SALALAH April 2003

This was one of my many trips to Salalah but the first with the family. I had to be there for the first working day of the week Saturday. So we left Muscat early Thursday morning arriving in Salalah early afternoon. There is little to see during the latter two thirds of the trip which takes you through the Desert area located in the Dhofar region. This Desert does not fulfill the classic idea of a desert at all. It is simply barren land, a vast eige-coloured gravel plain, devoid both of plants and contours, but many mirages and camels can be seen. Salalah on the other hand is nestled in the southern region of Oman and the capital of the southern region. It is a city set amongst coconut groves and banana plantations, sprawled along sandy beaches that run the length of its plain. The lush vegetation makes Salalah seem almost tropical. We missed the best time to visit Salalah which is June to September when Salalah benefits from the annual Indian monsoon: locally known as the Khareef. This monsoon, transforms the countryside into a veritable garden with tumbling waterfalls and meandering streams. The Khareef season is a good time to visit Salalah. In July and August the government plays host for the annual Khareef Festival, a cultural highlight of the season.

Having said the above the trip was great, the family loved everything about our visit. And the Children especially liked the herds of cattle, camels and goats, which now total almost 400,000, and seem to have the freedom to travel wherever they wish.