16:30 · Every afternoon
The paths the rock remembers.
Three slow hours with a guide who grew up in these valleys, among old inscriptions, wells, and plants with names you will not find in books.
i The route
Five stops, and a sunset at the end.
The usual route. Your guide changes it with the heat, the wind and the mood of the group.
- 16:30
The valley gate
We meet at the mouth of the narrow wadi. Your guide explains how caravans read the route from the shadows of the cliffs, and hands out sticks and hats to anyone who wants them.
- 16:55
The inscription wall
Drawings of camels, horses and ibex, and old writing left by travellers. We do not touch the rock, we photograph without flash, and your guide tells you what local stories say about them.
- 17:20
The old well
A stone-lined well that still gathers rainwater in winter. Here you hear how families shared the water, and who kept watch over it.
- 17:35
Tea under the acacia
A rest in the shade of an acacia more than a century old. Tea with basil, and talk of saltbush, wormwood and arfaj, and of the grandmothers who knew what every plant was good for.
- 17:50
The lookout
A last ten-minute climb to a ledge above the whole valley, just in time for sunset. A car waits below for anyone who would rather not walk back.
The guides
They know the valley by their grandfathers’ names.
Our six guides come from the neighbouring villages. Some herded camels in these wadis as children, and all are trained in first aid and desert safety. They speak Arabic and English, and are happy to slow down for you.
Each walk is private to your villa. No mixed groups, unless you ask for one.
Before you walk