Fodor's Expert Review Jebel Shams

About 90 minutes from Nizwá by four-wheel-drive vehicle, Jebel Shams rises 9,855 miles above sea level, making it the highest peak in the Al Hajar Range—and indeed the tallest mountain peak in the Arabian Peninsula. The high altitude makes for cool weather in the summer and temperatures that drop below freezing in the winter. It is most famous for the Al Nakhr Balcony, the "Grand Canyon" of the Middle East, a stunning ravine punctuated by dramatic rock formations etched out of the stone through erosion. It is a popular place to hike thanks to the cool weather, but you should bring your own provisions as there are almost no amenities aside from a single hotel in the surrounding area.