In September 2021, right after Oman opened its border for overland travelers from the UAE (read more here: All You Need To Know To Travel to Oman in 2021), I set out for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Salalah, which timing luckily fell for the end of khareef season. During peak summer months the rest of Oman batters extremely high temperatures and tourists flock to Salalah because it is the coolest place in the region.
I started my journey on the first day they opened the border to Oman in the afternoon, quickly realizing driving all the way to Salalah in one day would be a very hard thing to do. Therefore, I decided to stop in Bahla, spend the night, and the next morning set of for a journey.
ROAD FROM HATTA TO IBRI
In early September there was still a border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, due to COVID-19 and you had to do the test to cross from one emirate to the other. Therefore, to avoid extra delays and fees, I decided to go to Oman through Hatta.
The road that GPS took me through, from Hatta border to Ibri was a real struggle. Darkness, no lights, twisty narrow mountain roads, cars coming onto you with full beam lights — it all made me feel very dizzy. If you happen to drive at night, like me but have a little extra time (perhaps 30-1 hour more), I would recommend taking the highway to Muscat and avoiding all the struggle.
OVERNIGHT IN BAHLA – THE CITY OF MAGIC
I arrived in Bahla late at night, around 11 pm. I bet many of you know what Bahla is associated with — magic. A strange, mysterious aura surrounds the walled city. Upon arrival, I was welcomed by the colony of bats — I have never seen so many bats in my life, anxiously flying above my car as I was driving through narrow streets of Oman’s magical oasis.
So imagine: it is the middle of the night, scary darkness and I am looking for a guesthouse that I booked through booking.com in the city that has a rich history being associated with magic. It sounds like the beginning of some kind of horror movie and this is exactly how it felt to me at that moment.
Trying to get through the narrow passes between walls surrounding the houses, I noticed a group of teenagers and asked them for direction. They were so kind to walk me to my guesthouse, which was actually nearby.
When I arrived, it appeared that the host was not aware of my coming, however, he still decided to welcome me and quickly made the place ready despite the late hour. The guesthouse I stayed at was Bait Bahla Hospitality Inn. Make sure to call the owner before your arrival, as due to the borders being closed for a long time, the guest house was not in use. The owner’s number — Mr. Hamed: +968 9989 9301
The traditional guesthouse is an old house that actually looks like a castle. It is surrounded by lush palm trees courtyard which makes you feel like you are in a fairy-tale garden, with birds chirping waking you up, as the first thing you hear in the morning.
There are rooms in the traditional style at the ground level as well as upstairs. There is a huge outdoor space on the roof that can be used as an amazing breakfast setting. Downstairs there is a traditional sitting area – majlis, a perfect place to sit, relax, and unwind.
The night was short, as I only slept 6 hours and was woken by the call from the owner of the guesthouse. He invited me for breakfast at his house, where I also met his daughter and had a chance to try some Omani food and coffee. The food was homemade and authentic — a perfect example of legendary Omani hospitality.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO SALALAH
I left Bahla around 8 am, heading off to the road connecting Nizwa to Salalah. Nine hours of nothing else but driving in the desert. There is an alternative road that takes you through the spectacular coastline of Oman, however, you need to add a few hours more to complete it.
The road is recommended to be driven through during the day as there are no lights and often at night it happens that some camels or other animals cross the way. The speed limit is 120 km/h.
Half of the way is only one line per direction. There are enough petrol stations on the way, usually, they would have a restaurant or cafeteria next to them, so that you can fill up your coffee cup. The road is very monotonous but at least the pavement quality is good.
After driving all day and consuming liters of coffee, I finally got closer to Salalah. I passed by the sign of supposed ruins of ancient Uber city (Atlantis of the Sands) and well as Wadi Dawka – frankincense tree park (17.338877, 54.076828).
“GATE TO SALALAH”
After passing the desert, I drove into a mountain area, where an almost supernatural phenomenon occurs during khareef season – humid fog coming from the coast side gets trapped in between the hills. A thick lush blanket of green spreads over the entire mountain range in Dhofar.
You will be able to see that immediately, passing through “the gate to Salalah” as I call it, being welcomed by the dreamy landscape of fairly-tale like trees bathed in the fog and dew-covered green carpet of grass.
Right before entering Salalah, there was an army checkpoint – I was asked for a passport, driving license, and car registration.
Heading to my first camping spot, which I planned to be Fazayah Beach, I passed through Salalah city, which is the biggest city after Muscat in Oman and used to be a capital before. Salalah’s roots reach back to ancient times, being one of the most important ports for frankincense trade.
There are not many foreign nationalities in Salalah, as most of the jobs are occupied by Omanis. Omani people are very kind and hardworking. I came across Omani taxi drivers, shepherds, shop assistants, etc. and that is why, among many other reasons, I think the world of them and they are closer to my heart more than any other nationality.
Throughout nearly fifty times that I visited Oman, I always came across so many amazing, hospitable and welcoming people. They always love to engage in conversation and are so happy to have you visiting their country. They will invite you home, offer food, and help you in any way they can. Omani hospitality is legendary and known for ages.
It was already sunset time when I happened to drive through Mughsail Beach (16.883331, 53.798786). Huge waves crashing the shore and the fog above the ground shimmering through the droplets in the last rays of sunset – this view was really spectacular and it was only the beginning.
Mughsail Beach is also an amazing camping spot, as there are many beach cottages built out of concrete to make a camping experience a little bit more convenient. All these beach houses look like miniature castles against the dramatic mountain range in the background.
HOW IS SALALAH DURING WINTER?
If you are expecting to see green lush mountains and waterfalls during the winter months in Salalah, then you might be disappointed. After the monsoon season which falls for June, July, August, and September, the mountains and valleys turn yellow as the grass dries up with no presence of rain. In October and November thick fog and clouds gradually move away from the region and the weather becomes sunnier.
There is no dramatic temperature change throughout the year, but it is the humidity that makes a difference in the landscape. The lowest humidity, as well as the lowest temperatures that vary between 27℃ to 30℃, are present in November, December, January, and February. April, May, and June are definitely the months that you would want to avoid going to Salalah.
MY FIRST STOP – FAZAYAH BEACH
The twisted mountain roads leading to Fazayah Beach (16.838982, 53.720599) overwhelmed me entirely with the landscape as the thick fog was enfolding the mountains in the last rays of daylight. When I reached the exit turn leading to Fazayah Beach I was surprisingly welcomed by a herd of… camels — special residents here, in Dhofar. They are treated here with huge respect and you can come across them everywhere, even carelessly walking in the streets. There is existing communication between drivers in case of spotting camels on the road – they would signalize it with hazard lights being turned on.
Descending the dirt road down to the coast, I was driving between the green tropical forests. This road is very scenic however, it was already quite dark for me to see it in the full splendor. Arriving at the coast my first thought was of the sea there being so strong and powerful.
I passed the first beach and quickly found an isolated place to camp, right by the sea. I walked a few hundred meters to check what was behind the mountains nearby – to my great surprise I saw a whole beach full of camels. Camels at the beach — this was something I saw for the first time in my life, which only added to the constant feeling I had since I entered Salalah that it was truly magical land.
If you would like to continue reading about my trip to Salalah, check the next article: Day 3: Pristine Paradise – Fazayah Beach.
REMEMBER!
- Do not leave any garbage behind, including food. Even organic waste can take months to biodegrade and meanwhile it will attract animals. It may make them stop eating their natural food and rely on what humans leave behind and make them sick.
- Have always a bag ready to collect trash left behind by other inconsiderate people – in the end, you are saving nature.
- Hike or camp over gravel and rocks. In some areas, the vegetation can take years to grow back.
- Leave natural and historical items where you find them.
- Minimize cooking over a campfire, use the stove instead – it is less impact on the wilderness.
UAE OFF-ROADER GUIDE
If you are looking for more off-road trails to discover around the United Arab Emirates, I can recommend this ultimate guide that is packed with many routes, giving very detailed information and answering all questions you could have about off-roading in the UAE.
You can get it from Amazon.
FIELD GUIDE TO EMIRATES
To learn more about UAE’s natural & archaeological treasures, check Amazon.
