Web site for Tony Walsh – author on Arabia
Southern Oman is a different take on Oman, its climate, population and history are distinct
June though its mid-summer is often not as searing as May, though that’s often because the rise in humidity also drops the temperature. This year June is the month of Ramadhan when many hotels offer special meals after dusk.
Indoor bowling is a great activity during Ramadhan as Continue reading “Oman’s Top 5 things to do in June 2017”
Travco, the Egyptian conglomerate which seems to operate under an integrated system looks as if it is focusing on Oman. The company has operated as a low profile tour operated company in Oman for a number of years with much of its business fed in from Dubai.
As an integrated operator it probably will try to operate in the entire field a client requires and certainly in Egypt as 50% partner in Air Arabia Egypt, various hotel brands Sol Y Mar, Jaz, Nile Cruise ships & ground operator the model worked well, until the down turn in tourism.
The focus in Oman should be a surefooted one, having operated as a tour company in the country since 2006. They intend to open a new ‘InterCity’ Hotel in Salalah. The hotel will be a town based hotel in the main commercial office area which will give it good access to much of the town and region. This will be the first intercity hotel outside Europe, where Travco also own a number of other chains, and suggests that they feel Oman will offer a good alternative to Egypt, as do Orascom who set up Muriya in Oman a few years ago.
Within the slopes and valleys of the southern mountains of Oman are an extraordinary variety of flora. They inhabit an environment that can change from wet cloud soaked biome to bone-dry desert in the period of a few days or meters. Grass dominates the mountain upper plateau while the sea-facing slopes are have Anogeissus dhofarica as their dominant plant.
Though many plants catch a visitors interest, four are Continue reading “Oman’s famed plants in Dhofar”
Frankincense is such an evocative word for many religious people. Its associated with religious ceremonies worldwide and of course with the gifts brought by the 3 Kings, or Continue reading “Frankincense and Tea”
Having been in the heart of all the storms before the National Day holidays it was great to escape for a tour around Salalah.
We came across Continue reading “Sunshine in Salalah after all the rain in the north”
At the end of the Khareef is a great time to visit Salalah. We visited the nice Land of Frankincense Museum and saw a Frankincense Flower being pollinated by an Apis Florea bee.
Unexpectedly Continue reading “Trip to Salalah and a focus on Frankincense”
Tucked away under the shade of my breakfast source, Lulu in Darsait, I saw this well travelled car. Well travelled not just from Salalah, where I photoed it last week, to Muscat – but after 6 years on the road it has the most kilometres of any non production car.
Victor the buggy is a hand made gem, with a Continue reading “Victor the buggy in Muscat from Salalah”
It was a nice surprise to see the familiar face of Allesandro near Salalah.
He had previously Continue reading “Dhows and Gazelles in Dhofar”
For 2012 I’ve just done a Frankincense Calendar.
Its got 13 pictures all about Frankincense in Oman including Continue reading “Omani Frankincense as a picture calendar for 2012”
Its always nice to visit the archaeological site of Sumhuram near Salalah Oman as it is constantly evolving as discoveries are made and the site itself is developed.
Amongst the new features is Continue reading “Breakfast with Saudis and a visit to Sumhuram”
We arrived into Salalah from Muscat, where the temperature over Eid was in the mid 40s centigrade,
for a cool reception Continue reading “Salalah in Oman the cooler side of life”
and its historical sites.
The port of Samharam, located in Khor Rori is gradually being revealed as a very interesting fortified trading town from antiquity. We had a very nice visit to it during guests holidays in Oman and enjoyed Continue reading “Exploring Salalah”
The fruit of Baobab Trees (seen below at the base of the mountains in Dhofar, Oman) has just been given EU approval to be used in smoothies and cereal bars.
Oman has probably around Continue reading “Baobab Trees in Oman”
Throughout much of Oman the annual weather can be described as hot or scorching ; however on the southern coasts the summer monsoon, called locally the “Khareef”, brings changes.
As I drove down to Salalah from Muscat in early July the first hint of a change comes with what on the face of it might be a snowstorm Continue reading “Sand blasted arrival into Salalah”
The advancing monsoon was descending on Salalah as I spent time there with Hadi Al Hikmani whose passion and work is with Arabian Leopard. His family keep an extraordinary number of goats below the mountains and they are a potential prey of the Leopard.
During a six-hour trek through the mountain’s of Dhofar Hadi expertly Continue reading “Arabian Leopard in Dhofar”