For Labor Day weekend 2022, my wife and I traveled south to the City of Salalah in the Dofar Province of Oman. Salalah is Oman's second largest city and a very popular vacation destination in the Middle East. A big reason for this is the "Khareef" season. Khareef (or الخريف) is the Arabic word for Fall/Autumn, and here refers to the summer monsoon season over the Arabian Sea. During this period, from about June to September each year, monsoon winds blanket the southern Omani coast and parts of eastern Yemen with tropical rain and clouds from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. This results in much lower temperatures (~80-90° F vs. ~95-105° F or higher), and lush green landscapes that would not be out of place in either Ireland or Scotland.
Here are images of Darbat Park in the mountains east of Salalah. The park encompasses Wadi Darbat (وادي دربات) (in Arabic-speaking countries, a Wadi is a a valley, ravine, or channel that is dry except in the rainy season), which turns into a lush green valley during Khareef and features a series of beautiful waterfalls when there is water. People flock here during Khareef to picnic and enjoy the green landscaped hills, waterfalls, and flowing water.
A view from the area of the waterfall towards the coastline. The river is the Wadi Darbat.
Typical restroom accommodations at most of the established, outdoor tourist sites we stopped at. There's always an attendant there to clean up afterwards.
It was quite crowded. But we were there at the end of Khareef, so I can only imagine what its like during the height of the season.
The Omani men in the lower left corner were out having a 'traditional' picnic (something they often do), involving lots of grilled meat and coffee. The circular item you see is a large platter of uncooked chicken, ready to grill.
The temperature was in 90s with a TON of humidity. So this guy had to be hot. There was another guy in a similar type of superman outfit, too!
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