Rainy Season in Oman: Green Oasis in the Desert

Barren slopes turn into green landscapes, dried-up riverbeds into lakes: It's the rainy season in Salalah, Oman. The city then becomes the vacation hotspot of the Middle East.

Animal traffic jam on the winding road snaking into the Dhofar Mountains. Camels leisurely stroll across the road, stand still, chewing, eyeing tourists. The Front Office Manager at the Rotana Resort in Salalah, Michael Dechantsreiter, had already warned us. 'Camels are the biggest hazard on the road. They have the color of the sand, and when the air shimmers with heat, you can't see them.' Suddenly, they stand in front of you-as big as a bus. You must always reckon with that when driving in the Sultanate of Oman.

The animals are indeed large. However, they are actually dromedaries up close. But whether with one hump or two-'it doesn't matter,' says tour guide Nasser Emara from Meeting Point Oman. 'For us, they are camels.'

We are traveling in Jeeps in the hinterland of Salalah. Our goal: Wadi Darbat. 'In the rainy season between late June and early September, it's peak season here. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from the wealthy Arab Gulf states come to enjoy the drizzle,' reports Nasser.

When fog and monsoon clouds sweep over southern Oman, temperatures rise above 45 degrees in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the Emirates. 'Instead of scorching heat, people enjoy the cool summer-the thermometer drops to 20 degrees in the mountains,' says our guide. Additionally, the rain from above turns the usually barren slopes into a vibrant green landscape, and dried-up riverbeds become lakes where people can paddle boat.

Years ago, Egyptian Samih Sawiris also liked this place. The billionaire entrepreneur is known for discovering tourist potential. In the late 1980s, he began building the lagoon city of El Gouna on an Egyptian desert strip by the Red Sea. He brought the idea to Oman. With government support, he began creating one of the largest tourism projects on the Arabian Peninsula amid the dusty void: Salalah Beach, 20 minutes from Salalah's provincial capital.

Covering an area of 14 square kilometers, Sawiris developed hotels, restaurants, cafes, lounges, and a marina on the Indian Ocean beach. The first hotel opened in 2012: the Juweira Boutique Hotel with 82 rooms. It was followed by the luxurious five-star Salalah Rotana Resort with 400 rooms and suites and the Fanar Hotel & Residences with 300 rooms. Four more hotels are planned. Canals and lagoons flow through the vacation area, where no building is taller than three stories. Soon, guests can also play golf.

Just 47 years ago, the Sultanate of Oman was considered one of the most backward countries in the world. 'There were only three primary schools across the country, a medical station, and a paved road not even ten kilometers long,' reports tour guide Nasser. But since Qaboos bin Said Al-Said toppled his regressive father from the throne in 1970 at the age of 29, the country has catapulted from the Middle Ages into the modern era.

Sultan Qaboos invested the country's oil revenue and allowed his people to share in the prosperity. He fought illiteracy and had schools built throughout the country, allowing girls to attend for the first time. The first university was opened in 1986-the Sultan Qaboos University. The proportion of women among students is high, sometimes as much as 50%. For some courses, there are now even quotas for men.

But the citizens benefit not only from education programs; there is also a free healthcare system, high wages, which are partly tax-free, and a well-developed transportation network. 'We have the best road network on the Arabian Peninsula: 60,000 kilometers of wide, paved roads, of which 2,000 kilometers are highways,' announces Nasser.

In addition, every Omani is gifted a plot of land by the head of state. '900 square meters inland or 600 square meters by the sea-anyone can apply. Women are also eligible for such plots,' says Nasser. Yes, the subjects love their Sultan dearly.

'Oman is a special country-we also enjoy religious tolerance,' reports Nasser. Muslims and non-Muslims have lived together peacefully here for centuries. The openness is linked to a special form of Islam. '70% of Omanis are Ibadi, with the remaining 30% being Sunni and Shia. Insulting other religions is legally prohibited.'

Mirrored aviator sunglasses, white dishdasha, sandals, and a wrapped cashmere scarf on his head-cool elegance, Omani style-this is how Yousef Al-Shanfari stands before us. 'Today, I'm taking you to a cove north of Mirbat known only to locals. With luck, we can swim with dolphins there,' says the 31-year-old Omani, whose business 'Around the Ocean' offers tourist water sports activities such as fishing or whale and dolphin tours.

The trip takes about two hours, and we arrive at noon. Fishermen are pulling their catch onto the shore-nets full of shiny, wriggling sardines. 'A dolphin family often comes here to eat. I've known one of the dolphins for seven years,' says Yousef.

Equipped with life jackets, snorkels, and fins, we dive into the turquoise sea. We swim out, splash around, wait, keep watch, and then suddenly, there they are: six, eight, ten dolphins circle through the cove. 'The animals are curious, they observe us, and they will definitely return,' Yousef predicts correctly. Suddenly, they are next to, in front of, and beneath us-everywhere.

Later, Yousef tells us his story. 'Our family is from Salalah. My grandfather was a dagger maker, crafting traditional Omani curved daggers. My father was a fisherman, and I too earned my livelihood from fishing for years.' One day, he caught a dolphin. He wanted to eat it. 'The dolphin looked directly into my eyes and cried. Tears welled up in my eyes too. I took it and returned it to the sea.'

This experience changed his life. From then on, he only wanted to work for the protection of marine mammals. In 2008, he founded his company, taking tourists diving. 'I worked very hard. In 2010, I bought my first boat. In 2011, I went to Italy to maritime school to earn my captain's license.' In 2012, Yousef bought the second boat, the third in 2013. 'Today, I own eight ships.'

Taking German tourists out to sea to watch dolphins-that's his best business. He hopes it keeps flourishing-Inshallah, God willing.

Travel: Arab airlines like Emirates, Oman Air, or Qatar Airways offer flights from New York City or Los Angeles to Salalah-with one layover. The flight time is at least 9.5 hours. Recently, there are direct flights to Salalah from Chicago O'Hare Airport (the outbound flight takes about seven hours).

Best travel time: Ideal to visit Salalah is after the monsoon, from late September to late May.

Excursion tips: Visit the 'Land of Frankincense Museum', followed by a visit to the Frankincense Market 'Haffah Souk' in Salalah: three hours with an English-speaking guide from $80 per person.

Dolphin Safari: Three-hour whale and dolphin watching tour by boat with an English-speaking crew is available from $65 per person.

More information can be found on the Oman Tourism website.

Travel Reporter