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Review
If there is one place in the world that with 100% certainty doesn’t need any theme park or other form of man-made, artificial entertainment, then that’s the Governorate of Dhofar in southern Oman.
It took me more than 10 years of travel and over 150 countries to find my favorite holiday refuge on earth, and it’s right here. Blessed with otherworldly nature, sunshine and safety, this is a place rarely found in guidebooks; the place none of your neighbors can spell. You’ll only find one tourist every 30 kilometers, if at all.
I’ll let my photos speak for themselves. If you go there, you MUST rent a car and stay in a chalet at the Mirbat Marriott. Mind-altering, soul-replenishing, back-to-the-basics serenity! And if you want a little less serenity and plenty more luxury, opt for the Anantara Salalah.
Who needs water parks...
...when you can have this? (Mirbat Marriott chalet)
Mirbat village. Very charming!
Beach in front of Mirbat castle
Old dwellings made of clay
Cracking beauty
'Anti-Gravity' road near Mirbat
Switzerland? Nope. The mountains behind Salalah.
Camel walk
Tawi Atair sinkhole
Don't fall!
Jabal Samhan viewpoint. Don't stumble!
Omanis are friendly, content, life-loving people.
Camel road block
Deserted beach near Sadah
The coastal road leading north
Stunning, serene, tourist-free
Coastal beauty
Beach walk
Wadi in the valley
Mughsail beach
While the camels take care of your car...
...you can enjoy the beach all to yourself
Up the mountains past Mughsail beach
African landscapes
Coastal drive up the mountains at nearly impossible angles
Camel-infested roads
Otherworldly scenery
Completely one with nature
And here it comes...
Empty road to Fazayah beach
My favorite beach in the world. Nobody here.
A rare species here: another tourist
Crystal-clear water
Fazayah beach romance
Dolphins can be seen playing here (I didn't capture them)
Park your car and take a hike...
...to another hidden beach!
The lone tree
The lone tree that follows you
Lone tree, wherever you go.
The lone tourist
The lone camel?
Nope, not alone.
Camels everywhere
The road to Yemen
Calm before the storm
Dhalkut, the last frontier before the Yemen border.
Driving back to Salalah at cloud level
Wadis of dreams
Deserts of dreams
Dreamy wife
The groundedness of Bedouin life
Night settling in the Garden of Eden