Lying in the extreme south of Oman and divided into 9 wilayats, Salalah is the administrative capital of the region and a major tourist attraction. Because of the monsoon. Dofar is climatically different from the rest of Oman. Abundance of water and humidity give life to flora and fauna and make the area lushly green.

Historical documents and archaeological excavations show that frankincense from the Olibanum tree was a precious commodity in ancient times. Its trade was active as far back as 5000 BC. Dhofar divides naturally into a coastal plain, mountain and the desert region. The Indian Ocean provides an abundance of fish including lobsters, sardines and abalones. A network of roads ranging from graded reads to tracks link to villages.

In the early 90’s American satellite pictures taken over the interior discovered old caravan routes buried beneath the sands. They even located the city of “Ubar” called the “lost city” that has intrigued people for centuries.

SALALAH

Salalah, called the tourist hub of Dhofar, is known for its lush greenery and the Khareef (monsoon season). The town has many attractions including the gold souqs with hand-crafted jewellery and the Al Hain Souq for traditional and modern goods.

AL BALID

Al Balid’s archaeological site is surrounded by water and a massive wall complite with gates and tunnels. Historical attractions include a grand mosque, palace, houses and tombs.

SALALAH MUSEUM

The museum offers visitors a rich collection of traditional literary works and inscribed ancient rocks. There are also. Coins dating back to the 11^th centur, pottery dating back to the Middle Ages and ancient manuscripts and documents.

NABI AYOUB JOB’S TOMB

This tomb is housed in a small building with a distinctive dome and is surrounded by green hills.

SHISR-UBAR

Believed to be the site of the “Lost City of Ubar”

The village has a mseum with some interesting archaelolgical findings.

WADI DARBAT

A place of natural beauty with caves, wildlife and lush green vegetation, the wadi is not to be missed by the intrepid traveller.

SUMHURUM

Excavations at this historic port have found coins and manuscripts in Arabic. A small hill overlooking Khawr Rawrl has a place of “Queen of Sheba”.

OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST

Khawr Rawri – known for its serene beauty, Bin Ali’s tomb with gardens and restaurants, port Raysut, Marbat castle, Mughsayl which is famous for its fountain and Rakhyut, the mountain road to Yemem with its hairpin bends, are other tourist spots.