Luxury holidays in Salalah
A sandy-soled city on Oman’s Arabian coast, Salalah’s frankincense-scented charms shift with the seasons. In the blasting heat of high summer, long days are best spent lazing on your pick of palm-fringed beaches, freshly tapped coconut juice in hand. Antsy adventurers, you’re all set too: there are desert treks, off-road safaris… oh, and an ancient trading city to explore. Come the khareef rainy season, rejuvenating rains paint the dunes green and turquoise. Hike (or catch a ride on a camel) through mist-swirled forests, cool off under reach-out-and-touch-them rainclouds, then hit the city to join in the season’s festivities.
When to go
Khareef, the oasis-like rainy season, runs from June to September; aim for mid-July to late-August to catch live music, theatre and handicraft displays at the Khareef festival. Beach beeliners, visit between October and May for less soggy sun-soaking.