Begin at the busy fish market in Barka, then drive inland to Nakhal Fort, once held by the imams of the Bani Kharous and the Ya'aruba dynasty. Restored and furnished with traditional furniture, crafts and old objects, it has finely carved ceilings, doors and windows, and the roof looks out over the whole valley. Below the fort, the old village leads to the warm springs of Ayn Al Thowarah at the end of the oasis, where you can sit by the shallow water among date palms under steep peaks.
Then comes Wadi Bani Awf, one of the most rewarding off-road drives in Oman: a graded track through the mountains, often with water in the wadi. Stop above Bilad Sayt, a village set among green terraces. Then drive back to Muscat.
Wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes.
