CAPTIVATING OMAN CAPSTONES : TOURISM 2023. {10}

 

Salalah - Oman : A historic frankincense center where the desert erupts in waterfalls With last year's World Cup drawing attention to the built environment elsewhere in the Persian Gulf States, seaside Salalah offers visitors a chance to see the region's natural beauty.

Depending on when you go, the area is either lush and green and blanketed in thick fog, or basking in sunlight and a warm breeze.

During the khareef [monsoon], the valleys and riverbeds are flooded with fresh water, and the mountains flow with waterfalls.

The city is also home to AI Baleed ArchaeologicalPark and the Museum of the Frankincense Land, which provides a visual history of the ancient incense trade and the associated export routes to the rest of the world.

[A nearby collection of sites, known as the land of Frankincense, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List]

Another draw is the collection of historical ports spread along the coast.

The population of Salaah, one of Oman's largest cities, is around 330,000, so it's easy to find oneself alone in the crystal clear waters of the area's many tranquil beaches, including Mugsail, Fazayah and Haffa. [ Noa Avishag Schnall ].