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00:00Arabia a land of extraordinary wonders it's epic out here where ancient
00:09civilizations there were rock inscriptions scattered all over this
00:13landscape meet rising modern cities I'm Clive Standen and I'm embarking on a
00:23journey across the Arabian Peninsula this place is unlike anywhere else I'm
00:28forging far and diving deep uncovering its best-kept secrets a little
00:35precarious meeting the people who call this place home and the pioneers
00:40preserving its natural treasures that is remarkable I want to show you the
00:45beautiful it's just a little untouched piece of paradise the surprising it's
00:49an unbelievable sight and the heartwarming what am I supposed to do exploring the
00:55secrets that make this land so captivating I really do feel like an
01:00archaeologist mom I'm never coming home Wow this is Arabia like you've never seen
01:08before and one there's plenty more to see my journey has led me to Oman on the
01:24eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula it's a land of breathtaking contrasts rugged
01:32mountains vast deserts and 2,000 miles of dramatic coastline unlike some of its
01:39neighbors a man has held on tightly to his traditions life here moves at a slower
01:46pace shaped by history and heritage I've come to the lesser-known south of the
01:53country where the spirit of old Arabia still feels very much alive
01:58I'm in the dofar region at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula with its rolling waves its
02:08tropical climate of coconut palms and banana plantations as well as its wild and rugged
02:14mountains it's a land whose story was built on ancient trade resilient people and the scent of frankincense
02:31this is one of the most remote corners of the Arabian Peninsula and I want to meet the individuals who
02:38call this rugged land their home I'm going to hang out with a few tribesmen and they're going to show
02:47me the ways of the mountain men in dofar and see how their way of life is up here on this plateau
02:57I'm heading to Jebel Samen the highest mountain range in dofar rising to just under 2,000 meters to meet
03:05a man known as samurai a cattle herder a tracker and something of a local legend they call him the bear
03:13grills of Arabia
03:15ah this must be samurai
03:32Samurai
03:42Samurai
03:44Welcome, welcome
03:47Look at this
03:49As-salamu alaykum
03:52This is my area
03:53You letting the cows out
03:55Yes, this is my cows
03:56How many cows do you have on the land?
03:58I have maybe 80
04:0180?
04:01Yes
04:02Some people have 100, 120, 200
04:05And you walk around barefoot you must have very very hard feet
04:09Yes, sometimes I don't need these shoes
04:12No
04:14And this is the traditional kanja?
04:16Yes, kanja
04:17Sadhat
04:17Yeah, can we see it?
04:18My, yes, you can see
04:21You can see
04:22Name in my language this name Sadhat
04:24Sadhat
04:25Sadhat
04:25Arabi, khanjar
04:26Khanja
04:27Yes, my language
04:29Jibbali language
04:30Jibbali, yes
04:31Can you teach me a phrase in Jibbali?
04:33Yes
04:33Khabu
04:34Khabu
04:35Khabu
04:36What happened?
04:37Khabu
04:37Khabu
04:38You answer
04:38Khaburha
04:39Khaburha
04:40It's okay
04:41It's okay
04:42Khaburha
04:42Samurai is taking me deep into his land
04:55He believes that to understand the spirit of this place
04:58I need to see a hidden wonder few have witnessed
05:01Millions of years ago as tectonic plates collided the seabed was thrust skyward forming towering limestone cliffs
05:21But below the surface water began its silent work carving through stone creating vast underground chambers
05:28Eventually the ceiling collapsed revealing one of the largest sinkholes on earth
05:36This is taui atir
05:42Known as the well of birds this enormous limestone collapse plunges more than 650 feet down
05:48Something really epic about this place and it was the last thing I expected to find when I came to the arabian peninsula
05:57Amman really is otherworldly and this particular place is
06:04It's a real good secret
06:06Arabia's best-kept secrets presented by gulf air
06:23Arabia's best-kept secrets presented by gulf air
06:27I'm in the dofar region of southern amman exploring its rugged highlands with a local tribesman named samurai
06:41And you walk around barefoot you must have very very hard feet
06:45Samurai has taken me to one of the largest sinkholes on the planet known as the well of birds
06:50A dizzying drop into the heart of the earth there's something really
06:56Epic about this place and it was the last thing I expected to find when I came to the arabian peninsula
07:02It's incredibly peaceful down here and the landscape to me is almost biblical it evokes images
07:09You know being a kid and reading the bible and went past bushes full of thorns
07:13You can almost imagine like the crown of thorns came from there and do you feel when you're down here?
07:19It's it's very spiritual
07:30Jinn is a spirit
07:32So you feel the jinn's the spirits they almost live on a different plane
07:44But this is the kind of landscape where you might encounter that spirit level the plane
07:49I'm sure the jinn is living in these islands often and in the narrow areas in the plains
07:54And also in the mountains
07:56The places that are far from people are far from, far from the desert
08:01This area is a place where you can feel or even hear
08:06There's something here
08:08We didn't see a single soul on our hike down here
08:11I mean it's so rare these days to have a natural beauty like this without it having
08:17Guardrails and you know ropes to her and tourists going up and down all day and
08:23It really is an incredible
08:25Natural beauty
08:28And the longer we stay here the more the birds are more comfortable with us
08:32It's like a bird watchers paradise here
08:35Aحيانا البيوت في الاشجار
08:37وحيانا البيوت داخل السخور
08:39فمختلفة جداً الواع كثيرة
08:41لذلك سميت بيئرة طيور
08:43هذا الاسم فعلاً اسم على مسمى
08:45لأن الطيور تختار
08:49عندها بيت من السخور
08:50عندها بيت من الشجار
08:52فمختلفة جداً
08:55It's no easy feat to get down here in this in this heat and the humility but
09:00it really is now we're sitting here and
09:03taking time out it really is worth it
09:05It's easy to understand how samurai when he was talking to me on the way down here
09:17he said that they believe in
09:18Jin's like spirits and the best way for the mountain people to find them is
09:27in a place like this because they believe that the spirits are on a different plane
09:32and this is the best chance you've got of coming closer to the spirit world
09:38just listen to that
09:42i love this place
09:46it's a natural cathedral
09:48vast
09:49mysterious
09:50and carved over millennia by water and time
09:57a samurai leads me across the plateau
09:59he invites me to a tribal gathering
10:02a rare glimpse into an ancient culture
10:09neither bedouin nor arab in origin
10:11their language
10:13jabali
10:13is shaped by oral storytelling and music passed down through the generations
10:18gatherings like this are more than social occasions
10:29they bring tribesmen together to celebrate in their culture
10:32of the country
10:47asalaamu alikum
10:49hey nice to meet you
10:51nice to meet you
10:52hi
10:52nice to meet you
10:53welcome welcome
10:54thank you
10:54welcome
10:57it's nice to sit down for a bit we've been exploring all day
11:00You look exhausted, maybe because of the hiking.
11:04I've been really interested finding out from samurai, you know, the way of the mountain people
11:08and how you see this land as a far more spiritual kind of area than I expected.
11:14I was learning about the jinn.
11:16Jinn are existing or living in a place which is mostly, I mean, isolated from the cities.
11:23Sometimes we are hearing some sounds and some knocking of stones sometimes.
11:29No need to feel scary.
11:31It is something maybe odd, but just we can live with it.
11:45Arabia's Best Kept Secrets, presented by Gulf Air.
11:50Arabia's Best Kept Secrets, presented by Gulf Air.
12:00I'm exploring the remote pockets of Oman's highlands with my guide, Samurai.
12:05He's introducing me to the people and their Dofari tribal culture.
12:13So you have a safe?
12:13Yeah, I can say it's an Omani sword.
12:22This is actually the Dofari sword.
12:25Check the design and curvings.
12:28Oh, wow.
12:31We are very special in designing these swords.
12:35Oh, wow.
12:37Star Wars, eh?
12:40Star Wars.
12:45So, how would you use that sword in Oman?
12:47Yeah.
12:48In our festival, our traditional dances, especially in weddings.
12:53How would you use it in a wedding?
12:54Yeah.
12:55Samurai.
12:56You can perform.
12:57Yeah.
12:57Yeah.
12:58I'll take you.
12:59Look, like this.
13:03It's your best warrior.
13:04Yeah, it's the best warrior.
13:05He's our hero, actually.
13:17Who needs a wedding DJ when you've got swords,
13:20singing and the odd rifle for good measure?
13:22He's our hero.
13:40Now I'm in the spotlight.
13:42He's our hero.
13:42He's our hero.
13:44He's our hero.
13:46He's our hero.
13:48He's our hero.
13:50He's our hero.
14:07I don't think my skills are going to qualify me to dance at a travel wedding.
14:10You are one of us.
14:11Oh.
14:15That was great.
14:16Very nice.
14:21For tribal gatherings, a traditional barbecue is always at the heart of the celebration.
14:29Tell me about traditions.
14:31What makes a safari different to any of the other cultures out here in Oman?
14:35I feel it's the nature.
14:37People here, their lifestyle, it depends on the seasons.
14:41This lifestyle is monitoring their life.
14:46Do you notice that we are cooking the meat on firestone?
14:49This is a traditional way of cooking meat, which is called, in our language,
14:54in our language, using the fat to grease the stones or the gravels.
15:01That is in order to be more hygienic.
15:03And when you cook the meat on the top, it will not be stick.
15:07So it acts like non-stick pan.
15:09Yeah, natural teflon.
15:11And actually, you will get the taste of smokiness.
15:20Dinner is served.
15:22Time to feast, Jabali style.
15:27So juicy.
15:28And there's so many different pieces.
15:29This is the fat.
15:32This is the good fat.
15:41With a full belly, a buzzing mind, and a deeper respect for the traditions still thriving out here,
15:48it's been a full-on immersion.
15:51But there's still more of this remarkable region waiting to be uncovered.
16:01Arabia's Best Kept Secrets, presented by Gulf Air.
16:06Arabia's Best Kept Secrets, presented by Gulf Air.
16:11The Gulf Air.
16:17My journey across Amman has taken me to the rugged mountains of the Dofar region.
16:23Now I'm heading deep into one of its wild sanctuaries.
16:27Hidden in the foothills of these rugged mountains lies the Ain Nujob Nature Reserve.
16:33To learn more about the region's unique wildlife,
16:36I'm meeting someone who has dedicated his life to conservation.
16:39So off for a hike with Mohamed.
16:41He's an expert tracker and wildlife photographer of the Dofar region.
16:45He's used to going deep into the wilderness to get his shots.
16:47So if anyone can tell me about the wildlife in this region, it's him.
16:59Hello.
16:59Mohamed.
17:00Asalaam alaikum.
17:00Asalaam.
17:01How are you doing?
17:02I'm good.
17:02Are you ready for action?
17:04Always ready for action.
17:10This rugged terrain is home to rare and elusive species, including wolves, hyenas and even the
17:15critically endangered Arabian leopard.
17:19With only around 200 left in the wild, these mountains are one of the leopard's last sanctuaries.
17:25Each year, monsoon rains sweep across the region.
17:31Over time, torrents of rain have carved deep into the limestone, forming vast underground chambers.
17:38It's estimated there are over a dozen bat caves across Oman.
17:42Combined with Dofar's favorable climate and an abundance of tropical fruit,
17:46these conditions create the perfect sanctuary where bats have built a thriving, hidden colony.
17:53There it is.
17:55The Egyptian fruit bats.
17:57Wow.
17:59Welcome to the bat cave.
18:06Oh, there's a lot of them. I think more than 1,000.
18:11And they're here 12 months of the year. They stay here, they don't migrate anywhere else.
18:14This is their home.
18:15Yeah, almost all caves, they live intact, almost. But this cave is special.
18:21The colony is so much bigger.
18:23Feeding on dates, figs and other fruits, the Egyptian fruit bat helps Dofar's rare greenery thrive
18:30by spreading seeds across the landscape, even outside of the monsoon season.
18:35I mean, it really is a sight to behold. They're everywhere.
18:39They're everywhere.
18:40They're everywhere.
18:41They're everywhere.
18:42They're everywhere.
18:43They're everywhere.
18:44Muhammad has been monitoring wildlife in this valley for years,
18:47and is keen to show me what he's caught on camera.
18:54Straight in there. Wow.
18:57And it's in the daytime.
18:58Yeah.
18:58It's very graceful. That's an extremely rare image.
19:04There's not a care in the... Whoa! Look right down the lens.
19:09How do you feel when you come to these camera traps, you take out the footage,
19:13you download it onto the computer, and then when you see the Arabian Leopard
19:18staring down the barrel of your camera?
19:20Oh, I get blown my mind. I get very... Very happy about this shot.
19:25To actually see it with your own eyes and see the evidence that they are roaming these mountains, wild.
19:33It feels... It feels really good.
19:35You want to see me again?
19:35Yeah.
19:37Hyena. You want to see a hyena?
19:41I didn't imagine hyenas were out here.
19:43Yeah, there is available also.
19:45He's... He's cheeky.
19:47One time he broke the camera.
19:50You just smell it and put his mouth and broke it.
19:57Muhammad and many other people from the Dofar region are real guardians of these mountains
20:03and the wildlife that call it home. It's a real inspiration to see his dedication,
20:08his commitment and perseverance to keeping this land thriving and respecting it from afar.
20:15If the Arabian Leopard has any chance of coming back from the brink of extinction.
20:20It's because of people like him.
20:27Next time, I follow the trail of frankincense.
20:31I've just made some incisions and already the trees started bleeding.
20:35Uncovering its role in local life.
20:37A little precarious.
20:38And the empire it helped to shape.
20:41This is a very important place that used to be the center of trade.
20:45This is a very important place.
20:47Now let's make a difference.
20:52This is a very important place to share with the place of our friends.
20:52For us.
20:52Please make sure to share it in the world.
20:53This is a very important place to see your location.
20:55This is an interesting place to share their experiences and this is a very important place to share about their families.
20:57This is a very important place to share with the people from the island and the island.
21:00Come on, let me ask you very often.
21:01I'm ready to submit a two main elements of the land.
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