We went to Salalah for Nick's birthday, and it totally exceeded our expectations. We were particularly surprised that most of the people visiting were from the GCC! It's a refreshing contrast to the rest of the Arabian Peninsula.
What We Did
Accommodations: Anantara Al Baleed Resort - We were upgraded to a villa, and it was AMAZING. We didn't do much at the resort aside from breakfasts and dinners (the food was incredible), but the villa's private pool was really nice. Also, we opted to rent a car and explore on our own instead of booking trips via the resort - It was super easy!
Ayn Khor Waterfall: We parked near here, but you'll see that most of the locals drive all the way (or most of the way) to the waterfall. It's absolute chaos XD In any case, to do that you must have a 4x4 vehicle and some experience driving in water and loose rocks. For going on foot, our advice: follow the locals (the ones who don't go by car). We found ourselves on the wrong side of the stream a few times, which just made for a fun adventure!
Abandoned Ship: We parked near here, but you can drive all the way to the ship overlook. There's one steep dirt road that requires a good 4x4 vehicle (of which we didn't have), but you'll find that the dirt roads in this area are quite good if it hasn't been raining. You can see a whole network of them on Google Maps satellite view. The hike was really nice from where we parked to the ship which included a pilot memorial and this spectacular view:
Wadi Darbat: The crown jewel of Salalah! We didn't do any hiking around here (note: there were a lot of lifeguards around to shoo people away from certain areas), but we did check out the Wadi Darbat and the Step Waterfalls. The main waterfall is incredible and definitely worth the stop! The Step Waterfall is also very beautiful, but don't expect to have many photos without boats in them. They take no breaks! Best to get there super early if you want to avoid people in your photos. Also, the other reason getting there early is a good idea, in general, is because of traffic congestion. The main road through the wadi gets PACKED during Khareef (monsoon) season.
Jebel Samhan Viewpoint: The best time to go to Salalah is during monsoon season, because it's the most lush. However, with that comes a lot of fog that obstructs viewpoints. We weren't able to see anything from this one, but the pictures online look amazing!
Tawi Atair Sinkhole: Since we didn't seem much at the Samhan Viewpoint, we decided to check this place out on our way back down the mountain. It was a decent little stop that only took us an extra 20 minutes or so.
Khor Rori/Sumuhram Old City: This place is really neat! The ancient coastal city used to be a major stop for the frankincense trade, and it has some really nice views of the bay/sea. There are lots of camels roaming around, as well.
Museum of the Frankincense Land: Great examples of different frankincense grades based on origin. There's also some good information on other history of the region (trade, ships, archaeological items, etc.), and a cool musical performance/dance happening when we visited. There is a modest dress code (including for men) to be aware of.
Food
Sakalan: This was the reason we never left early for the day. We wanted to make sure we got as much of this amazing breakfast as we could! It's buffet-style, and there is loads of Omani and other Arabic foods to try.
Mekong: Really good! However, Ash asked for a vegetarian dish that was served with dried baby shrimp on top ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
