January 28, 2023
We are out of the pirate area!! First stop in the Arab world is, Salalah, Oman (refer to map).
I headed out in a 4X4 Range Rover caravan to explore Salalah. I loved the air fresher with the camel and the sticker on the back with the man and his camel!!
Salalah is the capital and largest city of the southern Omani governorate of Dhofar. Its population in 2009 was about 197,169. Salalah is the third-largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and the largest city in the Dhofar Province. The climate of the region and the monsoon allows the city to grow some vegetables and fruits like coconut and bananas. There are many gardens within the city where these vegetables and fruits grow. Salalah was the traditional capital of Dhofar, which reached the peak of prosperity in the 13th century thanks to the incense trade. It was a small fishing town until 1970 when oil and gas was discovered. The Sultan rather than keeping the riches for himself spent the new found money in building an infrastructure, providing healthcare and education.
I was impressed with how clean the country is (no graffiti, little trash) compared to Egypt. The beautiful, large homes are built to be multigenerational and are surrounded by walls not to protect the people but to keep the roaming camels out. I became enamored with the camels (goal is to ride one in the desert) especially when our caravan of 14 Range rovers had to stop on the highway while a mom and baby crossed. No, I was not fast enough to get that picture.
Our first stop was a cliff that overlooked the city. The beautiful sandy beach with crystal clear water with incredible views of the town was spectacular.
Next we visited the ancient ruins of the palace of the Legendary Queen of Sheba. The Queen of Sheba, ruler of the kingdom of Sabaʾ (or Sheba) in southwestern Arabia. There was an ancient frankincense tree inside the ruins that reminded me how important this was in the early history of Oman.
When then continue into the Wadi Darbat, an area of great beauty where lakes and lush green vegetation create a natural paradise. I was excited that some of the waterfalls were running, as this is the dry season for them.
Our last stop was at the natural springs at Ain Razat. The camel heard in the hill completed a fun day of adventuring in Oman.
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Wow. I think that most people have never even heard of where you are it … including me.
Your trip is truly an adventure!
You need a camel crossing sign for mirror in car.