Bald Sayt village, located among beautiful oases and towering mountain peaks in the Wilayat of A'Rustaq in South Al Batinah Governorate, has become a popular adventure tourism site.
The settlement attracts foreign thrillseekers due to its position along the well-known Wadi (valley) of Bani Auf path, which is known as "Snake Canyon" due to its steep terrain. It also functions as a portal to an old mountain route formally recognized as one of Oman's mountain trails, connecting Bald Sayt to the Wilayat of Al Hamra.
Dr. AlMu'tasim Nasser Al Hilali, Director of Heritage and Tourism in South Al Batinah, told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the community features five tourist establishments with 42 rooms, drawing several daily visitors.
Its natural and cultural variety, combined with unique experiences, makes it especially appealing in the winter (September to April), when temps drop and tourism rises. Because to the village's mild climate, summer tourists (May to August) flourish.
Bald Sayt is located on an active tourist path marketed by travel firms for its historical monuments, natural springs, and traditional marketplaces.
These attractions complement Wadi Bani Auf's adventure activities and stretch to Al Hamra in the A'Dakhiliyah Governorate.
The canyon, a spectacular rock cleft in Bani Auf Valley, gets its name from its winding curves.
Adventurers can descend three rappelling locations—the tallest at 23 meters—and swim through 13 natural water pools along a 3-kilometer stretch.
The shorter route, "Baseer AlZama," includes a 4-meter descent and chances for swimming and cliffjumping amid spectacular rock formations.
Bald Sayt's origins are deeply rooted in history, with monuments such as the reinforced "AlManie Tower," the ancient "AlMadiq Mosque," and the 400-year-old "Great Falaj" irrigation system, now a UNESCO-listed architectural heritage site.
The community also protects intangible cultural assets, such as ancient industries such as basketry, ropemaking, and palmfrond handicrafts.
The "Agri-Ecotourism in Aflaj Systems" project, funded by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources and the Al Zubair Institution, seeks to revitalize rural communities. Oman's first initiative of this kind aims to improve economic sustainability and local community development.
