Salalah is the capital of Oman's southernmost Dhofar region. It is often considered to be the "second city" of the Sultanate, although some of this designation is probably due to its distinction as Sultan Qaboos' birthplace.

The Dhofar region is famous for its khareef (monsoon), and the Khareef Festival is an annual event here. Many locals will in fact be quite surprised to see non-Arab visitors at other times of year.

Understand

Salalah and Dhofar are historically famous for the frankincense trade. The region has tended to be rather independent over history, although this has changed since Qaboos' acession to the throne. The Jibbali (Arabic: those of the mountains) tribes maintain a slightly distrustful stance of the government in Muscat, although this is more a stance of custom than anything else. Interestingly, the tribes speak a different language to the Arabic spoken throughout the Peninsula, although visitors are unlikely to encounter it.

Get in

By plane

Oman Air flies from Muscat to Salalah at least twice a week. The flight takes roughly 90 minutes. The same carrier flies from Dubai to Salalah, with the flight taking some 2 hours.There are direct flights to indian cities of Kozhikode and Kochi.

By car

It is possible to drive from Muscat to Salalah. The trip takes roughly 12 hours (although there are numerous places worth a detour en route).

By bus

There are daily buses between all Omani cities, very cheap compared to the cost of taxis, airfare, etc. In February 2006 Muscat-Salalah was about $12 US--it's a 12 hour trip.

By boat

Get around

Salalah is quite a small city in tourist terms, as most places of interest are close to each other. During warmer times of year, though, walking may not be the best idea. The usual unmetered Omani taxis operate here.

The average taxi fare to travel within the city is 500 baiza.

Tours

Oman Holidays is a specialised tour operator in Oman approved by the Oman Ministry of Tourism. The company, whose management have over a decade’s experience of tourism in Oman, specialize in interpretive guided cultural tours throughout the country.

See

• Sultan Qaboos' Palace
• al-Hisn Souq

The old city is confined to the area called Haffa. The Haffa souq(market place) has wide range of collectables to offer: frankinsence, dates, handicrafts, souvenirs etc.You'll need to practice your bargaining skills before you go shopping there. Better would be to have a local resident accompany you while you shop, so you know you are paying for the real thing.

Do

• Remember to collect your road map from the airport, or any agent promoting salalah as a tourist destination. It might help if you get lost someplace and need directions to your hotel.

• SUVs do the best job carrying you in and around Salalah, since most places of tourist interest lie off the road. Salalah experiences annual rainfall during the months of july-september, so offroading on slopes and slippery terrain is not advisable for salon cars. Rememeber to book your SUV from car rentals (Budget/Avis/Europcar/Thrifty) well in advance if you intend to do some serious offroading.

• Remember to carry your passport/visa papers with you wherever you go, atleast photocopies; as you can expect local police/military patrols to check on you when you least expect them to show up-even if you are within city limits.(its just a routine procedure to check for illegal workers/immigrants).

• DONT go swimming in the sea or permit toddlers/children to wander off at beaches. The sea shore in Salalah can experience very strong ocean currents and steeps drastically- very unsafe for swimmers, experienced or beginners.

• Always drive cautiously outside the city as visibility can be bad due to fog/mist. You could be lucky to have an encounter with camels/cows/goats at the most unexpected times, so stay within speedlimits even if the road is not monitored by radar.

Learn

Work

Buy

Frankincense is the souvenir purchase in Salalah, and only visitors who avoid shopping will not be offered some. Myrrh is relatively easy to find as well, as are the myriad Omani perfumes on offer throughout the country.

Eat

If your decide to visit places outside Salalah city, remember to carry some food packed for emergencies (fruits, fruit juices, sandwiches recommended) as there are no restaurants outside the city. Always carry a bottle of drinking water since you may not find any coldstore on the highways.

Budget

• Omar Khayyam restaurant on 23rd July str offers omani food.
• Chinese cascade and Chopsticks are chinese restaurants offering decent food.-no buffets.
• Al Fareed restaurant offers indian,chinese,arabic food.Buffet at R.O.3.5 per head on Thursday nights.

Mid-range

Splurge

The restaurant outlets at the Hilton Salalah and Crowne Plaza offer high-end dining services.

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• The Hilton Salalah resort is a popular choice for European visitors. It is located roughly 12km outside town and runs a shuttle service to and from the Gold Souq daily. The hotel cannot really be recommended, however, as the service is appalling and a general sense of "the inmates running the asylum" pervades.

Contact

Stay safe

Never offer a ride to hitch-hikers on highways; expat or omani national. If possible, do not slow down if you see anyone approaching your car if you are outside the city.

Cope

Get out

• Job's Tomb (an-Nabi Ayyub) makes a very popular excursion from Salalah. The drive itself affords great views of the area, while the mausoleum can be visited (and photos taken) by all-comers. Just remember to take your shoes off first!

• The Mughsail (or Mughsayl) Blowholes are a local attraction. In certain weather conditions, the inflow from the sea will result in waterspouts being forced through porous rock. Even when this is not happening, the eerie sound is rather impressive.

• Khor Rowri (samharam)is an archaeological dig near Salalah. For a small fee (roughly OR2), visitors can walk around the edge of the dig. Don't expect any explanation for what has been found, though.

• The small fishing communities of Taqah and Mirbat (or Mirbaat) are quite pleasant to wander around. Taqah has what is described as a "Castle" but is in fact a fort, which is not open to the public at the present time.

• The magic road: There is a dirt road leading towards the mountains near taqah.The signboard reads "Tawi attar" at the diversion from the main road. It is a sloping dirt road, where you'll find your car moving upwards instead of downwards while in "neutral". Make sure you control the steering wheel so your car doesnt roll down the edge of the hill.

• Raykut: A small fishing village on the other side of Mughsayl ; is the breeding area to the rare green turtle. During the months of july-september these turtles stop by to breed in Raykut. The road to mughsayl continues to Raykut from the mountains, about 3 hour drive from mughsayl.

• Hasik Islands: If you have enough time to spare, Hasik islands is a must see. The drive is the most pleasurable part. Excellent view of the sea and the mountains, the road literally snakes between the sea shore and the rocky mountains. A few viewpoints alongside the road are a good place to halt and to enjoy the scenic beauty. Theres a waterfall a little beyond the village of Hasik, where drops of water flow from atop the rocky hills sustaining some vegetation. Careful observation might treat you to witness dolphins swimming in the sea. You should take the route to Hadbeen/Sada further down the taqah-Mirbat road.

• Ayn Razat and Ayn Hamran: These tow places are natural fresh water springs gushing out from small crevives in the mountains. You can see several natural caves in the hills, where you could opt to camp overnight. There is a garden and play area at Ayn razat where you could take a break and stop for a meal. Ayn Razat and Ayn Hamran are on the Taqah road, with signboards indicating towards the mountains.