Salalah

The capital of Oman's Dhofar province, on the Arabian coast 1,100 km from Muscat, with a population of around 350,000. This is a unique corner of the Arabian Peninsula: the only place where the Indian monsoon arrives in summer (the khareef, June to September), turning the desert south of Arabia into green hills with waterfalls, mist and temperatures of 22°C while Muscat bakes at over 45°C. It was the ancient capital of the kingdom of Dhofar and the great frankincense trading centre of the ancient world — the Incense Route began here.

Main sights

• The khareef season (July-September) — the main event: the Dhofar mountains turn green, mist settles in, waterfalls run and the temperature sits at 20-25°C. It is marked by the Khareef Festival.
• The beaches of Salalah — more than 100 km of white sand along the coast, including Al Mughsail, Al Haffa and Raysut.
• Al Mughsail Beach — the main beach, 40 km out, with blowholes that shoot water up through holes in the rock.
• Wadi Darbat — the great natural sight of the khareef, where the waterfall reaches 150 m; in the dry season it is a parched canyon.
• The Tomb of the Prophet Job (Nabi Ayoub) — a place of pilgrimage for Muslims, Jews and Christians, on a hill above Salalah.
• Al-Baleed — a UNESCO site, the ruins of a frankincense trading city occupied from the 4th to the 18th century.
• The Museum of the Frankincense Land — the region's main museum, covering the history of frankincense and seafaring.
• Mirbat — an old fishing town 60 km away, with whale-shark diving from August to October.
• Taqah — a fishing village with a 19th-century castle.
• Frankincense trees (Boswellia sacra) — growing wild in the mountains; you can see them on a tour.
• Teyq Cave (Tawi Atair) — the deepest cave in Oman.
• The Empty Quarter (Rub' al Khali) — the largest sand desert in the world begins 100 km to the north.

Food and prices

The cooking is Omani and Dhofari: shuwa (lamb baked underground), madrouba, harees, grilled fish and muhammar (rice with sweet dates). Omani coffee is served with dates. Lunch at a local place is $8-15, dinner in a restaurant $25-50. A litre of petrol costs $0.60, a taxi across town $5-15, car hire $35-50 a day — worth it for reaching the natural sights.

Getting there

Salalah International Airport (SLL) is served by Oman Air, SalamAir and Air Arabia, with direct flights from Muscat, Dubai and Doha. From Muscat it is a 90-minute flight ($60-130) or a 12-14 hour Mwasalat bus ($15-20). Oman issues eVisas online, usually within two or three days, and waives them altogether for some nationalities — check what applies to your passport. In town you use taxis or hire a car.

When to go

The khareef (July-September) is the main tourist season, at 22-28°C, with green mountains and waterfalls. October to March is dry at 22-30°C and excellent for beaches and sightseeing. The gap before the monsoon (April-June) brings extreme heat of 35-45°C. The Salalah Tourism Festival runs through July and August. Note that during the khareef visibility can be poor in the mist and the roads are wet.