Oman: Al Hoota Cave

Oman is not famous for spectacular show caves, but there’s one and only show cave on the Arabian Peninsula and that’s Al Hoota Cave. The cave is roughly 2mln years old, but was discovered by local goat herders only a couple centuries ago and only opened for public in 2006. The cave is 5km long, but only 500m are available for exploration via a series of staircases and overpasses. It ain’t the most spectacular cave in the world, but still interesting, especially since you get to see some very rare endemic species like the Omani blind fish and some species of free-tail bat – up close and personal.