Dhofar is the area at the southernmost point of Oman and is bordered by Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen. Salalah is about 1000km from Muscat and is the main city of the Dhofar region.

During the khareef (rainy) season, which happens from June to September, the climate here is very different from Muscat. Visitors from elsewhere in Oman and around the Gulf region travel here to escape the heat and humidity, enjoying the lush green scenery and the cool and rainy skies. A shifting fog gives the area a surreal feel and a look more akin to the highlands of Scotland than an Arabian desert. The beaches are long and clean with powerful tides crashing the waves onto the shore.

Dhofar is renowned for its frankincense which is still regarded as the finest in the world. The trees are farmed by locals who use a time-tested method to extract the sap from the trees, forming the valuable incense. This industry made the area famous and wealthy as the frankincense was exported to many countries.

The lost city of Ubar is reportedly situated just north of Salalah. An ancient city built at the cross roads of major trade routes was said to have been sunk into the sand by Allah because he was displeased by the greed of the inhabitants. Sir Rannulf Fiennes, a British Explorer spent 20 years searching for the lost city and used modern satellite technology to locate the sunken site. Tour operators can take you to visit the site which is supposedly Ubar, today.