Salalah is the capital of Dhofar, the
southernmost region of Oman, and is over
1,000 kilometres from Muscat. It is possible
to get there by road, but the drive is long
and boring, with little of interest to see
or do along the way. You may therefore
prefer to fly, and Oman Air operates two or
three flights a day from Muscat. Salalah has
a museum, and the souks are worthy of a
visit; especially the Al Husn Souk (next to
the Palace) where you’ll find silverware,
frankincense and locally made perfume.
There are also a number of beautiful beaches
to be found along the coast. The landscape
features plenty of trees, mainly at the
border of the desert at the lower reaches of
the jebels. You’ll also find an impressive
grouping of trees in Wadi Qahshan that runs
through the mountainous backdrop of the
Mughsayl-Sarfait road that links Salalah
with the Yemen border. This is where
frankincense trees grow and are farmed by
local villagers. They cut into the trunks
and allow the sap to seep out and harden
into lumps that are then scraped off and
traded in bulk.
Salalah Attractions
Mughsayl Beach
The drive to
Mughsayl is quite
ordinary and is
desert on both sides
pretty much all the
way. But once you
get to Mughsayl, you
can have great fun
getting amused by
the blowholes. The
blowholes are
actually air holes
on the floor which
cut through rock to
the bottom, where
the sea hits land. I
guess its difficult
to visualize, as I
can’t remember
hearing about
anything similar,
anywhere else in the
world. (Hope the
photos would be of
some help!).
When the waves from
the sea hit the
rock, because of
these vents on the
ground, air and
water is forced up
the vent and comes
up almost like a
fountain, but the
volume of water and
force of air is
awesome. It is
something that is
very enjoyable when
you are actually
waiting near the
blowholes for the
air and water to
spray up.
Mughsayl Beach
Darbat Green valley
Story and photos by
Travel with a
Challenge editor,
Alison Gardner
Flying south from
Muscat truly
confirms that Oman
is a desert kingdom.
Sand and rock
dominate the
landscape for 600
miles or 1,000
kilometers, until
you glimpse Salalah.
In the fabled
Governate of Dhofar
close to the border
with Yemen, the
monsoon – that rare
and beautiful
seasonal visitor to
this small area of
an ever-thirsty
Arabian Peninsula –
has given Salalah a
moderating
countenance of green
with splashes of
vivid color from
flowering shrubs and
trees, and thousands
of birds that
migrate through this
seaside oasis.
Darbat Green valley
Frankincense
Salalah the main town of the region of Dhofar is fringed by these mountains which in summer change like a chameleon into an emerald green land. Instead of date, the palm in Salalah is the sub-tropical coconut and the town is intersected by palm groves which contain a variety of sub-tropical fruit.
Salalahs' fame is enhanced by the Frankincense tree which provide the sap that was so sought after in the ancient world. OMAN Holiday can make certain that you see Frankincense trees on most tours through the region around Salalah.
Frankincense
Al-Baleed Ruins
Al-Baleed Archaeological Park is one of the most interesting places to visit in the Salalah area. It is the site of the ancient port city of Zafar. The earliest settlement here dates back to around 2,000 BC, in the Bronze Age. It grew throughout the Iron Age, and you can still see the remains of a house from this period.
The city reached its peak in the 12th century, when it traded with Africa, India and China. Its major export, of course, was frankincense, but it also traded Arabian horses and gold. During the 14th century it was still a major trading port, when it was visited by Ibn Battuta. but, due to changing trade patterns it fell into decline by the mid-16th century.
Nizwa is one of the
oldest cities in
Oman and it was once
a center of trade,
religion, education
and art. Its Jama
(grand mosque) was
formerly a center
for Islamic
learning. Nizwa
acquired its
importance because
it has been an
important meeting
point at the base of
the Western Hajar
Mountains. Set amid
a verdant spread of
date palms, it is
strategically
located at the
crossroads of routes
linking the interior
with Muscat and the
lower reaches of
Dhofar thus serving
as the link for a
large part of the
country. Today,
Nizwa is a diverse
prosperous place
with numerous
agricultural,
historical and
recreational
aspects. Nizwa is a
center for date
growing and is the
market place for the
area.
More about Muscat
Nizwa attractions
Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman and it was once a center of trade, religion, education and art. Its Jama (grand mosque) was formerly a center for Islamic learning. Nizwa acquired its importance because it has been an important meeting point at the base of the Western Hajar Mountains. Set amid a verdant spread of date palms, it is strategically located at the crossroads of routes linking the interior with Muscat and the lower reaches of Dhofar thus serving as the link for a large part of the country. Today, Nizwa is a diverse prosperous place with numerous agricultural, historical and recreational aspects. Nizwa is a center for date growing and is the market place for the area.
More about
Nizwa
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