Wadi Mistal is part of the wadi collection available on the Nakhal - Ar Rustaq road. The main attraction is the green Wukan village situated at the end of the path, a nice place where tourists can see amazing gardens irrigated by an intriguing falaj system, carefully maintained by the few existing locals.

Getting to the start

You must follow the way to Nakhal, the city of palm trees, in order to access Wadi Mistal. From Muscat, travel towards Barka and in the center of the city turn left, under the new bridge built to sustain the highway and keep straight to reach Nakhal. Another option is to follow the express route towards Sohar and at the end of it exit towards Halban and then Hibra. Once you reach Nakhal, keep driving towards Rustaq for around 18-19 KM. Follow the sign towards "Wadi Mistul", taking you to the left of the main road, as coming from Barka.

Track

Once you head to the mountains from the starting point, a little climb will take you to the entry to Wadi Mistal. The new road built here is obviously less bumpy than the previous existing path through the wadi. You will leave on the left side an old village with some ancient ruins and head towards the starting of climb to Wukan village. And once the tarmac ends, you will really feel like starting to climb. Keep up following the signs towards Wukan and ignore other graded tracks. Keep an eye on watching the village hanging on the top of the mountain, but still focus on the road, as some sections are quite narrow. At the entrance to the village, stop your car in the one of the parkings available here and explore the garden on foot. Just climb the stairs and follow the instructions of the friendly locals.

Landmarks

The gem of this trip is the Wukan, which translates in "used to be". It is a very small village, inhabited by few families, with locals quite proud of their gardens. And the gardens are really nice and quite amazing, if you consider the conditions available. If you go there on a summer day, you will love the breathable air and the much lovable climate, especially when compared to what you can feel in Muscat. Take your time to explore the paths through the garden and take some nice pictures, as you will love and miss these green colors.

Ratings

Driving: 3/5

Landmarks: 3/5

Pictures: 4/5

Overall: A nice track if you want to breath some fresh air and see some green stuff.