Salalah

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Salalah is Oman's southernmost city and the administrative capital of Dhofar. It is situated on a fertile plain amongst lush coconut groves and banana plantations, set against the dramatic mountain backdrop of Jabal Dhofar. Salalah offers a wealth of breathtaking scenery, an abundance of wildlife and some the finest diving in the Arabian Peninsula. White sandy beaches fringe the plain to the south, stretching for kilometres along the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. The city has a bustling business district with shops, restaurants, coffee shops and hotels.

The weather in Salalah is temperate all year round with almost guaranteed sunshine through the winter months. Between July and September each year, the city catches the tail end of the Indian Monsoon which results in recurrent light rain. Once the monsoon (Khareef Season) recedes, Salalah remains abundantly green.

Getting there

There are at least two options for travelling in to Salalah:

  1. Oman Air provide 3-4 daily flights to Salalah per week from Seeb International airport (Muscat) with a flying time of approximately 1.5 hours. Guests flying from the UK will need to spend at least one night in Muscat before going on to Salalah.
  2. Fly from Dubai to Salalah on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Guests flying from the UK will need to spend at least one night in Dubai before going on to Salalah.

Highlights

What to see
  • The Governorate (wilyat) of Dhofar is rich in archaeological sites including the ruins of the ancient city and great frankincense port at Khor Rori (Samhuram) which dates from the 1st Century BC.
  • The blowholes at Mughsayl, formed in the limestone rocks outlining four kilometres of magnificent sandy beach, where plumes of water can reach a height of 30 metres or more.
Where to go
  • Mirbat: famous in the 9th Century for the breeding and exporting of horses and its trade in frankincense. With its picturesque bays and inlets, Mirbat is a must visit.
  • Wadi Darbat: a natural park with majestic views of waterfalls, lakes, mountains, caves wildlife and lush green vegetation. During the Khareef season there is a 100-metre waterfall and many cave chambers with old stalactites and stalagmites.
Khareef Festival

The Khareef festival is held every year from mid July to the end of August. It is a complete festival for all the family - from shopping in the Salalah Tourist Village to games and adventure. A number of attractions are arranged to entertain tourists such as the Heritage Village, Dolphin Shows, International Circus, Concerts and Omani Folk Shows.

Activities

Diving and snorkelling

You will find PADI Dive Centres located at Hilton Salalah Resort and Crowne Plaza Resort Salalah. Both fully equipped dive centres offer fun diving trips by boat or with 4x4 vehicle transfer, PADI courses (for children and adults) and snorkel trips along the coast of Salalah and Mirbat. Try out diving FREE OF CHARGE at the Crowne Plaza hotel.

Dive sites in Salalah and Mirbat are relativley untouched and virgin sites being discovered all the time. An awesome variety of moray eels and nudibranches along with large groupers, turtles, dozens of fish schools and different species of ray can be seen as well as a Portuguese shipwreck.

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