Salalah - Amazing as ever

Description

Salalah is the third-largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and the largest city in the Dhofar Province. Salalah is the birthplace of the former sultan, Qaboos bin Said. Salalah attracts many people from other parts of Oman and the Globe during the monsoon/khareef season, which spans from June to September. Tourists visit Salalah during this season. The climate of the region and the monsoon allows the city to grow some vegetables and fruits like coconut and bananas. There are many gardens within the city where these vegetables and fruits grow.

Salalah has an international tourist economy with many Middle Eastern tourists during the Khareef season from June to September. In this season the mountains turn green, and there are many waterfalls to visit, such as at Wadi Darbat, Ain Athum, Ain Tubrook, and Ain Khor.

Here are some of the best things to do when in Salalah.

1. Wadi Darbat
Wadi Darbat (The Darbat Valley) is the most beautiful and scenic spot for the nature lovers in Dhofar Region in Sultanate of Oman. Wadi Darbat is a splendid lush green valley with the surrounding hills having small caves which people can hike up! It's the perfect spot for a little family picnic or a friendly gathering. During the Khareef (monsoon season), the wadi is packed with locals and tourists that have come to enjoy the green landscaped hills. There are many small stalls and restaurants at the valley selling street food like shawarmas, popcorn and ice cream.

2. Mughsail Beach
The beach is located south of Salalah about 30 minutes driving. The beach is very clean with white sand and clear water. Mugsail is a long stretch of clear blue water with white sand and beautiful cliffs on either side of the water. Apart from planning the ultimate picnic with your family and friends, you can take a relaxing stroll here. If you know how to swim then you can dive on the shore amidst the roar of nature all over. This beach is home to many migratory birds. So if you love birdwatching, this beach won’t disappoint you.

3. Jabal Samhan
Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the area of Jabal Samḥān in Dhofar, Oman. The Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve in the Dhofar region of the Sultanate of Oman encompasses a track of limestone highlands, rising steeply from the coastal plain and sloping more gently towards the north. The Jabal, or mountain, has a 1,500 m escarpment which overlooks the Zalawt foothills and the plain of the Mirbat - Sadh peninsula.

4. Ayn Athum
One of the prettiest springs sprinkled across the eastern Salalah Plain. This limestone waterfall cascades down the gorgeous cliff from an altitude of 15m. Perfect for a visit, on your way to visit Ain Athom you can enjoy the view of dense and picturesque forests of trees along the way.

5.Rub Al Khali
Rub Al Khali is huge pile of sand gravels. The desert has an area of over 500,000 square kilometres. Starting in Salalah, you will travel by a four-by-four Jeep to the Dhofar Mountains for a panoramic view of the Salalah coastal plain. After a short break in Thumrait, you will continue through the desert to the 'lost city' of Ubar. You will also pass through Wadi Dawka, where you’ll have the opportunity to touch a piece of frankincense and learn how its use has evolved over the centuries.

6. Fazayah Beach
Its a 5 kilometers long pristine white sand beach with clear water and a stunning landscape at the back-ground. Proceed along the beach of Mughsail where the white sand touches the deep blue of the Indian Ocean.

7. Gravity Hill
The point of zero gravity is located on the road between the cities of Mirbat and Salalah, which is a stretch of road that defies gravity, where the car placed on the “Neutral” gear will start moving up the hill at a speed of up to 35 km / h. Bigger and heavier, the faster it moves.