Salalah & the South

A modern town full of charm and character

Salalah is on the coast of southern Oman about 620 miles south southwest of Muscat and is the capital of Dhofar.

It used to be an important port trading in frankincense, an aromatic gum extracted from the trees that have grown on the hills surrounding the city for hundreds of years.

Although now a very modern town, Salalah has retained great charm and character. There are many black Omanis living here, descendents of immigrants from Zanzibar.

There are fantastic beaches along the coastline near Salalah, many of which are near perfect with pristine, white sands and a crystal clear, warm, turquoise sea.

Surrounding Salalah are coconut, papaya, mango and banana plantations and the area is unusually green and fertile compared to the rest of Oman owing to the summer monsoon, which also helps keep the temperatures a bit lower.

In fact, Salalah has a mildly tropical atmosphere with many stands selling fresh fruit and coconut milk.

The area is irrigated by a traditional means called aflaj which is used all over Oman. The falaj is a system of tapping underground water, which is led by man-made, subterranean or open air channels.

There are over 11,000 of these in Oman, 4,000 of which are permanently flowing. The steep cliffs and mountains of Dhofar are often shrouded in mist.