This Half Day Tour will take you to a magical journey to the Eastern side of Salalah, where one of best landscape of the Middle East awaits you.
The tour includes trip to Archaeological site, seasonal waterfalls, Dhofar Mountains, valley, castle and Beach. So much diversity in landscape and nature within 4 hours. This is one of the best seller tours by us.
Contents
Itinerary of East Salalah Tour Half Day
Below is the itinerary and details of the magical East Salalah Tour in Dhofar:
Taqa Castle
The tour will begin with visit to Taqa Castle, which is not only the most prominent landmark of Taqa but also one of the most distinguished landmark of Dhofar. This castle was built in 19th century as a private residence of Sheikh Ali bin Timman Al Ma’shani. Today, this castle makes you wonder you are in 19th century and get impressed with the exterior and interior marvel of Dhofar’s construction.
Taqa Beach
You will also visit Taqa Beach and Taqa City. Taqa is a beautiful town on the Arabian sea. The beach is on its southern side. The white sand of the beach, along with coconut trees and cliff on one side make the place mesmerising. The beach has lots of birds, making it a birds watcher paradise.
Wadi Darbat
The most popular valley of the Dhofar Region, Wadi Darbat will be your first stop. Here you visit a canal where you can do kayaking or boating overlooking the mountain of Jabal Al Qara. A cave is just around the corner, which you can see if the time permits. It would be a common sight to find camel and cattle grazing at the valley. The plantation here is unique, you will be able to see Buckthorn and wild fig trees.
Cascade Waterfalls at Wadi Darbat
Seeing the seasonal waterfall (if its there at the time of your visit) is another recommended thing at this valley. The waterfall is basically cascades of water amid the tangle of lush greenry. Interestingly, it is continuing from 2018 without stopping for a single day.
Travertine Curtain in Dhofar
Also, you will see the Travertine Curtain, which is unique construction of the nature. Travertine Curtains are pockmarked rocks on the cliff face, which is a common geological formation in Dhofar. These marks happen when the original sand stone has been dissolved by the water. Here, a seasonal waterfall makes a landing from the valley to a rock pools that feeds Khor Rori.
Sumharam Archaeological Site
On they way back towards Salalah on the coastal highway, Sumharam Archeological site will be next stop where you can see the remains of an old city (3rd Century BC). This ancient city is one of the four components of the Frankincense Land and is in the UNESCO World Heritage List. A small on-site museum, Sumhuram Archeological Gallery, displays the relics excavated from the ancient port city. This is where the famous palace of Queen Sheeba is located.
Khor Rori
Khor Rori is a lagoon (Creek) on the Arabian Sea, just besides Sumharam Archaeological Site. This is an ideal place for bird watchers. It is supposedly the best site for birds watching. Khor Rori is fed by the water from Wadi Darbat. You can see it from Sumharam.
What to Bring?
- Sunblock
- Sunshades
- A good pair of shoes
- Hat
What to Wear?
Dress comfortably and respectfully
Availability of this Tour
This tour is available through out the year.
Additional Info
- This tour involves walking on the rough and inclined ground.
- Maximum number of passengers are 4 in the 4×4 SUV due to safety. If you are more people, we can arrange a mini van or a coaster, for which there will be an additional charges.
- A Local Omani Lunch can be provided during the tour, which will be charged as 5 Omani Rials (15 USD) per person. Kids will be free. The local food will be meat grilled on the stones and is known as Madabhe. This is a special food in Dhofar.
- The tour will start as per your convenience. Our recommended time to start the morning tour is from 8 am to 10 am and for the sunset tour is 2 pm.
- We can also arrange hotel and flights for your trip. Let us know if you want that.
Helpful Tip
- Wadi Darbat waterfalls are seasonal and may not be there when you visit.
- Taqa Castle closes at 11am on Friday, while on other days of the week at 4pm.
- If you want to do hiking at Wadi Darbat, the guide will take you to a 30 to 40 minutes hike along the beautiful scenery. This is an option.
- Camel ride can be added, with additional OMR 10 per PAX per 15 mins camel ride A local style picnic can be arranged at OMR 10 additional
