SALALAH, Sept 5 - Salalah never disappoints. It doesn’t matter if you missed to make it to Salalah either during Eid Al Fitr or Eid Al Adha holidays to enjoy the majestic monsoon season. There are many smart visitors who choose to come to Salalah post Eid holidays. They are the happy lots due to easy availability of hotel rooms and the city’s infrastructure the best in place. More than that is the Khareef charm, which is intact and rather better than the previous days. The residents of Salalah resumed their work after Eid holidays on Tuesday amid cool and cloudy weather, while the visitors were found exploring the mountains and wadis (natural water canals) and springs leisurely without having too much of rush on the roads.
It rained till today morning and the sky is still cast. Sun is playing hide and seek and the whole scenario has become so enticing that it looks like some green painting has emerged suddenly on the mountains which were entirely brown a couple of months ago.
Mist and fog is still there on the mountains and most of the springs which have come up naturally due to accumulation of water, are still flowing.
Though the visitors might be missing drizzling all through their stay in the city, the mountains are full of greenery and many other natural charms.
The sunny Salalah has its own charm. It not only gives them an opportunity to have the best of the clicks, but also a sense of confidence while driving because roads have mostly been clean by now. They are no more slushy and muddy.
Even though the city this time around is warmer by Salalah standards, those who are coming here from any of the GCC countries including other Omani cities are finding the place a perfect destination to beat the heat.
Ali Muqbali, a former student of CAS Salalah and currently working in a government organisation in Muscat, finds lots of difference in Salalah’s infrastructure then and now.
“It has become far better,” he says and adds, “when I was here in 2008 there were no traffic signals and roads were narrow. It is good to see them widened. The road over bridges in Saada and Itin are wonderful additions to the city’s infrastructure.”
He also found easy access to Municipality Recreation Centre in Itin due to an access made through a small bridge and parking lots expanded. “For me they all are big developments because not many years ago the 23 July Street was only two-lane and Al Robat Street was four-lane. Now they have become four-lane and six-lane respectively.”
For first timers in Salalah not to miss places are Wadi Darbat, Nabi Ayoub’s Tomb, Ain Homran, Museum of the Frankincense Land, Mughsail Bay, Burj A’Nahdah Roundabout, Al Husn or Hafa Souq and Sultan’s Palace.
Equally important are tomb of Nabi Ayoub on Itin top, Ain Jarjij, Ain Rajat, Sahalnut, Ain Athum and some of the public parks which have come up recently in Itin and Dahariz.
It is very difficult to summarise Salalah charm in words. Due to its climate, every inch of the destination is a tourist spot. People enjoying picnic along with their families on the roadside is a common sight during the season. Salalah in fact is ‘seeing is believing’ destination.
Kaushalendra Singh
Picture by Awadh al Sadooni
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