Family trip from UAE to Oman: Travel to Salalah for unadulterated natural beauty with waterfalls, beaches, caves

With spring break coming up soon, followed by the summer vacations, it’s the perfect time for families to plan short trips from the UAE. In this piece, we look at Salalah as an option - an Omani gem when it comes to climate, flora and fauna, and activities. The destination is known to have a tropical climate and greenery throughout. The best months to travel are from October to April. For UAE residents who want to opt for cooler weather during the hot summer months of June – August, Salalah is perfect since it would be monsoon there – also called the Khareef season.

Flying to Salalah: You can get a direct flight to Salalah from the UAE. The cheapest one we found was with Wizz Air Abu Dhabi at Dh138 for a round-trip flight from Abu Dhabi. Flydubai and Air Arabia also have non-stop flights to the destination but rates vary depending on demand – the highest being above Dh1200 for a one-way trip.

Darbat falls: The entire stretch of Darbat, even after the smaller waterfalls, offer a refreshing green patch of mountains, meadows, streams and more small waterfalls. Most of the misty green photos of Dhofar region that you see on Instagram are taken here.

Mughsail beach: The best part of Salalah is its natural and unrefined beauty and one prime example is the Mughsail beach. Get a viral video or photo here of how waves crash through naturally formed blowholes in the limestone formations and spurt up water plumes with a thundering noise up to several meters in the air. Be prepared to get drenched.

Marneef Cave: The stunning rock formations of Marneef Cave are a sight to behold. You can sit on the benches in the shade of the cave and enjoy the sight of the Al Mughsail Beach in Salalah. Close to the beach are the natural fountains spraying sea water and the blow holes. This site is a rare amalgamation of mountains, caves, and fountains creating a picture-perfect set up.

Shop at Al Husn Souq: This one is a souq-style marketplace where you can pick up some fantastic gifts and souvenirs to take home. There's plenty of shopping to do here, from clothes to souvenirs to food! Its proximity to the Sultan's palace makes it a hotspot for tourists and visitors.

Spooky drive at Mirbat antigravity point: One of the most talked-about experiences when driving in Salalah is a certain slope where your car moves at 40-60km/hr speeds with no acceleration i.e in neutral mode.

Taqah castle: Taqah, a fishing village east of the city of Salalah, Oman's third-largest city, is noted for its sandy beaches and its iconic 19th century Taqah Castle. This castle is currently home to various museums depicting traditional Omani life.

Frankincense museum and Al Baleed Archeological Park: A beautiful eco-conserved place houses the Frankincense museum - an important essential oil in Omani culture. The history is told in an interesting manner and the 3-dimensional maps in this museum give one an accurate idea of borders, neighbours and topographical features of Oman. The pond near the museum building has a variety of migratory and local birds in the tranquil mangrove surrounding it. There are spacious roofed watch towers jutting into the pond. Well-manicured lawns, and small bridges across the pond take one to the beach across. The expansive Al Baleed Archeological Park can be reached by foot from the museum.