Sunday, October 13, 2024 | Rabi' ath-thani 9, 1446 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

10 reasons to fly to Salalah

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A Krakow-based Polish travel expert accidentally discovered pictures of the lush, green landscape online. Ten years ago, it seemed a top fancy place for Marta who started searching for some information about an ‘extraordinary country.’ She promised that one day, she will take flight to Oman but it took a decade to realise her dream. Bitten by Salalah’s beauty, she visited the place twice last year and more recently in March this year.


All her Polish friends knew how much she longed to visit Oman and now laugh that Oman was her destiny. It was her desire to link passions with work, travel, experience and to understand the world much better.


‘Oman is a land of uniqueness, where nature’s beauty meets culture and modernity meets traditions,’ she mentions.


Working for Itaka, a Poland-based travel agency, which began its regular operation from Polish cities to Salalah enabled her travel.


Her blog mentions ‘10 reasons to fly to Salalah’ and topping the list is the helpful nature of the locals. This was followed by herds of camels, white sand, turquoise sea, coconut water, aroma from incense, deserts, hotels, which made Marta fall in love with the place. Watching a pod of dolphins close to coastal town of Taqah evinced much interest.


All her professional and private life relates to travel. Marta says travel broadens the mind only if the traveller goes for it. “While visiting new destinations, one should open their mind for newer challenges and experiences.”


Visiting Salalah for the first time last year, she stayed in Salalah Rotana Resort, and observed local Omanis sitting relaxed in local cafe at the marina. She terms Rub al Khali, the largest sand desert as one of the most magical places in the world. She was impressed to visit the lost city of Ubar, Mirbat, Taqah, Dhalkout and Dhofar, where time seemed to have stilled.


Fascinated by Oman, she decided to familiarise Poles with the specifics of this country.


“I published a series of posts and photos on my blog and social media and created a group on Facebook where those who have already been to Oman and those who just plan to visit, can share their ideas, tips and useful information in general.”


Her travels provide her an opportunity to understand different cultures. Marta says her job concerns other people’s holidays. Even though she has already been to Oman thrice, her only wish looks a bit harsh: to tie up her life with Oman in a way.


Despite other places that she has travelled, it is Oman that has captivated her most. “I tend not to come back to places once seen but I am certain that Oman is not the case. It is not the end,” she asserts.


A graduate from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (UAM), Marta plans to return to Oman next spring as Muscat is still on her bucket list. Besides travelling, she loves literature and spends much of her spare time on novels and is presently reading Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk’s The Museum of Innocence.


— Picture by Marta Knasiecka


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