Salalah Travel report - 11-20/July, 2009
Trip Start
Unknown
1
Trip End
Ongoing
Salalah, Oman
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Few travel tips:
- UAE residents (expatriates) and other passports holders on which visa on arrival is allowed must depart from Al-Ain’s Hili border checkpost and enter Buraimi (Oman)
- Must take exit stamp on passport from Dubai border check post. They will not ask you to take exit because until oman checkpost is a free-to-go area without visa. And oman checkpost will come after about 40 kms. If there is not exit stamp they will send you back to Dubai checkpost to take exit. Exit fee is dh25 per passport. Oman visa is 2 riyal per passport. Must buy oman car insurance. Must carry car Mulkia (car ownership docs). UAE residents must also carry Batakha (ID card)
- After entering Buraimi from Hili border checkpost take second roundabout showing route 7 to Muscat. Go straight until you find the roundabout showing Salalah (turning left) or Hafeet (go straight). Salalah sign turning left is actually the way for Muscat so if you go that way you will reach another checkpost
- If you want to avoid Muscat go straight towards Hafeet which is Ibri road. You will reach Oman border post. Do border formalities. Go straight until Ibri and then Nizwa. From Nizwa take Salalah route. Nizwa to Salalah is about 900kms and single track road. Some 200kms road is under maintenance also hence the speed will become slow and the ride will not be smooth. But still the road is ok. Rest of the road is very good. However the overall ride is tiring as this whole 900km stretch of the road is desert with no scenery
- Recommended to fill petrol from every fuel station. Specially after Nizwa there is a town Adam. After Adam about 300km no fuel station. Otherwise usually 90-100km have a fuel station. Petrol price is cheaper in Oman, riyal 0.12/litre
- Upon entrance into Salalah through Dhofar mountains a sudden change of temperature will occur plus greenery will start suddenly. For example until we reached Dhofar mountain range it was 47-48degC all throughout starting from Buraimi. On Dhofar Mountain the temperature changed to 26degC. In Salalah the temperature was min 26 to 33 DegC max which in later days changed to 26-30degC due to cloudy weather and then rained
- Best time to visit Salalah is after rains. This year the rains just started from 20-July so best time to visit Salalah would be after 15-August when it would be lush green and waterfalls will be started
- The places to see around Salalah are different wadis and mountain spots plus waterfalls which gives fantastic views even without waterfalls
- Salalah is a small town but all facilities are there so no need to worry about anything. There are many places to stay. One can drive into Salalah and find many apartments having signboards for rent. We stayed in Hamilton Plaza Hotel (Hamdan Plaza Hotel) which is a very nice one
- Best places to see in Salalah, which we liked, were Wadi Darbat, Ain Gargiz, Mountains having Nabi Ayub tomb, Ain Razat, Mughsail (blow holes)
- Oman roads overall are very good and driving is quite peaceful unlike UAE. So it is a pleasurable experience to drive on Oman roads
- Since we had kids we preferred to break the journey and stayed one night at Nizwa. There are few motels/guest houses during Nizwa-Salalah route also and those can be selected also for a night stay if someone wants to break this long journey. I will not recommend night travel as from Ibri to Salalah (app 1000kms) is single track road without any road lights. Al-Ain to Ibri is dual track road
- There are Toilets at every fuel station but not good quality like UAE. Few ATMs also along the route
Comments
i read ur information it is very useful and informative. thanks for the information please go on writing like this. u told abt the hotel u stayed but u dnt mention abt the cost there. if u would have added then it will be more informative and useful. and u dnt mention abt the money there. can we use dhirams there or we have to take riyals.
Hotel cost was riyal35 per night including bf for all but this price was for min 1 week stay otherwise min was 45/night. dirhams can be easily exchanged in salalah to riyal. during travelling by road better keep some riyals as i am not sure whether they accept dirhams everywhere at small places or not like petrol pumps or groceries or eating places. I kept some riyals during travelling and balance i exchanged in salalah. Hope this is helpful
HI.........I JUST WANNA TO ASK U THAT I AM PLANNING TO GO MUSCAT AND SALALAH DURING EID HOLIDAYS ON MY CAR...........IS THERE ROAD PERMIT NESSARY TO MAKE FROM RTA
Hi. No need car permit. Just carry your UAE driving license, international driving license, car mulkia, and car insurance for oman
thanks sir just one more thing..............i am doing job as accountant and my friend is as sales executive.....................so we get visa on border or we have to apply throw embassy
Hi. I understand all UAE residents can get oman visa at border post
hi there, do i need to obtain International driving license?, if yes, how do i get that? pls advice...
Nice Post...Even i had done the trip from Dubai-Salalah by Car in 2008 and thoroughly enjoyed..We exited from Hatta Border..About your mentioning that an International Driving licence Requirement, if you hold UAE licence then you can drive in any GCC country if you are visiting..Thanks for your tips...!!!
Hi, I'm a resident of Dubai & planning to travel by road from Dubai to Muscat during X-mas holidays, need to know if I need International Driving License to take our SUV to Muscat. I already have UAE Driving License from RTA. Also where and how can I purchase Oman Car Insurance, I drive a 4*4 and would like to know how much that will cost as well. Please let me know how safe it is to drive from Dubai to Muscat and how safe it is to drive once I'm driving inside Oman. Plz advise.... Thx.
Hi Susan,
Regarding your Queries please see my answers below.
As you already have a UAE licence, you dont need International Driving licence. Regarding the Oman Insurance check your insurance papers to see if your vehicle already has Oman Coverage or else you can get the Insurance at Oman Border for around AED 100 which will be valid for a short duration. The Journey to Muscat will take you approx 4 hours + few minutes at the Hatta Border. The best part is once you are inside Oman you will have a very pleasant journey as the Oman Drivers are very patient and not offensive unlike the UAE Drivers. Dont wait...Just Drive off....!!!
Hi Susan. Ajoy is right. i learned later that UAE drivers dont need int'l license to drive in oman. insurance as ajoy write. However much time would be needed at borders specially oman border because i found omani police quite slow in working unlike dubai specially first time travellers needs time to do formalities as no quick guidance is available. So take 30 minutes safely altogether including both borders if you are first time traveller to oman. enjoy your journey
thx guys.... will post about my trip when i come back, happy holidays.
Lovely Travelogue. Would you have any idea if there's any safe place to stopover with wife and 2 kids after Nizwah to reduce the onward journey to Salalah which should be close to around 8-9 hours.
Could you get in touch with me on email ... pkmani@hotmail.com
Hi Brother,
Thanks a lot. We're going in end of Jul 2010
Hi. One very important advice. Check weather before going to salalah. Go after it properly rained and heavy rains stopped. Salalah's main beauty is after rainfall when there is greenery everywhere and waterfalls. Before rainfall it is so so and no lush greenery/waterfalls, although still beautiful place for peoples living in Middle east. Enjoy your travel
how many hours in total does the trip from Dubai to Salala take?
If you take only meals break you can start in the morning 6am and can reach there about 8pm. It is about 1500kms
Hi, your information on drive to Salalah is highly informative. We (5 adults) are planning a journey to Salalah from Dubai this August. Please inform about the hotels/motel in between as we plan to break our journey somewhere near Nizwa or Adam. Do we have to make a reservation for these hotels in advance or we can get it as we reach there. Thanks.
hi Brother are you take any break in between dubai to salalah and were is the best place to take salala
please give main city names through salala i am planing to go on aug- second week
hi, very useful information. im planning to go to salalah next week. if im going through al ain can i get the oman insurance from dubai or oman border. i have an accord and how much approximately it will cost?
hi
i am planning to leave from Abu dhbai on 3rd Aug 2010 morning 5 am to Salalh. i would like to take the route through Al Ain and the jabel hafeet border instead of Burami. i feel it might save time. Is it possible to get teh Visa there?
Second is that is there any alternate route to avoid Nizwa like direct Ibri to Hamia?
Anyone driving down to Salalah this weekend for 3-4 days
Thanks so much for your informative traveling tips, I do appreciate it.
Regards
Hi Sir, I wanted to travel to Salalah from Dubai with my husband and two kids this 2nd week of Sept. by public bus only but hesitant of the safety of the road since it's a long long drive. Are the buses speeds up so fast? This will be our first time to travel by road for 12 hours. I don't want to go by air since I wanted to save as well. One more thing, my husband's passport will expire on Jan. 2011 already so is it still possible for us to travel. Thank you very much! More power!
Offcourse, the buses are safe journey to Salalah.
A couple of friends have travelled this way and enjoyed their 15-16 hrs journey.
Passport - I'm no authority, but should be valid till 1-3 months before expiry !!!
Enjoy yr journey, it is a good season now in Salalah.
Thanks Iroo! We're planning to get a night trip to Salalah by public bus from Muscat to Salalah...is it okay? What do you suggest since I will be four days off only in my work so have to maximize it. We can't get morning trip because of the time constraint. We will be staying for Salalah for a night only and will be getting the night trip again to Muscat the following day so at least we can use the day time going around. Which hotel is near the tourist's attractions esp. the waterfalls so at least we can save money from the transportation. Thanks again for your quick response.
Hi Sandeep
I saw your comments on Salalah tour by road. We are planning to go with family by road in 2nd week of Nov'10. As u mentioned, did u travalled very recently?. How is your experience?. If you give me some tips and break-places it will be helpful. Whether we can cover imp places in a day in Salalah?.
Regards
Aravind
thanks for Valid Information, which is the best timing to start from dubai for a family, which is convininet place for staying, is it villa type or hotel type,
@Ramesh. Best time is to visit just after rains to see waterfalls and maximum greenery. Start by car early 6am to reach Nizwa by afternoon, take a break and start next morning by 8am to reach salalah comfortably by early evening. If family with kids, stay at a hotel is better
Wonderful Post, really thankful for this. Iam planning to drive towards salalah on Aug 31st, Which route is smaller Via Hatta or Via Al Ain? Also any map or driving direction inside salalah to visit waterfalls and other natural locations? please email me at mithunc3@gmail.com
I am planning to spend Eid there. Will go from Dubai on 30th Aug Inshallah.
even i am planning to travel on 31st aug, 11 from dubai....let me know if al ain or hatta route is short.....
Hi, we a few UAE expat residents are planning a trip to salalah from dubai on forthcoming Eid holidays via Al-Ain. Please advise if Mezyad (near Jabel Hafeet) is UAE border post that uae exit should be stamped, if we are expecting to get an Oman visa on arrival at border for heading to Ibra & Nizwa.?
Secondly what is the maximum permissible speed limits without avoiding a radar fine in the long stretches between Nizwa-Haima and Haima-Thumrait
At Al Ain (Mazyed) Border you need to pay Dhs35 per person, then at Oman Border the Visa fee is Dhs50 per person,
From Ibri to Thumrait there are no speed cameras.
From Ibri Round about after Toyota Showroom take right than drive along you will reach a round about go straight than there will be a left turn then go straight again there will be a left turn, then go straight then a right turn then go straight and u will reach Adam Salalah Road, from there take right turn and keep on going straight you will reach salalah via Haima, thumrait etc...
Hope this info helps
I have been there once and going again this Eid.
Any one want a ride from dubai to salalah During EID break 31-08-2011 to 03-09-2011
Hi,
Have you got anyone yet.
Anees
Thanks man for this information...really appreciate it
Hello, We few Indian Expats having residency in UAE had travelled from Dubai to Salalah during the EID holidays on 30.Aug.2011. We decided to take Mezyad(Al Ain) route rather than Hatta, to cut short overall journey by about 100 km.
We reached the Mezyad border (via Hilton, Bawadi mall) after Al Ain and completed the exit formalities at UAEs border post (AED 35pp) then proceeded to Oman border for entry visa on arrival .(AED 50pp & submit the form).
Alternatively you can obtain Oman visa from Dubai consulate {consulate usually closes accepting applications 2 or 3 days before extended holidays, } by submitting your passport and visa issuance/delivery next day. This will save you some time at the Oman border, but they still need to enter the visa number on their computer. If there is heavy rush during holidays, obtaining Oman visa from Dubai will definitely save you some time but not much. A few of us had obtained visas from Dubai and it did save us some time. On extended holidays periods it is advised to start your journey by 6 am from Dubai so that you cross the border before the rush begins i.e. if you are planning a day journey without overnight stay enroute and you can expect to be in Salalah by 9 or 10 p.m. Don’t forget to pick up free Oman road maps from the Oman border post.
After you stamp Oman visas, proceeded to Ibri about 140 km and turn right at the round about after Toyota showroom. At this round about is a petrol station. Ensure you fill petrol from Ibri. You can also obtain an Oman mobile SIM card submitting your passport copy from a nearby phone shop for RO 2.000 which will be very handy for you. After Ibri, there are no towns enroute, only petrol stations. So stock up on food/provisions you need. On this blog you will find Adnan’s post which gives an idea of this route. At every round about/junction keep following the sign to Salalah. [Expect mild Wadi crossings during rains. If there have been incessant rains, then it is advisable to take the alternate route from Ibri to Salalah via Adam which will add about 70km to your journey.] You will enter route 31 (Nizwa-Salalah) at a point which is about 90km from Adam. From there take right turn and keep on going straight you will reach Salalah via Haima, Muqshin, Thumrait etc. Although there are no speed cameras after Ibri, it is advised to keep a safe speed limit as the entire stretch is single carriage way (i.e. two way road without a divider). If you have a gas guzzler, fill petrol from every pump. Otherwise, you will get pump almost every 150 km. As a thumb rule fill gas if you fall below half tank .
Expect surprises after Thumrait especially the last stretch of 30-40 km before Salalah. Camel crossings, fog (police may close mountain road if fog is heavy), two-way traffic on same side of road without proper signage (due to road works) etc.
Tips: Before you begin your Salalah trip from UAE, do a thorough check up of your vehicle and ensure it is in good condition, especially the tyres, spare tyre & radiator. If you are going in peak summer, filling nitrogen in your tyres is recommended to prevent overheating. If oil change is due in next 2000 km, I advise you change the oil & filter. Take plenty of drinking water and take Oman insurance cover from Dubai before hand.
Similarly on your return journey ensure you stock up on drinking water from Salalah. If you have an extra day to spend, you can return via Adam and Nizwa, which we did. After Nizwa, we visited the Al Hoota caves which was worth the visit. www.alhootacave.com (advance reservation needed). Then return via Bahla, and after Ibri, don’t forget to pick up Omani Halwa from the road-side factory for me.
Bon voyage.
Thanks for feeding in useful info. We are planning to drive to Salalah this coming Eid Holidays (5th to9th Nov).
You will find a feedback soon from my end.
Just wantbto add few things, during season there might be few mobile camera olaced onnroute 31. Between Adam and Thumrait, so dont over sped. And take a.bsoloutely 0% Chance while overtaking.
There will be not much greenery during these Eid holidays in Salalah. So my Advise is to got to Muscat instead. It is jus another city but very different from Dubai
Hello friends, Make sure that you visit, Hafeet al Shams before you leave Oman, It is the highest point in the middle east. You Get to see Grand Canyon view which i have had from no where,
Nothing much to enjoy but the scenary, Rooms areavailable, camp fires, We stayed in a resort at the top, and it was amazing, I did not sleep the whole night stayed awake as i had my fried with me, we sat under the campfire whole night, It gives you nice memories if you ever had chance in your young age to enjoy campfire, I rem we as children enjoying camp fires,,, so travel from Nizwa, to Jabel Al Shams, almost 150KM from Shams and you gonna climb up the hill for 2000 ft, Roads are good, except few KM over the hill which i hope is intended to make you feel the pleasure of the trip. Regards,