Last weekend I was simply sorting the pictures in my laptop, when I came across some beautiful snapshots of Salalah while we stayed there. So as I shuffled them one by one, I recollected some pleasant memories; of green valleys and rocky caves, winding roads around the misty mountains, sunsets on the sandy beaches, dolphins in the blue sea, plethora of flowers in the green gardens, random picnics and outings with friends, hospitality of friends, long drives through the mist, views from the hilltops, views from my balcony, soft drizzles on the window panes and many such memories just ran into my mind. As I reminisced about these old memories I decided to share with my friends some stories from the place where we resided for more than two years from mid of 2010 to 2012.
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| Salalah from my Balcony - Aug 2011 |
Introducing Salalah:
Salalah is the second largest city in Oman and the birthplace of Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It is about 1000 km by road from the city of Muscat and is located to the south of Oman in the province of Dhofar. Unlike the city of Muscat, the weather was unbelievably pleasant in Salalah. Summers were not as hot and Winters were mild with no use of woolen clothes at all. On an average the temperature was around 28 degrees C. Khareef season was awaited by us all. Though 'Khareef' in Arabic means Autumn it actually meant monsoon for Salalah. This Khareef season lasted from July to September and this was the time when the region received mild showers and the landscape of Salalah changed from shades of brown to vibrant shades of greens. Hence during Khareef season Salalah saw the maximum influx of tourists from all over the country.
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| Location map - a road from Muscat to Salalah Source: GoogleMaps |
When we flew down to Salalah for the first time, I remember seeing lots of green patches along the coastal line, from our flight window. On landing there I was very disappointed to find a small airport. It was a single storied structure with a small waiting area and it had just one baggage conveyor belt from where all the passengers conveniently collected their baggage. The overall look of Salalah Airport told me that this place was going to be something like a village. Like our previous stays wherein we spent hardly a year or so, I thought it will not be for long before we move to some other city.
But fate had other plans in store for us!
We stayed there for a good two and half years - and that was the maximum duration of our stay in one place to date.
I was filled with a lot of emotional turmoil; a new place, new people, fear of the unknown and much more:
A stranger in a strange place,
Again new innings to chase.
Craved for old acquaintance,
For days loneliness was a solace.
Watched the greens, blues, and browns,
Quietly absorbed the colors of the town.
On a foreign land, on a foreign shore,
Sought your presence only more.
Probed for answers in your eyes,
Enveloped with dreams I couldn't surmise.
As the mind took over the heart,
Resolved to make a fresh start.
Embraced your dreams as mine,
Loved, laughed, lived, and all was fine.
But fate had other plans in store for us!
We stayed there for a good two and half years - and that was the maximum duration of our stay in one place to date.
I was filled with a lot of emotional turmoil; a new place, new people, fear of the unknown and much more:
A stranger in a strange place,
Again new innings to chase.
Craved for old acquaintance,
For days loneliness was a solace.
Watched the greens, blues, and browns,
Quietly absorbed the colors of the town.
On a foreign land, on a foreign shore,
Sought your presence only more.
Probed for answers in your eyes,
Enveloped with dreams I couldn't surmise.
As the mind took over the heart,
Resolved to make a fresh start.
Embraced your dreams as mine,
Loved, laughed, lived, and all was fine.
We got busy with our jobs, slowly made new acquaintances, explored the place and gradually settled down. We found people from all over India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri-Lanka. During our stay, we witnessed many new constructions, saw the expansion of the Airport taking place as well as the growth of a lot of industries. Some industries existing then were: the Raysut Cement, Octal Petrochemicals, Salalah Mills and many more.
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| Existing Salalah Airport with the observatory Source : Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) |
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| The Iconic Clock Tower roundabout in Salalah as you head towards the Airport road |
Initially, we stayed at the Samharam Tourist Village in Salalah. It was a comfortable stay with excellent views of the beach from most of our rooms. Salalah boasts of five-star hotels and resorts viz. the Marriott Resort, the Rotana Resort, the Crowne Plaza Resort and the Hilton, apart from many other upscale hotels and resorts for tourists.
Later, we found an apartment for ourselves in a prime location in the commercial hub, with the Grand Mosque of Salalah in the foreground. We could view the entire city surrounding the mosque from the 6th floor of our flat. And yes like in Muscat, here also there were no high rise structures more than 10 floors. This area was always crowded since it was located amidst a commercial center including offices, shops, and restaurants.
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| Skyline of Salalah at night time - 2011 |
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| View of the Grand Mosque during daytime - Feb 2011 |
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| View of the Grand Mosque during the night time - 2011 |
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| Area around the Grand Mosque on a Friday at prayer time-2011 |
The streets of Salalah were lined up with lots of small Indian restaurants and small shops selling fruits & vegetables, clothing, toys & accessories, gold, and silver jewelry. While shopping for Grocery items the popular ones as everywhere in the Gulf region here included the Lulu Hypermarket and the Khimji Mart (KMT) while 'Centrepoint' was the only modern shopping mall with branded clothing items and home decor items.
Travel Stories from Salalah:
The climate of Salalah was pleasant all around the year and an outing was planned by our group of friends almost every month. On weekends, we covered locations that were circumscribed on the map within a distance of 40-50 km by road. Distance farther than those were reserved for longer holidays or when friends and families dropped by as tourists. So here are the snapshots of some of the places in and around Salalah that we visited during our stay.
MAGSAYL BEACH
This beach, at about 30kms from Salalah, was one of the most favorite spots for us and we've been to this beach several times, taking along our family and friends who came as tourists to Salalah. A sign board on the rocks welcomed us to the Marneef Cave. As we pass by the beautiful rock formation, a series of steps, cut out from the rocks, gradually lead towards the beach. Each time we visited the beach we relaxed on the wooden benches that were scattered on the rocky beach and marveled at the beauty of nature; beautiful rock formations, the hideous caves, the sunset by the sea, the waves hitting the rocks, and the unique blow holes that we witnessed there for the first time.
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The welcome sign by Ministry of Tourism Oman |
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| Magsayl Beach - View from the cave side - Jul 2010 Steps gradually leading down to the beach |
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| Magsayl Beach - The waves hitting the rocks - Jul 2010 |
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| Note the blowholes at the backdrop of our little friends - Jul 2010 |
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| Magsayl Beach at sunset - 2012 |
AYUB NABI TOMB
This popular pilgrimage destination for the Muslims is located about 45 km from Salalah on top of a green hill. After parking our car near the foothills, we had to climb up all the way. We also found a cave formation with a water tank nearby. A narrow ladder perched on the hill took us further down to another scenic location from where we could see the beautiful wadis below.
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| The Ayub Nabi Tomb - Jul 2010 |
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| The Ayub Nabi tomb as viewed between the greens - Jul 2010 |
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| The sacred water tank near the tomb - Jul 2010 |
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| View down from the water tank location - Jul 2010 |
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| Climbing down the narrow ladder to reach another scenic location |
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| A highway restaurant and a picnic spot on the way |
TAQAH
This is another beautiful destination at around 35kms from Salalah. It was a holiday and we, accompanied by our friends, were ready for a long drive to the misty green mountains. The roads were winding around the mountain and we climbed higher up the mountains surrounded by greens and were accompanied by mist all the way which was actually dangerous from the driving point of view. Reaching the top we found a picnic spot with a small restaurant. We had hot tea with snacks and enjoyed the misty green views around us.
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| The Gateway in Taqah - Jul 2010 |
MIRBAT and the MAGNETIC HILL
This has been the longest trip ever from Salalah at a distance of about 70kms. We traveled amidst green mountains, winding roads, vast green expanses, passed by small villages and finally reached the hilltop surrounded by mists. My daughter, who was almost getting mad sitting for hours in the car, was glad to spot a trail of camels on the road.On the way via Tawi Atayr we encountered the Magnetic Hill, wherein we left our car in neutral and it went uphill apparently defying gravity. This is a popular destination in Salalah and that day we found many people, in their own vehicles, testing and retesting the magnetic point and brushing up their physics with laws on gravity.
Finally, we winded up the trip by taking a short break in Mirbat beach. It was an exhausting drive, the kids were tired and getting cranky and the cool breeze at the beach gave us a much-needed relaxing break on our way back home.
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| On the way to Mirbat - Sep 2010 |
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| Passing by the vast expanse of greens - Tawi Atayr - Sep 2010 |
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| The Misty top - Sep 2010 |
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| A trail of camels - Sep 2010 |
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| The Magnetic Hill - Sep 2010 |
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| As we approach the Mirbat Beach - Sep 2010 |
WADI DARBAT
After driving for a distance of nearly 40kms from Salalah we reached this green place with shady trees and green lawns. We found several groups of people relaxing under the trees, spending time with their families. Further ahead we found this river where we took the opportunity for a motorboat ride to explore the river and enjoy the greens that bordered both sides of the river. |
| The river at Wadi Darbat - Sep 2011 |
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| View of the river and the greens from the motorboat |
JEBEL SAMHAN
This is supposedly a Nature Reserve in the Dhofar region of Oman. It was an outing with friends. We passed by a road along the coastal line and came across several picnic spots with shaded canopied structure and even play areas with slides and swings for kids. Since we had started early in the morning we took a short break there for a quick breakfast before proceeding further. Then after passing through Taqah, we reached this spot wherein finally cooked our lunch on the spot and had a great time with friends. This place is known for its waterfalls especially visible during the Khareef season. Since we visited this place in the dry season we could see marks on the rocks where the waterfall would've been. |
| Picnic with friends on the way to Jebel Samhan |
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| View from the top of the Jebel Samhan |
AYN RAZAT
This was another favorite destination for the locals and tourists alike. This area was surrounded by lots of rocky cave formations, pools and springs and a large garden with shaded areas for visitors to relax. The garden is well maintained and has a recreation area with swings and slides for kids to enjoy. We settled down on the green lawn, spread our mats, opened our picnic baskets that we had carried along with us all along the way, hungrily gobbled up the food and thereafter had a calm and a relaxing day. |
| Garden at Ayn Razat - Sep 2010 |
DALKUT
The road to Dalkut near the Yemeni border passes the Magsayl and leads further up to the Dhofar mountains. We crossed the army checkpoint without any hassle. The road up leads to a plateau that is about 1000 m above the sea level. The road keeps winding up and down the valleys and mountains. We enjoyed the spectacular lime rock formations all the way. On reaching the top we could view the vast expanse of the mountain with the winding roads and the sea beyond.
Salalah is a place for all who love the pleasant weather of the mountains and the greens. If you are looking forward to rejuvenating yourself and want to be carried away from the hustle and bustle of a city life then Salalah is the place for you. |
| Dalkut (near the Yemen border) - Nov 2011 |
Stories on Salalah are incomplete without talking about the bananas and the fresh coconuts that were available there in plenty. Salalah has the most fertile soil in the region. On our way to many of the above-mentioned locations, we came across a lot of farmland with banana plantations, papaya, and coconut palms.There were plenty of stalls selling fresh coconuts, bananas and sugarcane juice too. These stalls directly sold the produce procured from the farms. Hence, the prices were reasonable and the stock was fresh.
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| A fruit stall with stocks of bananas and coconuts - Sep 2011 |
Salalah had a vibrant port connecting the Middle East with Africa and Asia. Once in a while we found some big cargo ships anchored in the harbor. In 2011, we were lucky enough to have witnessed the world's largest floating book fair on the ship 'Logos Hope', wherein we could browse and buy books from their onboard collection of over 7,000 books covering a wide range of subjects.
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| Floating book fair on the ship 'Logos Hope' in Jan 2011 |
During our stay in Salalah, we happily enjoyed all Indian festivals that were celebrated in the two Indian temples here - the Shiva temple and the Krishna temple. Durga puja was also celebrated with great fervor by a group of Bengali families. Many of our family friends have moved out of Salalah to other cities in the Gulf, and some are still there. But those of who have left Salalah, still have fond remembrances of the verdant green land.
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| Ganeshotsav in Krishna temple, Salalah - Sep 2010 |
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| Durga Puja in Krishna temple, Salalah - Oct 2011 |
Ending Note:
Every time we move out of a place, I feel like I have left bits and pieces of not just small objects or furniture but I have left pieces of me scattered in the house and imprinted my footprints all over the city. It is like the story of Hansel and Gretel, wherein they left a trail of breadcrumbs in the forest to find the way back to their home, only to discover in the morning that the birds had eaten it all. Or probably not!As we leave behind every place, we gather and garner a lot of memories and experiences - some good ones and some not so good ones. But it is only the good ones that we will always want to remember throughout our life.
Here the quotes from Einstein truly fits in - "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
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