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Pictures of our trip 2013 to Oman – part 4
- with our vehicle in March 2013:
Salalah & Surroundings (Dhofar) - Nizwa
 
 
Oman 1999 - from mid-March to mid-April 1999
Oman 2013 – Part 1 - February 2013: Musandam Peninsula
Oman 2013 – Part 2 - February 2013: Sohar - Muscat - Rustaq - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 3 - March 2013: Sur - East Coast - Island of Masirah - Dhofar
Oman 2013 – Part 5 - March 2013: Western Hajar Mountains
(Oman 2013 Part 6) - April 2013: Omani Madha Exclave in the UAE
 
 
 
Oman Map
 
   
 
         Middle East Map

                                         

 
latest picture: March 17, 2013
  • click a picture to see details

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
196  The water jerrycan and shower hose
are still on the hood when the setting sun
suffuses the rocks into a golden light on
our camping spot near Sawqrah
197  An agama lizard (Agama agama?)
remains stock-still when we approach it
for taking a picture
198  On our way from Shalim to
Wadi Shuwaymiyah an imposing
cliff scenery unfolds
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
199  Our LandCruiser rolls on a good
tarmac road southwards towards
Kuria Muria Bay (Khalij al Hallaniyat).
There is hardly any traffic
200  Between Shalim and Shuwaymiyah
on the Kuria Muria Bay we admire over
and over the impressive cliff scenery …..
201  ..... and roll on the new tarmac
road through always changing bizarre
rock formations
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
202
203
204
From the newly built road (for 15 miles under construction) connecting Shuwaymiyah with Hasik in Dhofar
splendid views of the coast and the Arabian Sea open up showing miles of deserted beaches and beautiful bays
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
205  Frankincense trees dot the landscape
along the newly built mountain road to
Hasik. Frankincense from Oman was as
highly prized as gold 2’000 years ago
206  A dry riverbed is meandering
through the mountains towards
the Arabian Sea (between
Shuwaymiyah and Hasik)
207  Constantly changing mountain
colors and the solitude mark the
lovely drive to Hasik
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
208  Mid-march 2003 15 miles of the
mountainous road from Shuwaymiyah to
Hasik were still under construction. But
having a 4x4 vehicle the Indian staff
working along the road let us pass
209  Entire parts of mountain ridges
have been removed to build this road.
At one point, we count
10 construction stages
210  The rocky coast comes once
more into view. About 6 miles
northwest before Hasik we reach the
coastal road again. We made it!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
211  This is the spit of Wadi Raykhut
near Hadbaran (Ras Tihrar), about 6 miles
before Hasik. From then on the smooth
road follows directly the narrow shoreline
212  Short before Hasik, the most south-
eastern end of the Dhofar coast, vertical
limestone walls rise towards the sky.
How small our LandCruiser and
Liliana are in comparison
213  Spectacular dripstone
formations overhang the
sandstone cliffs near Hasik
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
214  Bird or hen? The Arabian Partridge
(Alectoris melanocephala) near Ras
Tihrar/Hadbaran, northwest of Hasik
215  The rays of the rising sun get
caught up in the branches of a large
acacia tree in a valley of Jebel Samhan
216  Attracted by the light of our lamp,
a praying mantis (Mantis religiosa)
visits us at our bush camp near
Hadbin in the Jebel Samhan range
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
217  Our camp in a dry wadi near Hadbin
between Hasik and Sadah. We observe the
skies carefully because sudden flashfloods
could be fatal in a riverbed
218  At a water filling station Emil is
refilling also two of our bottles with the
huge hose. Remote areas still rely on
the water supply by tank trucks
219  A typical small shopping street
in Mirbat, 40 miles east of Salalah.
Laundries, tailors and hairdressers
prevail
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
220  Means of transport of the old
and new world meet at the Bin Ali
tomb in Mirbat
221  Behind the simple and nameless
tombs of the Moslem cemetery the
white one of another tomb of the
Bin Ali mausoleum appears
222  In the southern Dhofar region of
Mirbat we encounter huge herds
of camels roaming around freely
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
223  The striking snow-white structure
of the Bin Ali tomb in Mirbat with its
bright shining twin domes catches
our attention from far …..
224  ..... there are headstones with
fine inscriptions in the surrounding
cemetery
225  Liliana is standing on a hill over-
looking miles of a deserted beach
between Mirbat (in the background)
and Taqah
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
226  At “Khor Rori“, 21 miles east of
Salalah, are the ruins of the biggest
trading post of the frankincense route.
It’s said that the Palace of the Queen
of Sheba stood once here too
227  A bumblebee is sucking
nectar from a white blossom
228  Emil is standing at the crumbled
walls of the ancient frankincense port
of “Khor Rori”. It is said to date
back to the first century
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A lovely place for birdwatchers: Many species frequent the quiet lagoon at “Khor Rori”
229  A Greater Flamingo
(Phoenicopterus roseus) and a
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
230  Sleeping Great Blue Heron
(Ardea herodias)
231  A flock of Greater Flamingo
(Phoenicopterus roseus)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
232  A paradise for water birds: The
lagoon of “Khor Rori“: Intermediate
Egret (Ardea intermedia), also
called Great White Heron
233  Formations looking like stalactites
cover the 1'000 ft. high cliff at Wadi
Dharbat. It is called the „Travertine
Curtain“ (after a type of rock) …..
234  ..... in the rainy season (mid-June
to late-August) the water of the entire
Wadi Dharbat flows from this escarpment
over the cliff, often as a spectacular water-
fall, causing the dripstone formations
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
235  Wind and weather formed a
natural window in the soft rock
of Wadi Dharbat
236  Camels are crossing the water
of the dwindling lake at Wadi Dharbat.
They are not disturbed by the two
locals who are sitting nearby
237  The pasture in Wadi Dharbat
is also feeding ground for goats that
roam around with their herdsmen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
238  Entering Salalah, the second
biggest Omani town in the south,
hundreds of oriental street
lights line the avenue
239  A street shop in Salalah is cramped
with coconuts and bananas that grow
in the fertile plains of Dhofar
240  What is scarce in the north – Salalah
has it: Palm fringed sandy beaches where
camping is permitted. This one is at the far
eastern end of the city that is also the
meeting point of overland travelers
 
 
 
241  A caravan of camels moves along Salalah’s seashore. Nowhere else we have seen such big herds like here in Dhofar
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
242  The beach at Mughsayl, 21 miles
west of Salalah, attracts different kind
of wading birds:left = Glossy Ibis
(Plegadis falcinellus); right = two
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
243  At Mughsayl, along the highway
from Salalah to the Yemen border, the
road climbs steeply in narrow hairpin
bends from the Wadi Aful river bed up
to the mountain ridge – 3’300 ft. with
only eight switchbacks …..
244  ..... and this is how the masterpiece
looks from above
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
245  Shortly after the hairpin ascent –
8.4 miles after the Maha petrol station in
Mughsayl – a four miles long gravel road
branches off to “Fizayah” – a picture book
bay with white sandy beach, rock towers
and a labyrinth of caves …..
246  ….. tracks crisscross to
secluding camping spots
247  Doesn’t match our blue
LandCruiser the stunning scenery
of the “Fizayah” Bay?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
248  View over the whole ”Fizayah”
Bay. Encircled by a turquoise sea and
dark mountains it is one of the most
beautiful bays in Oman
249  The delicate flowers of the bottle
trees (Adenium obsium), called also
desert roses, add to the beauty of
“Fizayah” bay. We’ve seen them the
last time on Socotra Island/Yemen
250  Wind and weather have carved
beautiful caves and natural windows at
Fizayah Bay. And our LandCruiser
“stands” right in the middle
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
251  An almost perfectly formed bottle
tree (Adenium obsium), also called
desert flower, blooms at the „Fizayah“
bay between the slabs of rock
At the west coast of Salalah there are stunning views over the steep cliffs and
the Arabian Sea: from the Shaa viewpoint at Ras Sajir near Ajdarawt .....
252  ..... towards the west (Yemen) 253  ..... towards the east (Salalah)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
254  At Rakhyut, a sleepy fishing village,
a track meanders through the mountains.
Where might it go?
255  A paved road descends in switch-
backs down to the secluded bay of
Rakhyut. It is the second last village along
the seashore before the Yemen border
256  A few black cows is the only
life we encounter at our arrival in the
fishing village of Rakhyut
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
257  A herd of goats is rushing down
a slope. It will be brought to another
grazing area by its herdsman
258  Over a bumpy track we drive
towards the viewpoint of Wadi Uyun
northwest of Salalah. Is there really a
green valley in this barren area? .....
259  ..... yes, there is: Deep below
us a green reed belt stretches along
the narrow canyon with blue
shimmering little pools
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
260
261
262
Baobabs in Oman are by far not as impressive as those in Madagascar. The trunks are not as huge and some
look just like a bundle of roots. It is difficult to determine their age since they do not have annual growth rings
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
263  This is how dry the landscape in
Dhofar looks in March. In August the
rain-bearing fog – locally known as
“Khareef” – will transform the land into
lush green. This phenomenon attracts
thousands of local visitors each year
264  Bags with camel dung are brought
to a collecting place and from there
transported to Muscat and even
further. It will be used as fertilizer
265  In the interior, on the road No. 31,
we drive for more than 450 miles
through a monotonous flat desert
plain bare of any vegetation …..
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
266  ..... spotting a single tree is
already a sensation
267  After 300 miles of driving, we settle
down for the night in a pristine desert two
miles off the road between Dawkah and
Qatbit. The tires of our LandCruiser and
our footsteps are the only traces …..
268  ..... in the morning, the rising
sun is greeting us with a huge ball
 
 
More websites from Oman:
Oman 1999 - from mid-March to mid-April 1999
Oman 2013 – Part 1 - February 2013: Musandam Peninsula
Oman 2013 – Part 2 - February 2013: Sohar - Muscat - Rustaq - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 3 - March 2013: Sur - East Coast - Island of Masirah - Dhofar
Oman 2013 – Part 5 - March 2013: Western Hajar Mountains
(Oman 2013 Part 6) - April 2013: Omani Madha Exclave in the UAE
 
More websites from the Middle East:
Fairytale Wedding in Dubai - United Arab Emirates - with our car from February 7th, to May 20th, 1999
Sharjah + Dubai: United Arab Emirates - without our vehicle from February 19th, to 27th, 2011
Sharjah/Dubai/1st Traveler's Festival/Emirates National Auto Museum - UAE with car Nov. 2012 to Jan. 2013 - part 1
Liwa - United Arab Emirates with our car in February 2013 - part 2
Al Ain, Eastcoast & Ras al Khaima - United Arab Emirates with our car in April 2013 - part 3
Welcome to Kuwait on March 3rd, 1996
Yemen car trip (from Oman to Saudi Arabia) - from May 16th, to June 15th, 1996
Sandstorm in Saudi Arabia on February 4th, 1999
Trip to Dubai in January and February 1999
Iran 2013 – Part 1: Ferry Port Bandar Abbas-Shiraz-Persepolis-Pasargad (between Persepolis and Yazd)
Iran 2013 – Part 2: Pasargad (excl.)-Yazd-Esfahan May 2013
Iran 2013 – Part 3: Esfahan (excl.)-Chelgerd-Hamadan-Sanandaj-Orumiyeh May 2013
Turkey 2013 Eastern Anatatolia - June 2013
Socotra - without our car from February 9th, to 19th, 2011:
Part 1: Socotra trip in Yemen (East) Hadibo - Dihamri - Arher Beach
Part 2: Socotra trip in Yemen (South) Homhil - Aomak Beach - Wadi Daerhu - Dicksam Plateau
Part 3: Socotra trip in Yemen (West) Qalansiya - Shouab Beach - Qadama Beach - Momi Plateau - Wadi Ayhaft