of swimming.

However, there is one pool which is really easy to access from the road and if you just want a quick dip with no effort required, this is your spot. To find it park your car at these coordinates: 23.1976406, 57.3904424 and walk down the rocky ‘track’ towards where you can see the canyon opening.

You’ll head into a narrow section of canyon and just 180m away is the pool.

This is far from the best scenery in the canyon, for that you do need to go further, but it’s still a cool spot to have a swim in the clear - and rarely for Oman - cold water.

Beyond this pool you can walk for a few metres over rocky terrain and climb down a rope into the next part of the canyon which looked narrow and very picturesque. However, this was more than we were looking to do that day.

Stop two - the Snake Canyon exit

The exit of Snake Canyon takes you beyond the turnoff to Balad Sayt, so if you’re coming from Rustaq you’ll pass it, but from Al Hamra it means going past your destination and then back on yourself.

However, we came from Al Hamra and continued on and it was worth it. The road is easier and still gorgeous and going to see the Snake Canyon exit is a treat.

Though this is more of a photo stop, it’s a beautiful one. The canyon walls are so tall and deep orange. It reminded me a lot of Simpsons Gap in Australia.

You can park at these coordinates: 23.210522, 57.385660 and then just walk for a couple of minutes to get the best view.

Stop three - Little Snake Canyon

Little Snake Canyon, like Snake Canyon, is a proper hike, but much shorter and easier. You can hike for about an hour or so each way through the canyon where you can find seasonal pools and lots of epic scenery.

We just went for 300m into the canyon to take a dip in the first pool and then onto the large boulder field.

Picking your way beyond this, through the boulder field, would be the start of the proper hiking trail. The first bit is uneven but easy, though if the pool is blocking your path you’d have to swim across, or skirt the canyon wall which would be more difficult.

We were told the pool (located 220m from the car park) is not always as big and deep as it was for us, so you may not always be able to swim here, but the view would still be great.

Canyon safety

As with all canyons (wadis) around the world, do not enter if rain is forecast or if heavy rain has occurred recently due to the risk of flash flooding. To be honest in the case of the snake canyons I don’t think you would even dare try and reach them because the road would be pretty hairy in the rain.

The weather forecasts are not always accurate, but a local should be able to help if needed and you can usually get in touch with local hikers on Instagram and Facebook if necessary.

Stop four - the Balad Sayt football pitch

Ok so this is technically a photo stop at the side of the road, but it’s a bit more unusual than most. Smack bang in the middle of these remote mountains lies one of the most picturesque football pitches you’re ever likely to come across. It was created by the car brand Audi for a commercial and then left for the community to enjoy afterwards.

We chatted to our guide and he said it’s used by locals pretty much every night so we stopped to take a look at a match in progress (usually late afternoon). It’s possibly the first time in my life I’ve ever wanted to photograph a football pitch!

You can’t miss it because you can see it on the road into Balad Sayt.

Bonus stop if coming from or going to Al Hamra

If you’re doing the route to or from Al Hamra you’ll have the chance to stop at two lookouts near the top of the mountain.

The first if driving from Balad Sayt is the little rock arch you can find at these coordinates 23.166690, 57.424588 (there’s no parking area as such, but you can pull fully off the road).

It’s just a couple of minutes walk down to the rock platform which has some seriously spectacular views. Just don’t wear flip flops because it’s a rocky path and mine were very close to breaking.

This is by far my favourite of the two viewpoints, but the second one is just a touch further towards Al Hamra and is located on the paved road at the highest point. It’s a traditional viewpoint with a tiny little shelter for shade and a big view. It does get a little windy up here though.

You’ll pass both these lookouts on the drive. The arch one you’ll want to keep in mind so that you stop at the right point, but the proper viewpoint is easy to spot and has obvious parking.

Spending the night in Balad Sayt

The Balad Sayt Heritage Inn

Booking.com

There are a couple of places to stay in the village and we chose the Balad Sayt Heritage Inn. We liked the idea of it being a small local house turned hotel and it didn’t disappoint. The rooms are simple, with mattresses on the floor, but it was actually quite comfy.

You can opt for shared bathrooms or private and we went for private (though the shared option is much better value). The shower and toilet were in separate rooms, so though the shower was a wet room, it didn’t soak the toilet floor too - though to be honest the water did dry pretty quickly anyway.

There is AC in the room but happily we didn’t need it as it was much cooler up in the mountains. It was very, very quiet at night in terms of noise from people or electrical sounds, but you could hear things like goats, donkeys and chickens! The mosque is also nearby and the call to prayer is loud. For one night this didn’t really bother me though and I liked staying somewhere with lots of nice traditional touches.

My favourite part of the inn was the huge dining terrace which sits right on a gorgeous date palm plantation. It’s such a beautiful place to relax and tea, coffee, water and fruit are here 24/7. They were installing a roof too, so it will be able to be used in hotter parts of the day in the future.

Breakfast and dinner is included in the room rate and it was nice enough, but not a highlight. Dinner was chicken, rice, lentils, beans, salad and bread. Breakfast was boiled eggs, chickpeas and some kind of samosa type bread balls - I’m not sure what they actually were - and a type of bread which was also slightly different to anything else we had in Oman.

It’s all cooked by a local women in the village. Omani coffee and dates are also a staple.

The hotel is quite expensive by Omani standards and I imagine that might be down to the cost of getting things to such a remote village. I am really glad I stayed and I enjoyed it a lot, but I think for the price and unless you are going to do a proper canyoning trip (which you can organise in the village) then one night is enough.

You can check out the reviews and prices on:

If you don’t want to drive yourself…

If you love the sound of the village and road trip but don’t have a 4WD, or don’t fancy driving yourself, we would definitely recommend our guide Ahmed who lives in the village. His English is fantastic and he’s a lovely guy for whom nothing is too much trouble.

We thought we were paying for a driver, but he joined us for all the swims and showed us around the village which gave us a better insight into local life. When I said I loved star gazing he even took us a little out the village away from the light pollution to see the night sky. In short, he’s a fab guide. He doesn’t guide full time as he is also studying, but I am sure he can recommend someone else if he can’t take you.

We actually found him through a reference in a Facebook group which was a bit of a gamble, but it paid off. He can either take you in his old but trusty Land Cruiser - however, there are no seat belts - or drive your 4WD.

We paid for this trip so you don’t need to worry about bias. If you want to contact Ahmed his Whatsapp is: +968 9397 6753.

Village etiquette

As with all traditional villages in Oman there is an etiquette to follow at Balad Sayt. Rules include things like wearing modest dress when exploring the village, not picking the fruit or photographing local people without permission.

The best time to visit Balad Sayt

If you want to get the classic shot of the village with the beautiful green terraces in front of it you need to come between December and March (roughly). This is when all the planting is done and all the terraces are lush and green.

We visited in the second week of November and some of the planting had taken place, but not all of it, which left some terraces bare and brown.

We were told we were about 10 days off it being fully green. Not a huge issue, but if you’re a photographer keen to see it at its best, you want to come in the winter months.