The holy month of Ramadan is on here in Muscat at the Sultanate of Oman. The days are somber and the evenings alive. The city is sweltering in the August heat and it is cloudy now and then. I had only heard of this cool city (literally cool I mean) of Salalah where the Sultan resides and which is supposed to be as green as Kerela in India. With some preconceived notions in my head and how really (not) green can it be in this desert country, I assented to go on a reprieve to visit the tourist town of Salalah.
Where is Salalah? – Salalah is Oman’s second largest city in the Southern province of Dhofar in the Sultanate of Oman and attracts tourists from all over the Middle-east and the world.
How to get to Salalah? – Convenient flights from Muscat and Dubai are preferred options. There are also frequent buses which are quite cheap between Muscat and Salalah for overnight journeys.
What is this city about? – Well known for its green cover and cool weather, it is a welcome change from the oppressive heat around. This is the land of frankincense and history for the traveler.
What is the right time to visit Salalah? – Happily, the best time to visit Salalah is the ‘Kharif’ or the monsoon season in June to September. Few tourists visit in the holy month of Ramazan.
Although I had read about it being a hillstation like place and had some ideas, what I was totally unprepared for was the variety of landscapes that presented themselves in a span of a few hundred kilometers. Beaches, green mountains and valleys, and complete deserts all adjacent to each other were baffling to say the least apart from picturesque. Some snapshots on the landscapes before the full blown blog on this trip –
Desert Sand at Salalah
- Coastal fishing village at Salalah
Peaceful green hills and chewing cows
Rocky seas
Observe the contrasting Green hills and desert plains beyond from one location!
Fabulous pics! And I see what you mean by the variety of landscapes- each scene is so very different from the next!
I gather that you’re having a great vacation. 🙂
Thanks Manju. Indeed the sheer variety of landscapes in a span of such short distances was stark and quite fascinating. I am loving every bit of my vacation!
Richa,
The Salalah diary is wonderful. The pics are breathtaking, just awesome. Superb. I was reminded of my Muscat visit to Milind in 1994.Thanks for rekindling the memories.
Gaurang
Thanks for your comment! Glad I could remind you of your visit so many years back. Though I have lived at Muscat for quite a bit, looking at it from the eyes of a traveler is a whole different experience. Hope to share it with you in the coming blogs.
Lovely, lovely, lovely Richa. I loved the photo of the rocky seas and the headland jutting into the sea. Have a great holiday 🙂
Thanks Sudha. That beach was my favorite too.
Beautiful images
Thank Deepak.
Your photographs accentuate the contrasting conditions of the place. Where did the camels go?
We saw a whole herd of them there. That pic is for another blog 🙂
Lovely place and beautiful clicks Richa. You travel a lot 🙂
Thanks Saru. Love travelling and want to exhaust my leave from office!
Amazing.. Lavishing.. Like the way you put review with photo.. (yah loved Le Meridien, Mauritius review most)…
Keep Reviewing..
Thank you. I will do so :).
What a time you are having! First Mauritius and now this! So envy you, but also so happy for you 🙂 The contrasting landscapes are really visible and startling!!
The last two months have been rather fun with all the travelling! Salalah was like the hillstations in India, but the contrasts there certainly made it very unique.
Richa you have been tagged!!
myyatradiary.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-panaroma-of-colors-captured-in-my.html?m=0
Waiting to see your take on it 🙂
Thank you thank you! I already replied on your blog. Now gonna make the time to write something for this very interesting contest.
beautiful pics of contrasting nature in salalah.
Thanks Amruta!
Hai,
I’m from India tamil naudo, now in muscat, oman.
This is very nice to see some articles about oman especially Salalah.
Because i was there almost 2 years. I felt that I’m in home town when i was there.
Some more places are there.
1. Muqsail beach
2. Ayyub nabi (one of the Prophet)’s crave which is in top of mountain.
Here you can feel much cool.
3. Magnet road (on the way to mairbat from salalah
4. Dabrit lake.
I hope you will visit these area in yor next trip.
Thanks Abdul Kader
Thanks for your comment and the suggestions. I certainly will try to visit the places you mention in my next trip :).