Oman - 2024

Flying from Muscat to Salalah. The dry watercourses that have been forged by torrential flows scar the barren landscape.

Perhaps the greatest threat when driving in Oman. Even on sunny days with good visibility, they can be difficult to spot, and like most animals, can be unpredictable. At night and during poor weather, they are a significant cause of road trauma.

Dramatic cliffs as viewed from the Mugshail Blowholes.

We don't expect to find camels on the beach, but when the desert meets the sea, I guess it's inevitable.

Wadi Dawkah, a natural reserve to protect an ancient grove of Frankincense. Even the smallest drop of sap, rubbed between one's fingers, emitted a sweet aroma, not dissimilar to a sweet pine-like fragrance.

Ayn Razat is a year-round spring near Salalah. A small strip popular with locals, where the water literally gushes from the rocks. The various pools were filled with fish, of many different varieties, while water birds waded around availing themselves of the self-serve buffet.

Looking down to Wadi Darbat. It really felt like looking down at a scene from Africa, especially if the camels had been giraffes. The water level is low, and as it is now a dry season in Oman. Still, the travellers come to see the lake and waterfalls. The lake inside the wadi is the largest natural lake in Oman. That is not saying a lot, as on world standards, it would be considered tiny.

In the wet season, the water apparently flows over all these rocks, and then further downstream, runs off the plateau. Occasionally, once every ten years of so, that run off becomes a curtain of water. We were actually surprised to see any water flowing, given how dry every thing is. So this lovely scene was a bonus.