By this time, there’s a big chance you and your family and friends are already planning a trip to Salalah. Who can resist the charm of Dhofar at this time of the year? Misty mountains, green valleys, water-filled wadis, cooler temperature — they all make it sound like a must-visit destination.
While the rest of GCC and the Middle East are putting up with the heat, Dhofar is ravishing and is expected, same as last year, to hit more than 500k visitors for the whole duration of the khareef season.
If you’d been to Salalah many times before, you know that there are plenty of activities to do sometimes they can be dizzying to choose from. There are special activities for kids and families and the Salalah tourism Festival 2019 is bigger this year that programmes give more opportunity to do something in the evening after enjoying touring the place in the morning.
For first-timers to Salalah however who still have no idea what can be found there, we are putting together a list of things and activities you must-do to fully enjoy your Khareef Adventure.
Explore the waterparks
Dhofar and Salalah to be specific have several natural waterparks. The friendliest of them all and where you will find a lot of families lounging is at Wadi Darbat where a long stretch of river has been filled with different water activities like kayaking or boat ride which let you explore quite a great portion of the wadi. While you can definitely spend the whole afternoon here trying out even the land activities like horse riding and race cars for kids, that will be a big mistake.
Ayn Athum Ayn Khor and Raysut waterfalls are just as awesome. You definitely cannot visit them all in one day so make sure you plan out early of what places you’d like to visit.
Explore the beaches
Dhofar has been blessed with amazing beaches. Just like some parts of the country, they had amazing white-sandy beaches ideal for a family outing. Mughsayl beach has been the most popular thanks to several attractions in the area. People come to Mughsayl not only for the scenic ocean and mountain view but also for the blowhole that entertains even the adults. Other than Mughsayl, you also have Dahariz beach, Al Fazayah beach, AL Haffah beach and Taqah beach. There are other hidden beaches and coves along the way but one of these popular beaches definitely will be a good escape for you and your family. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen lotion and plenty of water.
Try out the
streetfoods
Salalah is streetfood heaven and there’s plenty of shops to choose from. Our personal favourites are the stone grilled chicken and the mishkak sold in many different corners the previous years even in some mountainous areas. Salalah in recent years has also become home to some of the best pop-up stalls and restaurants. Dishes here are no longer just Arabic or Indian centred, you can also find Persian, Asian and Intercontinental cuisines. If you’re going for some authentic experience though, try out the local delicacies. Even the ground of the Salalah Tourism Festival is a great place to hunt for food.
Learn about history
The Tomb of Prophet Ayoub (or Job to the Christians) is one of the most visited historical sites in Dhofar. Within the top five are the historical sites of Sumharam (which common belief is the site of one of the palaces of the Queen of Sheba), Sadah Castle, Mirbat Castle and Taqah Castle. If you have a few hours to spare, the Atlantis of the Sand or Ubar is about three hours away and after passing through one of the largest frankincense plantations, you would see the ruins of this ancient city said to be very popular in its heydays. You will also find here the archaeological site of Al Baleed. All of them, a definite must-visit for history buffs.
Go cuckoo for the coconuts
Dhofar is the closest to a tropical island you will find in the Middle East. Along with the monsoon are the gifts of different locally grown produce. Bananas grow by hectares here and its local markets are fileld with pomegranates, lemons, papaya, pineapples, mangoes among others. Salalah however will always be associated with coconuts and if you know where to look, you’d find the most thirst-quenching varieties being sold in some dusty corners. Make sure not to miss on this one.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
