Experience the Splendor of Salalah, Oman: Your Paradise Getaway

Introduction

If you’re considering visiting Oman, Salalah is an area where you will want to spend at least part of your holiday.

In this article, we will provide you with all the key information about Salalah and let you know about some of the best things you need to do while visiting this magic part of Oman.

Key facts about Salalah, Sultanate of Oman

Here are some key facts about Salalah Sultanate of Oman:

• Salalah Sultanate of Oman is the third-largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and the largest city in the Dhofar province.
• Salalah’s climate is favourable for fruit and vegetable growing, and if you visit the city, you’ll be able to see the city centre gardens where some of these crops are grown.
• The official language of Salalah is Arabic, but there is also an unofficial, non-written language spoken language which is known as Shehri which is spoken around the city. English is the official foreign language of the area.
• Salalah Sultanate of Oman has some amazing tourist attractions and boasts an international tourist economy – we’ll provide more details on these attractions later in our article.
• Salalah Sultanate of Oman is well serviced by plentiful public transport options, including, Salalah International Airport, regular buses to Muscat and other places, and the Port of Salalah welcomes cruise liners and luxury ships.

Salalah’s public transport options

If you’re interested in hiring a car whilst holidaying in Oman, we recommend that you check out our other article which will tell you about how best to do this.

If you don’t fancy driving around Oman and prefer to rely on public transport, the good news is that there are plenty of options making it pretty easy to get around the country.

Salalah’s public transport system is no different and the various options make it easy to get around Salalah itself, and between other places in Oman.

Salalah International Airport

This isn’t a major international airport like you’ll find in Muscat and mainly caters for domestic flights between the capital and Salalah. However, in the airport Salalah there are a handful of international flights to Salalah International Airport from places such as India, Qatar, U.A.E and Saudi Arabia. If you’re in Muscat and you wish to fly to Salalah you can expect this direct flight to take 90 minutes.

Baden65, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bus

An interesting fact about Salalah is that it did not have a public transportation system within the city limits until 2018. Things have improved in the area and now there are buses within the city itself and also bus transportation is available to other areas of Oman, including, Haima, Muscat, Nizwa, Al-Buraimi, Dubai, Al-Ain, Al-Ghaydah, Mukalla.

Taxis and minibuses

If you’re used to taking taxis in other countries this is where Salalah and Oman in general may surprise you. Normally, in other countries taxi or minibus rides are metered, which means the passengers always know the rate they’ll be charged. However, in Oman, fares are negotiated with the driver, so you need to make sure you have a rough idea of how much the fare should cost you before agreeing to a trip! Taxis and minibuses are generally colour-coded orange and white so make sure you look out for these types of vehicles.

Car Rental Service in Salalah, Oman

2WD and 4WD Car Rental by Nomad Tours

Port of Salalah

This is an extremely busy port and is the eleventh-busiest transhipment port in the world and, the second-busiest port in the Middle East. This port also welcomes cruise liners and luxury ships.

What can you expect from the weather in Salalah?

As you would expect from being situated in the Middle East, Oman Salalah weather is a hot desert climate and experiences little rainfall across the year.

If you are thinking of travelling you need to know about the Salalah weather so you can make an informed decision about which part of the year suits your travel plans.

Juozas Šalna, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

January – March

This is one of the cooler parts of the year for Salalah Oman temperature but even still you can still expect temperatures to reach the mid to late twenties. During this time of year, it is also possible for the temperature to hit the low to mid-thirties.

April – June

These are when the Salalah Oman temperature is likely to be at its hottest with the average temperatures expected to be in the mid-thirties. It’s also easily possible for temperatures to reach the mid-forties which would be very hot for anyone not used to those kinds of temperatures.

July – September

Did you know that July and August are classed as monsoon season in Salalah? If you visit during either of these months you can expect it to be very foggy and cloudy. What is unique about this time of year is that the normally brown landscapes are turned into luscious green areas due to the presence of the water – a good opportunity for photos! Even during the monsoon season, you can still expect the temperatures to reach the late twenties and possibly even the early thirties. This is also called Khareef season, and it is most recommended season to visit Salalah.

November – December

Salalah’s weather can be hot during October and can reach the early forties, however, it does normally start to cool a little as it heads towards the end of the calendar year.

Current Weather Salalah

SALALAH WEATHER

If you’re not after a wet visit to Salalah, it’s probably best to avoid the monsoon season where rainfall can be on average ten times higher than drier months of the year.

Travelling to Salalah

Salalah is the capital of the governate of Dhofar and is located in the southern part of Oman.

If you wish to get to Salalah Town then you need to decide if taking public is your preferred option, and if it is we’ve already covered what’s available further up in this article. But if you’ve done, as many people who visit Oman like to do and hire a car then we’ll provide the details about how to get yourself to this wonderful place.

Muscat to Salalah

If you want to travel between Oman’s capital city and the Oman Salalah city then you’ll need to get prepared because it’s going to be a long trip! There’s a whopping 632 miles to cover and you can expect this to take in the region of 10 hours. The good news is that it’s a direct drive between these two popular places in Oman and whilst driving through the heart of Oman, you’ll see a lot of what this amazing country has to offer.

Dubai to Salalah

If you’re after a Dubai to Salalah road trip, you should first read our other article ‘Everything you need to know about driving from Dubai to Oman’ because you need to make sure you’re aware of all the rules before embarking on your journey. As Dubai is situated even further north than Muscat, the Dubai to Salalah road trip will take even longer at a colossal 12 hours, and that’s without any stops or traffic congestion.

Abu Dhabi to Salalah

If you wish to drive from Abu Dhabi to Salalah, we again would recommend that you read our ‘Everything you need to know about driving from Dubai to Oman’ article as this will provide useful information about taking a car between the two countries – there’s more to think about than you might realise! In terms of distance, driving from Abu Dhabi to Salalah will see you cover a whopping 775 miles which will take you at least 12 hours.

As you might now understand from reading this information, driving to Salalah is quite a road trip because of its geographical location within Oman. If you’re not keen on spending that long driving through Oman then an internal flight to Salalah International Airport might suit you better.

You might like to read this:

Dubai to Oman by Road – The Ultimate Guide to an Amazing Journey

Top things to do and see in Salalah, Dhofar

Salalah, Dhofar has some pretty amazing things to do and see and if you are intending to visit Oman, spending time on a Salalah holiday should be high on your priority list. We have another article which delves into a lot more detail on all the best sights and attractions and we’d highly recommend you read ‘Places to see in Salalah’ as this will help build your holiday itinerary.

For now, we’re providing a brief list just to whet your appetite and we’ll leave you to debate with your holiday compatriots about which ones you’re going to do whilst you’re in Oman Salalah city.

You might like to read this:

9 Best Hotels in Oman for an Unforgettable Stay

Salalah City Tour

On this tour, you get the chance to visit a traditional market where you can pick up unique perfumes and fragrances, beach visits, the largest and only shopping mall, and various outdoor locations.

Desert sunset safari at Rub Al Khali

This trip will be awesome as it culminates in an epic sunset viewed from the desert. As well as this you’ll pass through a UNESCO Heritage site, and the Lost City of Wubar – exciting stuff!

East Salalah mountain safari

This trip will see you off to the epic Wadi Darbat, you’ll also get the chance to see Taqah Castle and climb to the highest point in Salalah Dhofar, abal Samhan, which is above 4000ft!

Visit the white sand beaches of Moughsail

on this trip, you’ll get to head out to the hidden Afoul beach and Fazayah Beach, which is regarded as one of the best beaches in Oman. If beaches are your thing, we’d recommend you check out our ‘best beaches in Oman’ article which will give you all the information you need to get you and your family to the beach that suits you best.

You might like to read this:

7 Wadis in Oman – Discovering the Wonders of the Wadis

The city itself

Oman Salalah city is a spectacular place to spend a day and you have to visit some of the places within the city to get yourself a true flavour of the Omani way of life. Salalah Dhofar offers the visitor the following highlights:

Sultan Qaboos Mosque

Visiting this cultural icon is worth it for the art and architecture – it’s spectacular!

Salalah Central Market

This is the place in Salalah Town to head to for homemade gifts such as jewellery, crafts, and a huge variety of other items.

Al-Husn Souq

This place is 3km away from Oman Salalah City but has got some lovely coconut trees, and you can buy all sorts of gifts such as textiles, clothing and traditional artefacts.

Al Balid Archeological Site

Take a journey back in time as you walk through this open-air archaeological site and the Museum of Frankincense lands

Ooka Booka Salalah

Treat your tastebuds to some famous Omani Sweet (Halwa) and Arabian coffee.

Dahariz Beach – Khor End

if you enjoy viewing wildlife, this wetland hosts lots of migratory birds, whilst the lagoon hosts lots of other wildlife species.

Salalah City view

Slightly further afield at 23km away from Salalah Town, the Salalah City view will provide a vantage point for Salalah and you can also explore a cave if you wish.

You might like to read this:

Top Places to See in Salalah: Your Complete Guide to This Enchanting Destination

Common Questions and Answers

The featured Photo is taken from نايف عبدالسلام, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons