Routes
Head for the area around Al Ain: a complicated network weaves under Jebel Hafeet while, just past Buraimi on the Oman side of the border, there are many more underground passages and caves with spectacular displays of curtains, stalagmites and stalactites, as well as gypsum flowers.
OMan
For plenty more caving, carry on further into Oman. Al Kittan – nicknamed the marble cave thanks to the beautiful and luminous rock formations – is located just outside of Ibri. Continue south-east towards Nizwa and you come to the Jebel Akhdar range which offers some good caving. Perhaps the best caving is to be had on the Selma Plateau, however. This is where you’ll find the Majlis Al Jinn which is one of the world’s largest cave systems and has the planet’s second largest discovered underground chamber which is reputed to be so large that the Great Pyramids of Giza would fit inside! Like many of the biggest caves, the Ministry of Tourism is developing Majlis Al Jinn to open it up to tourism but there are many other equally thrilling caves nearby, such as the popular 7th Hole.
Found at the foot of Jabal Shams in Tanuf Valley, at over five kilometres long Al Hoota Cave (alhootacave.com) was previously one of the most challenging caves in Oman, with its one entrance being strictly for experienced cavers equipped with ropes, safety equipment, and a guide familiar with the cave. However, the Oman Ministry of Tourism completely overhauled the caves, making them safer and transforming them into a fascinating ecotourism attraction. The first entrance to the cave can be found near the village of Al Hoota (about 1,000m above sea level), and the other is near the town of Al Hamra (about 800m above sea level). Inside, you can see an amazing collection of crystals, stalactites and stalagmites, but perhaps the most interesting sight is the underground lake in the main cave. The lake is inhabited by thousands of blind, transparent fish, who rely on floods to carry in nourishment from the outside world.
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