Abu Dhabi + Salalah: the only place in Arabia that turns green in summer
From late June to early September the monsoon turns southern Oman into misty green mountains with waterfalls. At the same time the rest of the Gulf sits at forty-five.
What the khareef is
The summer monsoon reaches the Dhofar coast in late June and holds until about September. Over those weeks the desert mountains grow a coat of grass, waterfalls appear along with fog, and the temperature stays near twenty-five — while three hundred kilometres north the ordinary Arabian summer continues. The phenomenon is local, repeats every year, and the whole Arab world travels there in July and August because of it.
What to see in Salalah
Wadi Darbat with its waterfalls and pools is the main site of the season. The beaches at Mughsayl with blowholes that fire seawater out of the rock. The ruins of Sumhuram and the port of Khor Rori, from which frankincense was shipped for thousands of years: Dhofar is still its main producer, and the Al-Haf market smells of it down the whole row. The tomb of the prophet Ayyub up in the hills. And banana and coconut plantations, entirely unexpected in Arabia.
Why Abu Dhabi is in the pair
There are no direct flights to Salalah from Russia, so you change in the Gulf anyway, and turning the transfer into a three-day stop is the logical move. Abu Dhabi is calmer than Dubai: the Sheikh Zayed mosque is worth a trip on its own, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has Jean Nouvel's perforated dome, and there is the Corniche and Yas Island with its circuit and parks. This is a proper half of the route, not a filler.
How to divide the days
Three nights in Abu Dhabi and five or six in Salalah. Salalah needs more: the distances are substantial and monsoon weather changes several times a day, so some trips have to be moved. A four-wheel drive is the better choice — the roads are fine but the turn-offs to the wadis wash out.
What to expect from the weather
The khareef is not a resort summer. It is often overcast, fog settles on the road, it drizzles, the sea is rough, and swimming in July is close to impossible. Coming here for a beach is a mistake; coming for green hills, waterfalls and cool air is exactly what the season is for. If you want the beach version of Oman, that is November to March and a different coast.
Oman beyond Dhofar
If the trip runs beyond ten days, add the north — Muscat and the mountains. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque with one of the largest handmade carpets in the world, the old Mutrah souk on the waterfront, the forts of Nizwa and Bahla. Wadi Shab, a canyon you walk into and then swim the last stretch to reach a cave with a waterfall. Jebel Shams, the «mountain of the sun», with a drop they call Oman's Grand Canyon. Salalah and Muscat are about a thousand kilometres apart — that is a flight, not a drive.
Renting a car here
In Dhofar there is nothing to do without a car: no public transport goes to the wadis or the beaches. The roads are excellent and the driving calm, with two caveats: cameras are frequent and fines are enforced, and in the rainy season the turn-offs to the wadis turn to mud where an ordinary saloon gets stuck. Fuel stations line the main routes and thin out in the hills. An international licence is required and rental is arranged at the airport.
Practical matters
The UAE is visa-free for a Russian passport; Oman issues a visa on arrival or online in advance — check the rules before flying, they have changed more than once. Oman is more conservative than the UAE: covered clothing applies on the beach as well, and alcohol is barely available outside hotels. Carry cash in rials: outside Salalah cards are not accepted everywhere.
Moscow → Abu Dhabi → Salalah
Route and nights go into the form — adjust the date and passengers.