Salalah

Salalah, the capital of the Dhofar region, is a colourful, subtropical city that owes much of its character to Oman’s former territories in East Africa. Indeed, flying into Salalah from Muscat, especially during the khareef (rainy season), it's hard to imagine that Oman’s first and second cities share the same continent.

From mid-June to mid-August, monsoon clouds from India engulf Salalah in fine drizzle. As a result, the stubble of the encircling plain and the desert escarpment beyond (referred to locally as the jebel) is transformed into a verdant oasis where huge herds of camels graze alongside cattle and goats in the engulfing mists. Gulf visitors flock to Salalah at this time to enjoy the long-running tourism festival and to picnic under the rain clouds. All year round, however, Salalah’s coconut-fringed beaches, banana plantations and sociable Dhofari culture offer an attractive flavour of Zanzibar in the heart of the Arabian desert.