Bimmah Sinkhole

Hawiyat Najm Park This is a new sign and I believe a new park since my wife and I drove the Muscat-Sur road some 8 months ago. The “Bimmah Sinkhole” is located 6 kms after Dibab village and is not to be confused with ”Bammah” village which is about 20 kms further. “Hawiyat Najm Park” or “Sinkhole Park” is quite impressive. We skipped it last time but we are very happy that we decided to check it out this time! Bimmah sinkhole long climb The water was such a vibrant green! Chilin joked that it looked like a giant WC (toilet) because of that color which resembles a toilet bowl cleaner. Apparently, the green and blue colors are a result of the saltly sea water meeting with fresh water. This sinkhole is about 500 meters inland and is 40 meters wide and 20 meters deep. The sinkhole is said to connect all the way to the ocean. Che at Bimmah sinkhole My beautiful wife at the top of the sinkhole DSCN9409 Yours truly enjoying the view from above Bimmah stairs It’s a LONG way down! Are those ants near the tree?! gorgeous water Those concrete steps are bigger than they look and you really do have to be careful when walking up and down. fishies chewing mabels toes If you look real hard, you can see tiny fish that love to nibble peoples’ toes! It’s quite therapeutic! my beauty My wife seems to get more beautiful with each passing day! Chilin snapping pics Mr. Chilin Tang taking a few pics with his incredible camera Mabel at Bimmah Mabel Seow really seemed to enjoy soaking her feet in the sinkhole. the beauty of friendship A Kodak moment at the Bimmah sinkhole, ha!ha! Chilin and Mabel life is so good Bimmah view Notice the French family taking a dip in the sinkhole. I would definitely recommend bringing your bathing suit if you get a chance to make it out there. There are toilets/change-rooms at the entrance to the park! Bimmah flowers Geologists say that this interesting site was created when limestone collapsed but the locals say that a piece of the moon fell to the earth and made this hole. Here’s an interesting satellite view. Mabel and Che sinkhole with mountain in background Omanis at Bimmah These local Omani boys took a break from the Ramadan heat to snap a few pics of one another in the sinkhole on their cellphones. If you live in Muscat and plan a trip to Sur, don’t pass this place by! We loved it! (In the past, you needed a 4X4 to get here but this is no longer necessary due to the wonderful new highway!)

About these ads

22 Responses to Bimmah Sinkhole

Pingback: Top 10 Adventurous Things To Do In Oman | The Next Challenge
Blewyn | September 6, 2011 at 2:02 pm | Reply

Whatever you do DON’T jump from the ledge into the water ! It’s 20m and that’s too high to hit the water safely – I still have the back pain to prove it !
andydbrown | September 7, 2011 at 10:19 pm | Reply

@Blewyn,
Thanks for the advice. You’re probably one of only a few crazy enough to do it!
Pingback: Top 10 Adventurous Things To Do In Oman – The Next Challenge
Daniel | March 9, 2012 at 1:21 pm | Reply

I went here yesterday, and then to Wadi Shab. Your blog came up in a google search about it. Amazing place.
- andydbrown | March 11, 2012 at 4:54 pm | Reply
  
  Daniel,
  It really is an amazing place and a must see for any visitor here in the Sultanate! Nice to know my blog came up in the blog search! 2 and a half years later and “Bimmah Sinkhole” continues to be one of the most viewed posts on this blog!
Kerry-Lynn Bouman | April 10, 2012 at 6:35 am | Reply

Taking my grade 8 class there this week, been about 3 times, well worth the visit, very, very deep and a little scary swimming across if you believe in ancient marine behemoths!! English teacher (South African)
International School of Oman
andydbrown | April 10, 2012 at 9:58 pm | Reply

Hi, Kerry-Lynn,
Hope you have a great time there with your students. The Bimmah sinkhole is one place I could never get tired of! Thanks for commenting.
Pingback: Oman: Wādī Bimmah – The Bimmah Sinkhole « turcanin. cu ţ.
cynkingfeeling | May 18, 2012 at 4:43 pm | Reply

That first pic showing the staircase up is breathtaking. When I read “sinkhole” in the title, I certainly didn’t expect something so beautiful.
- andydbrown | November 27, 2012 at 1:16 am | Reply
  
  It’s even more beautiful with the naked eye! Thanks for commenting! Your comment somehow “slipped through the cracks” and I’m only reading it now 6 months later!
apronheadlilly | May 23, 2012 at 6:35 am | Reply

Wow, that’s amazing.
- andydbrown | November 27, 2012 at 1:19 am | Reply
  
  Thanks, Lilly. (Sorry for the 6 month delay in replying!) I love your blog, your attitude and your photography!
  - apronheadlilly | November 27, 2012 at 1:23 am | Reply
darwin | June 12, 2012 at 8:25 am | Reply

Just wondering, is it safe to camp overnight there? me and my friends are planning to.
- andydbrown | June 12, 2012 at 8:38 am | Reply
  
  Darwin,
  I’m not sure you’d be allowed to camp overnight as it is a national park and there is a guard and a fence there. I’m sure you could camp somewhere in the nearby area though. A lot of expats camp out at Finns beach which is not far from there.
abufaris | October 1, 2012 at 1:20 am | Reply

It used to be so hard to find, and now there is black-top and a sign!
I didn’t brave it myself but my buddies dived 60m into the cave (1998) to the chamber which is Aparently massive. Crystal clear viz with the feeling of weightlessness hanging in underwaterspace. There is a plaque left there by the PDO fellas saying “here be dragons”. You have to pass through a layer of yellow gunk which is a few meters think and only for the brave. Take a line to navigate back (and a back-up torch).
- andydbrown | October 4, 2012 at 1:58 am | Reply
  
  Cool story. I wonder if the story about the plaque is true.
mala | November 3, 2012 at 3:29 pm | Reply

this place is super cool. we went there last Sunday. had picnic under the tree. the kids enjoyed it. the stairs now has railing.
- andydbrown | November 14, 2012 at 10:09 pm | Reply
  
  Mala,
  Nice to hear you and the family enjoyed the sinkhole! Thanks so much for the update about the railing. That’s great!
Heather Duncan | April 9, 2013 at 9:24 pm | Reply

If only I had looked up your blog earlier today Andy I got totally lost at that same T-junction you mentioned. Gutted I didn’t get to see the sink hole yet again but I did see a couple of camels on my de-tour so it wasn’t completely wasted.
- andydbrown | April 16, 2013 at 8:36 pm | Reply
  
  Hi Heather!
  So sorry to hear you got lost at the infamous T-junction just before the sinkhole! For the sake of any folks reading this, the sign we’re talking about and the importance directions are mentioned in my most recent trip to the sinkhole here: http://andyinoman.com/2012/12/27/sinkhole-park-a-must-see-for-all-visitors-to-oman/
  Glad to hear you still enjoyed your trip out to the east coast despite getting lost, Heather. That’s the attitude!