Post by L Roebuck on Mar 29, 2006 8:27:18 GMT -5
Al Hota cave to open for tourists in July
By Aftab H. Kola
MUSCAT — Al Hota cave ensconced in the foothills of the central Hajar mountains in the wilayat of Al Hamra in the Dhakhiliya region will open in July for the public to feast on the wonders down below. According to informed sources at the Ministry of Tourism, all works, except laying of the train, are complete. The train, which will take the tourists from the Visitor’s Centre to the inside of the cave, will be installed in May. The track for the train, which has a capacity to ferry 36 passengers on each trip has already been laid.
The cave is a 2.7-km tunnel punctuated with dozens of intriguing ancillary chambers and offshoots and carves its way from north to south tapering through the flanks of a large mountain.
According to sources, Oman Government initiated the process in 1995 to identify caves for development, considering the current craze for offbeat tourism. On behalf of Ministry of Tourism, Oman Geo Consultants, specialists in geological studies, conducted a detailed study.
To view the inside of the cave, a walkway with iron railings that are illuminated by coloured lights and complete with stairs at appropriate places has been erected. The cave Visitor Centre, a 2-storey RCC structure, will house the reception, ticket counter, restaurant, souvenir shop, geological museum, platform for the train, etc.
Another outstanding feature of this amazing cave is the presence of a subterranean lake, which is home to unusual species of pink-coloured blind fish which sense their way around the lake with feelers.
The main chamber of the cave encompassing the size of the Al Bustan Palace Hotel’s ballroom will leave every tourist with a sense of wonder about the creation of God.
The main chamber has a profusion of splendid cave formations, technically known as speleothems. The speleothems include stalagmites, stalactites and flowstone, which are formed inside caves. They are formed when rainwater enters the cave after passing through plant debris and carbonate bedrock (limestone).
Stalactites grow from the roof downward, whereas, stalagmites grow from the floor upwards. From these formations, it is possible to study past tropical storms and monsoons. And Al Hota cave has these in abundance. Read today’s Leisure for more details.
www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=27738&pn=local
By Aftab H. Kola
MUSCAT — Al Hota cave ensconced in the foothills of the central Hajar mountains in the wilayat of Al Hamra in the Dhakhiliya region will open in July for the public to feast on the wonders down below. According to informed sources at the Ministry of Tourism, all works, except laying of the train, are complete. The train, which will take the tourists from the Visitor’s Centre to the inside of the cave, will be installed in May. The track for the train, which has a capacity to ferry 36 passengers on each trip has already been laid.
The cave is a 2.7-km tunnel punctuated with dozens of intriguing ancillary chambers and offshoots and carves its way from north to south tapering through the flanks of a large mountain.
According to sources, Oman Government initiated the process in 1995 to identify caves for development, considering the current craze for offbeat tourism. On behalf of Ministry of Tourism, Oman Geo Consultants, specialists in geological studies, conducted a detailed study.
To view the inside of the cave, a walkway with iron railings that are illuminated by coloured lights and complete with stairs at appropriate places has been erected. The cave Visitor Centre, a 2-storey RCC structure, will house the reception, ticket counter, restaurant, souvenir shop, geological museum, platform for the train, etc.
Another outstanding feature of this amazing cave is the presence of a subterranean lake, which is home to unusual species of pink-coloured blind fish which sense their way around the lake with feelers.
The main chamber of the cave encompassing the size of the Al Bustan Palace Hotel’s ballroom will leave every tourist with a sense of wonder about the creation of God.
The main chamber has a profusion of splendid cave formations, technically known as speleothems. The speleothems include stalagmites, stalactites and flowstone, which are formed inside caves. They are formed when rainwater enters the cave after passing through plant debris and carbonate bedrock (limestone).
Stalactites grow from the roof downward, whereas, stalagmites grow from the floor upwards. From these formations, it is possible to study past tropical storms and monsoons. And Al Hota cave has these in abundance. Read today’s Leisure for more details.
www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=27738&pn=local