Salalah and Dhofar

Salalah is the capital of Dhofar in southern Oman and the capital of the khareef. Through the summer, from June to September, it turns into a green land covered in mist, with springs and waterfalls, while temperatures stay mild, in the twenties.

The best-known khareef sights are Wadi Darbat with its falls and lake, the springs of Ain Razat and Ain Jarziz, Mughsail beach with its blowholes, and Jebel Samhan. Along the shore, the city is lined with farms of palms, bananas and coconuts.

Dhofar has been the land of frankincense for thousands of years. In 2000 UNESCO inscribed the Land of Frankincense: the ancient city of Al Baleed, the port of Sumhuram at Khor Rori, the frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah and the oasis of Shisr. The Museum of the Frankincense Land stands at Al Baleed.

It is about an hour and a half by air from Muscat. We suggest at least three nights, booked early for the khareef, when hotels fill with Gulf visitors.