Every year from June to September, Salalah in southern Oman receives a blessing from nature that no other region in the Arab Gulf is fortunate to experience - the monsoon. Locally known as Kharif, it drapes the desert with a blanket of green and brings temperatures tumbling down. Salalah is also the land of frankincense, and part of an ancient trade route that goes back thousands of years
Salalah is the second largest city situated in the Dhofar governorate in the south of the Sultanate of Oman. It is a ruggedly beautiful region with a rich history rooted in the ancient frankincense trade. For this reason, it is often known as the Perfume Capital of Arabia. It is also the only region in the Arab Gulf, besides Yemen, that is blessed with a Khareef (rainy) season. During this time, when the monsoon winds blow moist and heavy through the region, Salalah dons a green blanket. In fact, from June to September, the arid desert is unrecognizable, covered as it is with lush greenery. Even as the rest of the Arabian peninsula scorches at over 45 degrees Celsius, it rarely gets warmer than 27 degrees in Salalah. Together with its date palms all over itself during the months of June to September. The lush greenery that one witnesses in Salalah during the Khareef season is comparable to the greenery of southeastern India giving Salalah the title of ‘Kerala of the Middle East.’
Fisherfolk haul in the catch in Salalah, southern Oman.
These little-known treasures of Salalah deserve a place on your bucket list.
Frankincense Trail
Frankincense is the aromatic resin of the Boswellia tree, which grows in southern Arabia, northern Africa and India. From Biblical times, it has been regarded as a precious substance and various books of the Bible are replete with mentions describing it as such. Frankincense is used in perfumery and medicine.
Aromatic resin from the Boswellia tree is collected to prepare frankincense
The Omani researcher and historian, Abdul Qadir bin Salim Al Ghassani, mentions in his book Dhofar, the Land of Frankincense that Alexander the Great had imported huge quantities of incense from Arab lands. Other sources suggest that frankincense was used round the throne of King Solomon as incense. Legend holds that when Emperor Nero’s wife died, the Emperor burned the equivalent of the whole of southern Arabian peninsula’s yield of frankincense. In the present time, frankincense is used at the Vatican in Rome.
Wadi Dawkah, with its resident frankincense trees, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For those who wish to treat themselves to a unique taste of history, don’t forget to buy buy frankincense ice cream and frankincense honey from the souqs of Salalah.
A view of the leafy Salalah coastline
Al Baleed
Also part of the Frankincense Trail is the ancient port of Al Baleed. Historical findings indicate that the city dates back to 2000 BC. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Al Baleed is a combination of an open-air archaeological site and the Museum of the Frankincense Lands.
A view of the coastline in Mirbat, southern Oman.
Mirbat
Mirbat is a charming coastal town in the Dhofar Governorate. Historically, it traded in horses and frankincense. Overlooking the harbour entrance is Mirbat Fort which, in origin, is an early 19th century fortification.
A view of the interiors of the visitor centre at the Amouage Factory in Muscat.
Amouage Factory and visitor centre in Muscat, Oman
Another view of the visitor centre.
You can sample perfumes at the visitor centre.
A copper still used for steam distillation of essential oils at the Amouage Factory in Muscat, Oman.
The finished product - bottled Amouage perfumes, the exquisite fragrance of Oman.
The Tomb of Prophet Job (Nabi Ayoub)
The tomb known within the region as that of Prophet Job (Nabi Ayoub) has a magnificent location set high in the mountains overlooking the sea and coastal plain around Salalah.
Wadi Bani Khalid in Sharqiya, Oman, is a veritable oasis of turquoise water against the hot, arid desert.
The natural beauty of Wadi Bani Khalid, bounded by the eastern Hajar mountains, makes it a much-visited tourist destination in Oman.
Pouring out a sluice in the rocks, the stream leads to an underwater cave.
From a bridge over the wadi, these local boys take turns diving in. The mere sight is hypnotic and calming on a searing-hot summer day.
On weekends (Thursdays and Fridays in Oman), Wadi Bani Khalid is thronged by visitors. On this weekday afternoon, though, there are few visitors but goatherds and villagers.
Wadi Tiwi, known as the Wadi of the Nine Villages, in Oman can be accessed easily from the city of Sur, about 240 km from Muscat along the coastal road.
The approach to Wadi Tiwi in Oman
A muddy track skirts Wadi Tiwi. The coastal highway from Sur to Muscat can be seen in the background.
The heat of a summer's day disappears in the cool, green-blue waters of Wadi Bani Khalid. You can't but envy these boys.
Trees laden with fruit, like these mangoes, are a common sight near Wadis, which supply precious fresh water in the desert of Oman.
Blowholes
Perhaps
the most famous attraction of the Governorate of Dhofar are the
‘blowholes’ at Mugsayl to the west of Salalah. Small holes in the rock
just above the sea allow a forceful fountain of sea water to explode
into the air when the sea is rough.
Wadi Darbat in the monsoon is swathed in a green carpet
Wadi Darbat
The word wadi is used to describe watercourses in the desert that range from aquifers and seasonal rivers to riverine valleys. Wadi Darbat, which overlooks the archaeological site of Khor Rori, carves its way through the highlands of Salalah and forms picturesque waterfalls. The wadi is secreted in the mountains overlooking the site of Khor Rawri, an ancient port. Within the wadi are several small lakes overlooked by undulating hillsides.
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