Hashiem Muhammad took up an assignment as pastry chef in Amman, Jordan for three years after a course with Food Craft Institute, Kalamassery and a stunt with Hot Breads, Ernakulam. He came to Salalah in 2007 and started employment with Hilton before soon shifting to Crowne Plaza. A knee ailment made him return to Kerala for treatment. Upon return he joined his younger brother in his business as importers and distributors of fruits and vegetables. His wife also runs a business of clothes and female fashion items for which Hashiem goes to India frequently to source material from Gujarat.
Hashiem got in touch with me over Facebook offering a lot of useful suggestions and assistance. He offered his car, a well kept Chevrolet Malibu, to me to drive around in Salalah. I had come to know that it is not legal to drive a private vehicle in Oman with an International Driving Permit. Hence, Hashiem offered to take me around as per my itinerary. The difference is that with his vast experience in outdoor travel, picnic and sightseeing he knew places so well that he changed the order of the places I wished to visit this day and included some more on his own. He had loaded up his car with food and drink and had come along with his youngest son and nephew to Crowne Plaza to pick me up. I checked out from the hotel and put my luggage in Hashiem's car.
The first place on the radar was Wadi Darbat. It is scenic spot for nature lovers and those who wish for some idyllic relaxation. Wadi Darbat has picturesque hills surrounding it and a beautiful waterfall. The cascade waterfall has been operational in the wadi since Mekunu cyclone in May 2018. The addition of this waterfall has enhanced the beauty of this valley and now even during the non-Khareef time there is a waterfall to look forward to.
Wadi Darbat is a splendid lush green valley with the surrounding hills having small caves which people can hike up to. I was told that during the Khareef season the Wadi is packed with locals and tourists. Many stalls and restaurants are put up in the valley that sell street food like shawarmas, popcorn and ice cream. A year round canal runs throughout the wadi and that’s what make this valley different from rest of the places in Dhofar. The canal water follows along the wadi from the North side to the South and is often referred to as a lake. Water boats, kayaking and paddle boats are available. A large number of camels populate the area.
On the way to Mirbat Hashiem produced one of the tastiest thirst quenchers I have ever had. The tender coconut shake is made with tender coconut and water, milk, cardamon and cashew with sugar to taste. The cold shake helped weather the blistering heat. Mirbat was once the capital of the Dhofar region, trading in frankincense and Arabian steeds. Visitors to the harbour can spot dhows heading out to fish or coming in with their catch. Refrigerated vans stand ready to cart the fresh catch to far away consumption centres. There is also a vibrant fish market in the harbour. The town’s main fort is now derelict despite being the site of the well-documented Battle of Mirbat. Nine soldiers kept 300 insurgents from taking Mirbat during this battle in 1972, during the Dhofari insurrection.
The Mirbat Castle is a popular tourist attraction for people who visit Oman. The well preserved Mirbat Castle and its ancient complex is distinguishable by Islamic architecture. The staff at the castle brief visitors on the fort’s history and its facilities, as well as distribute a mouth watering portion of Omani halwa and Kahwa coffee. The permanent exhibition in the castle overlooking the Arabian Sea is informative and enlightening.
The Salalah-Mirbat-Sadh-Hadbeen-Hasik road is considered to be one of the most scenic in Oman. The total distance via the route we had taken was 215 kms with some of the most gorgeous mountain views in all of Oman and equally incredible seaside views along the coastal road. Hashiem stopped at multiple locations for photography and to enjoy the salubrious and soothing scenery. The odd shaped cliffs with water pouring out of some, jutting caves on the side of the road, sheer drops and karst like formations keep you rivetted all the way through.
On the way we dropped by at the tomb of Saleh/Shela. The biblical and Quranic references differ. In the former Shelah is the third son of Judah who refused to perform levirate marriage with his brothers' wife. In the Qur'an he is referred to as a prophet who was sent to the Thamud people who lived in rock caves. Called upon to prove that he is a prophet Saleh brought out a Camel and it's calf from the mountains and presented to the Thamud people with the explicit instruction not to harm it. The tomb houses a very long grave, some narrative mentioning the huge size that Saleh was and some others mentioning the tomb as those of himself and his kin.
After lunch at a most amazingly scenic point underneath a karst mountain cliff with water dripping from an unknown source we reluctantly started our journey back to Salalah. On the way back we had plans for a few more detours. The first was to experience the anti gravity point.
On the way to the Tawi Attair Sinkhole one suddenly comes upon a sign which says Location of Gravity. This sign clearly implies that the location is not an anti gravity point but is in fact a Gravity Hill. The definition of Gravity Hill, as per Wikipedia, Answer to this question is that Salalah Anti gravity point is in fact not anti-gravity point, but is a Gravity Hill. As per Wikipedia, the definition of Gravity Hill is “a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces an optical illusion, making a slight downhill slope appear to be an uphill slope.” The car moved even without ignition and, optical illusion or otherwise, the experience was unique.
The Tawi Attair Sinkhole is mentioned as one of the must see locations in Salalah. Tawi Atair translates to “Well of Birds”. There is supposedly water at the bottom of the sinkhole which serves as a watering hole for migratory birds. The sinkhole is home to many species of birds that are mostly heard and sometimes seen swooping in and out of the sinkhole. The sinkhole visit was a disappointment as the hole per se could not be seen either from the viewing platform or even after trekking a fair distance to a farther side of the huge sinkhole. Bush overgrowth and steep slopes prevent any kind of visual treats of the sinkhole. This sinkhole is one of the biggest in the world spanning 140m by 100m and is over 200 metres deep. I was told that one could go down the sinkhole in the past using a guide but has now been stopped due to reports of accidents following gravitation problems.
The Taqi Cave is under 10 km from the Tawi Attair Sinkhole. Rather than a cave the entire landscape looked like a rift that stretched the surface so wide that the place looked like a huge cradle. Livestock and camels could be seen grazing in the Wadi with definite indications of waterfalls and a sandy stream in the season. The sight was awesome and Hashiem and I trekked a fair distance up a small mountain slope to appreciate the natural wonder.
That wound up the schedule for the day and Hashiem dropped me at the residence of Alex Jacob who had graciously agreed to host me for the rest of the time that I was in Salalah. A shot of limited edition Bunnahabain single malt whiskey and with cashew nuts and dinner of fruits signaled the end of the day.
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