Tourists flock to Khareef to escape the heat

SALALAH: Salalah is witnessing a significant influx of tourists this Khareef season due to the excellent monsoon from east to west. Since the monsoon is becoming intense with each passing day, visitors are flocking to the city from all parts of the GCC to beat the extreme heat in their respective countries. The temperature in Salalah ranges between a comfortable 26 and 29 degrees Celsius, a stark contrast to the 40-48 degrees in other Gulf countries. It is no wonder Salalah has become a popular escape for all.

Roads in all directions are busy day and night. Visitors are trying to explore all parts of the monsoon infested areas, thus creating road jams at certain bottlenecks and entry and exit points of the tourist spots like Wadi Darbat, Ain Garziz, Ain Rajat, Ain Homran, tomb of Nabi Ayub.

“The whole of Salalah has turned into a tourist spot. No need to look for specific places. You need to enjoy the moment and magic of nature,” said Ahmed, a tourist from Dubai.

This year, a substantial number of visitors are arriving from Muscat and other cities in Oman. George, who travelled from Sur with his brother, friends and their families, described the arrival as "magical."

"As we entered Salalah at Qairun Hariti, it was raining heavily, and the temperature dropped from 39 degrees to just 20. We were all feeling cold and regretting not bringing warm clothes," he shared. Despite the low visibility due to rain and mist, George's friend in Salalah reassured them that the town itself had pleasant weather and no need to worry about cold except continuous drizzling.

George and his family had originally planned a two-day trip but decided to extend their stay for a full week to enjoy Salalah's weather.

Salalah becomes a tourist haven as Khareef peaks

Officially, the Khareef season runs from June 21 to early September. Although the season started late this year, the weather began to improve from the first week of July, much to the delight of tourists and the local tourism sector.

Visitors to Salalah's mountainous areas have witnessed the true beauty of Khareef, with drizzles and the gradual transformation of brown mountains to green. This change signals the onset of the season when the entire landscape is blanketed in greenery, attracting long queues of cars and enthusiastic tourists.

From July to September, the summer monsoon brings delicate drizzling fog to the mountain slopes and coastal areas. The plateaus and flanks of Jebel Qara appear covered in a tender green carpet of grass adorned with flowers. For three months, dry wadis fill with fresh flowing water, drawing tourists from across the Gulf region to enjoy the mild, foggy weather and picnic on dew-covered grass, far from the scorching heat of their home countries.

Roadside fruit vendors have already set up their stalls with tropical fruits like coconuts, papayas, bananas, almonds, and various local fruits. Popular tourist spots such as Wadi Darbat, Nabi Ayoub's Tomb, Ain Homran, the Frankincense Museum, Tomb of Nabi Umran, Mughsail, and Ain Rajaat have been bustling with tourists over the past few days. Even though a large number of new parking spaces have been built, they are proving to be insufficient to accommodate the influx of vehicles at Ain Rajaat and Wadi Darbat.

“This is a good decision on the part of the government to extend the Khareef season till September. This will allow the prospective visitors to plan and avoid the seasonal rush,” said Salalah resident Awad, who is the owner of an apartment in Dahariz area.