Reaching Balad Sayt takes effort — a narrow 4x4 track down the side of a wadi, switchback after switchback. That's part of why it stays so well preserved. Stone houses cluster on the slope, the falaj still waters the palms, and the call to prayer echoes between the cliffs every evening.
For climbers and trekkers, the location is hard to beat. The crag is a five-minute walk from the guesthouse. The canyon rim trek starts at the back door. You can spend a week here and never get in a car.