If you have not yet seen the best documentary on Arabian Peninsula then you must check it first here and in the second episode you will realize why Salalah has a unique importance in the region. I heard about this place from many friends that it is the biggest Oasis in the middle-east but realized it only when I explore the place on Google and YouTube. The sceneries were amazing with lush green landscapes, waterfalls, and valleys. Later I watched the above mentioned documentary (“Wild Arabia”) and came to know the reasons behind the mystery on how Salalah becomes green and cool during July to September when other gulf countries are going through an extremely hot climate. Also the narrator Alexander Siddig claimed that the Dhofar Governorate in Oman – due to its unique echo system – is home of more number of species than any other place in the whole Arabian Peninsula.
Package:
So, I started looking for possible travel options. Salalah is almost 1250 KM from Abu Dhabi and it takes almost 12 Hours of continuous drive or you can break the journey at Musact, the capital of Oman.
However me and my colleague decided to travel over weekend just for two days and opted to go by air that takes almost two hours from Abu Dhabi. For these short trips Expedia is known to be a good site with multiple options available. We got a deal (flight+hotel) for two in $1000 with Qatar Airways return ticket via Doha with two nights stay at Rotana Salalah Resort situated at Arabian Sea and only 25 minutes’ drive from Salalah International Airport.
We booked a car at the Airport for two days at a reasonable price. However once we reached there it was realized that we had mistakenly booked it for the day earlier and it has already been handed over to someone else. We were lucky enough to get one from another company else it could have become difficult to get one due to high season from July-September.
What to see?
Well, as usual I explored on Google and Trip Advisor to get the most important places to see and prioritize them to get the maximum out of our two days. Following are some of the key spots I would recommend:
- Al Mughsail Beach and Marneef Caves situated side by side where you see a beautiful beach view with incredible caves beneath from where waved pushes the water with immense pressure creating a unique sound
- Wadi Darbat is a beautiful valley offers amazing landscape and little water activity (Kayaking)
- Prophet Ayoub A.S. Tomb is a beautiful trail into mountains and very crowded during peak season
- Sumhuram Old City is an Archaeological site also known as “Khor Rorī“ that shows signs of settlement back to the 2nd century BC and was probably abandoned in the seventh century. Some other references are given under:
- Al Baleed Archaeological Site and Museum of the Frankincense Land side by side
- Taqah Castle is a small fort beside the road from Salalah to Mirabat and in front of sea at a strategic location. It is not a must see but good to see instead
- Prophet Umran A.S. Tomb in the middle of the city. You can also visit Prophet Sualeh A.S. camel footprint in a nearby location
There are more things to see that we could not cover but you may consider in your journey using the following sources. However please remember that some of these locations will need a 4×4 Vehicle to visit.
– Teeq Cave and Tawi Ateer Sinkhole
Pictures Gallery
Taqah Castle:
Sumhuram Archaeological Site:
Wadi Darbat:
Al Baleed Archaeological Site:
Al Mughsail Beach and Munreef Caves
