The Ultimate Guide About khareef Season in Salalah Oman

Khareef is a season in Oman, which is present in Salalah at a particular time of the year. This post contains all what you need to know about Khareef Season in Salalah, Oman. Also, this post includes what is the best time to visit Salalah and why is Salalah so green.

Which is the best time to visit Salalah?

There are two seasons, which are popular among the tourists visiting Salalah, Oman. Of course, the first one and most popular one is Khareef season. Whereas, the other one is the winter season. In this post, we will share the details about both of these seasons. Also, we will discuss about which months fall under which season.

Firstly, lets discuss about khareef season in details.

What are All the Seasons in Arabic?

As you know, there are basically four seasons, Summer, Winter, Spring and Autumn. In Arabic language, each of these season has a unique word.

Now, let’s focus on the khareef season.

What is Khareef Season in Salalah?

Khareef is an Arabic word for the Autumn season. This is the most prominent season in Salalah, the southern city in Oman. The weather in Salalah is very pleasant in the mid of year, from late June to early September, every year. This is the period of Khareef.

In English, monsoon season is an equivalent term for Khareef season. It is the time of the year, when Salalah receives rains. Due to the mist and rains, many waterfalls and springs gushes out in the mountains. Although, many of these are seasonal, some remains through out the year. However, most of these vanishes after the season. 

Although, it looks quite different from the rest of the world that khareef is in the middle of the year, it is a season after the month of summers – April and May.

During Khareef season, many tourists visit Salalah. Most of these travelers are from within Oman and other Gulf States, where the temperature is very hot. On the contrary, Salalah has 20 to 25 degree Centigrade in Khareef season. The contrast of temperature is quite big. That’s why Salalah is a great summer escape for the residents in Middle East.

Moreover, many European and Western expats residing in Middle East also visit Salalah during khareef, to enjoy the variation in temperature. By the way, Salalah is just under 2 to 3 hours flight from most of the capital cities in the Arabian Peninsula.

Since this is the peak tourist season, we highly recommend you book sightseeing tours and hotel stay before they are fully booked.

Why is Salalah so Green?

Salalah is real green in the months of July, August and September. Each year, during monsoon season (as mentioned above that its locally known as Khareef season), there are light shower. In this season, the sky is overcast and sun is not visible normally throughout the season. Moreover, the mist and rain turns the mountains greener.

If you visit Salalah in Khareef season, you will find it so green. Every place will be green – the mountains, and the plains. Many seasonal waterfalls also appears from no where due to the water accumulation on the mountains. 

Salalah is not green throughout the year. When the rain falls, the land transforms into lush green valleys. When rain stops, the scenario changes. For instance, leave color changes from green to yellow, as the leaves start to die after rain stops. And then the leaves die till the next round of rain starts.

In Quran, this process is mentioned in Surah Al Kahf (Chapter 18, Ayat 45):

And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.

Is Salalah Worth Visiting?

Definitely, Salalah is worth visiting for those who love nature. The explorer and travelers visit Salalah to see the following:

Firstly, the Dhofar Mountains, which spread in the shape of an arc in the center, offers variety of the attractions, like valleys, springs, waterfalls, gorges, sinkholes, and caves. The waterfalls and ayn are the highlights, which are present in khareef season only.

Recommended Read: List of Waterfalls in Salalah during Khareef Season

Secondly, the large, pristine coast in Dhofar offers white sand beaches in the Arabian Sea. The tides are high during the monsoon season. Moreover, due to fog, the landscape is not visible along the coast. In contrast to this, the beach is crystal clear on the remain part of the year, and Dolphins can be spotted on the sea. Some of the beaches are hidden, which can be accessed in a guided tour with a professional 4×4 driver.

Thirdly, the enormous dunes of the Rub al Khali desert (The Empty Quarter), on the norther part of the Governorate, offers sand bashing, and overnight stay in the bedouin tent.

Fourthly, Dofar has many Archeological sites and the museums. In the museums, the artifacts unearth from the ancient ruins are displayed. Notable Archeological sites are Al Baleed Archeological site, Sumhuram Old City and The Lost city of Ubar.

Moreover, Salalah has many Tombs of the Prophets. For instance, Salalah has Tombs of Nabi Ayub, Nabi Imran, Nabi Saleh and Nabi Hood. Also, Dhofar has other religious sites.  For example, the footprint of Prophet Saleh’s camel and the spring of Nabi Ayub.

What is Salalah Known for?

In particular, Salalah is known for 3 things – Frankincense, History and khareef season.

Dhofar has one of the oldest cultures in Arabia, mainly due to Frankincense trade and the prophets in the past. The remains of the history can be found in the archeological sites, which have been excavated and unearth. Al Baleed Archeological site, the ruins of ancient Sumhuram, and the Lost city of Ubar are some of the discovered and well known sites. In addition to these, some ruins that are spread across the region are unnamed.

The Tombs of Prophet Ayub (Prophet Job), Prophet Hud, Prophet Saleh, and Prophet Imran are in Salalah and nearby. Some other tombs are also present but the historical link cannot be found and are not named.

The famous travelers of modern era, Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta also visited Zafar (the forerunner of modern Salalah).

Indeed, the landscape of this region is amazing and has a variety of attractions that includes nature, mountain, waterfall, beaches, caves, sinkholes, and others. Animals like camel, cows and goats are visible here and there. Moreover, birds are seen at various places too.

Interestingly, Salalah has coconut trees, banana farms, which is unique part in the Middle East.

What are other Seasons?

Now, lets discuss the winter season, which is also another popular one among tourists. The winter season is from October to April each year. During this time, the weather is mostly clear, no rains and sunshine is ample. Also, the beach has normal tides.

In winter season, most of the visitors visit Wadi Darbat, Mughsail Beach, Fazayah Beach, The Lost City of Ubar , Museum of the Frankincense Land, and Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali).

Also they do Dolphin Watching, Camel Ride, Diving in the sea and staying in the Beduin Tents in the largest sand desert in the world.

Guided Tour In Salalah and Around

For booking the tour, you can contact Beautiful Salalah Tours, which is the leading online tour operator in Salalah. The company arranges the tour with the licensed guide, who are Omanis and know Salalah pretty well.

Booking the memorable tour with professional team of Beautiful Salalah is very easy. Just drop a Whatsapp message to our 24/7 customer support numbers +968 9120 6678 or +968 9012 3004 and book the trip.

Alternately, you can drop an email to info@beautifulsalalah.com or book via TripAdvisor.

Beautiful Salalah Tours has 4.5 star review in TripAdvisor and is operating in Salalah since 2018. You can read all the reviews on TripAdvisor before making a decision.

Recommended Place To Stay In Salalah

For a memorable and comfortable family vacation, the best place to stay in Dhofar is in the city of Salalah. There are Over 100 Hotels and Apartments on Booking.com for Salalah, which you can consider for your comfortable and memorable stay.

Below are our recommendations:

Luxury: Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara

There couldn’t be any better choice of staying in Salalah other than Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara. This is the finest and premium resort in the city with private pool villas, which are not available in other resorts.

The location of Anantara is excellent. It is next to the famous tourist location of Al Baleed Archeological Site, Frankincense Land Museum and is on the white sand beach of the Arabian Sea.

Indeed, it is a great place to have a fun filled family vacation. Check prices, reviews, and availability here

Mid Range: Fanar Hotel and Residences

Although Fanar Hotel and Residences is a 5 star resort, its price is almost equal to that of a 3 star hotel in the center of the city. It is located at Hawana Salalah Marina, and is by far the largest resort in Salalah.

The only drawback is that this hotel a little away from the city. But hotel will arrange the airport transfers, so there is nothing to worry about. Also if you have rent a car, or are planning to book guided tours by Beautiful Salalah then it’s an ideal pick. Check prices, reviews, and availability here

Budget: Star House Elite

There are many apartments by the name of Star House, but this one is preferred as it is a nice apartment in the center of the city. There are many restaurants, including Indian cuisine and local food, at walking distance. It’s right opposite of the largest mosque in Salalah – Sultan Qaboos Mosque.

The most unique feature of this apartment is that its on the bus route of Mwasalat public transport and you can arrive here from airport using the bus.  Also Star House Elite is at walking distance from the bus station of Mwasalat, GTC, GLT, and other intercity buses.  Check prices, reviews, and availability here