We got up at around 8 and had a delicious breakfast at the hotel and then got ready to head out for the day. Our first stop was Wadi Darbat where we found an amazing mountain creek and pond where we enjoyed a boat ride. After Wadi Darbat it was back in the car to head to Ayn Athum, a waterfall and natural spring in the hills behind Salalah. The water was beautiful and it was very quiet and serene. It was great to see so many Omani families out for a picnic and enjoying the natural beauty of the hills. Back in the car and driving to Ayn Razzat where we got to climb through a rock enclosure to a secluded pond and stream. The water was cool and refreshing and a nice reprieve from the heat we had been getting day in and out in Muscat.
We discovered at this spot that we were the only white people in the area and were the subject of many Indian, Pakistani, and Omani photos. We felt like celebrities or animals on display! After Ayn Razzat we got to experience Ayn Jarziz where it was packed with local men jumping off of the cliffs into the sinkholes below. It was fun to watch all of these hard working men letting loose and swimming in their dishdashas and long robes! We then set off on an amazingly scenic drive up Mount Atin where we saw goats, camels and cattle being herded in the grasslands. We made it above the tree and cloud line and the views were spectacular. The descent was a bit hairy and fast, but we made it safe and sound to our final destination of the day which was the blowholes at Al Mughsayl Bay Beach. This seemed like a bit of a let down until we actually got up close. It was like Marilyn Monroe meets Moby Dick! So much fun and some great photos with more locals and tourists interested in the white people from Canada.
After leaving the blowholes it was off on a wild-goose chase to find the elusive Frankincense museum. We drove in the dark for about an hour before giving up and going for Lebanese food in the downtown district of Salalah.
Dinner was great and we were exhausted after our jam-packed day around Salalah. It was back to the resort for a night-cap before collapsing in bed!