Four towers on the roadside mark the starting point of this route, a welcome sign of the historical adventure to come. As you head off the main road, an established track will lead you down the side of a mountain toward the valley below.

The drive to the Kharfi Honey Fort area is easy, but the track twists and the drops are sheer. On seeing the settlement for the first time, it's clear why it is one of the highlights of the area. Be sure to allow plenty of time to fully explore this remarkable piece of history.

The rest of this route is a wadi drive with some interesting ruins to explore along the way. Near the mid-section of the route, you’ll also discover some gigantic boulders and incredible rock formations perfect for climbing.

  Kharafi Honey Fort

Once you have made your way into the area, look closely and you'll find the ingenuity of its construction overwhelming. There are no natural plains, the dwellings have been constructed on manmade terraces, painstakingly created by piling rocks. The stone buildings are dotted across these terraces, some of which have been fortified and are still occupied. The hiking trails nearby take you up behind the buildings providing a bird’s-eye view of this remarkable place.

To maximise its defensive position, the fort itself stands proudly on top of a rocky outcrop, the valley laid out below. It is in the wall of this rocky outcrop that the beehives are hidden.

The terraces that hold the beehives are manmade and the structures have been built from slate-like stone. Remarkably, honey bees still inhabit some of the stone alcoves. The drop from here is steep, so be cautious when you are exploring as parts of the structure are fragile.

WITH WINGS THAT BEAT OVER 11,000 TIMES PER MINUTE, IT’S NO WONDER BEES ARE KNOWN TO BE BUZZING. THESE TINY CREATURES ARE ALSO REFERRED TO AS BUSY BEES BECAUSE ALMOST 75% OF GLOBAL CROPS RELY ON THE CREATURE FOR  POLLINATION.

 

A HISTORY OF HONEY

Early Arabic literature recognises that residents of the peninsula kept bees for honey production. They called beehives ‘kawarah’, which means a habitat made of stalks, mud or a wooden cavity. The practise continues today and the honey from this area is considered to be one of the best varieties in the Kingdom. It is estimated that 150,000 hives produce 500 tonnes of honey per season and 50,000 of these hives are on ‘honey vehicles’. These specially adapted trucks move their integrated hives around in search of favourable breeding grounds and markets.

 

DRIVING DIRECTION

Perfect for all skill levels of driving, this wadi route follows clearly visible tracks that pass by cultural sites and bubbling streams.

  1      From Highway 205, take a right onto the clearly marked track and start the ascent down the escarpment.

  2     When the track splits, bear left for the Honey Fort. Once you have spent some time exploring, return to the main track.

  3      Once you have dropped into the wadi, continue past the boulders and streams to the end of the route.