Fodor's Expert Review Wadi Bani Khalid

A 35-minute drive from Bidiyah, Wadi Bani Khalid might be all the more lovely because of its position in the dry deserts of the Sharqiyah region, the shock of its turquoise water making it feel like a true oasis in the otherwise golden and beige landscape. When you arrive, you'll see a very artificial-looking park with toilets, a café, and concrete walkways along the water, but at the end of this stretch the natural wadi begins. Carefully make your way over the rocks and into the deeper waters, a 15- to 20-minute hike down the wadi, and you will come to a deep pool surrounded by waterfalls. More adventurous travelers can climb the rocks and jump into the roughly 9-meter-deep lake.