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By Conrad Prabhu

A visit to Salalah is far from complete without a visit to one of Salalah's most distinctive natural attractions — the blowholes of Mughsayl.

It is a magnet for tens of thousands of tourists, Omani visitors and expatriate residents eager to witness first-hand a phenomenon that comes to life only during the khareef. Set amid a magnificent mist-laden seafront, these blowholes are also shrouded in dark legend and colourful myths. The drive to this most enchanting of Dhofar's attractions is equally memorable. The road traverses a hilly stretch, rising and dropping almost roller-coaster-style, with the mountain crests caressed by low-hanging clouds. Much of the surrounding landscape lies outside the monsoon belt, and hence lacks the verdancy that drapes Dhofar's mountains just a few kilometres away.

Gulf tourists and their families flock to the blowholes on a misty day in Salalah

But as the road dips towards Mughsayl, a spectacular beachfront, shrouded in mist, comes into view. A number of pergolas dot the beach, built by Dhofar Municipality for the benefit of picnickers and beach strollers. The beach is sandy in parts, but otherwise rocky. Often, visibility is reduced to just a few minutes as fog banks, thick as cottony clouds, waft ashore enveloping the surrounding countryside. At the far end of this delightful stretch are the famous blowholes — a natural occurrence created over many millennia by strong waves lashing against the shallow limestone cliffs that make up Mughsayl's coastline. The crashing waves send seawater gushing up these cracks in the rock resulting in spectacular plumes of surf rising several metres high, similar to a whale's blow spout.

Picnickers camp out amid these verdant landscapes in the jabals of Salalah. Children venture close to the mouth of the blowhole in an apparent 'game of dare', but scurry away moments before a column of water spurts out. Cameras click away as the blowholes spit out water with a thunderous swoosh. Many tourists come away drenched, but with spirits still intact, happy in the knowledge they were part of the blowhole phenomenon. The blowhole experience is even more dramatic if the sea below is rough and the waves ferocious. For reasons of safety, iron grilles cover the holes. A protective railing has also been installed along the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea, to keep over-zealous visitors from falling over into the frothy seas below.

While most visitors come to see the blowholes in action, others come to marvel at the blustery seas from the sanctuary of a lofty perch overlooking the Indian Ocean. On a clear day, the rocky coastline is visible for miles punctuated by dramatic cliffs and little sandy beaches. Mughsayl's other main attraction is Kahf al Marnaif ¾ a cave-like formation towering above the rocky seafront. Local people argue that the formation has the appearance of a monstrous beast with its fangs bared. It used to serve as a campsite for barbecuing and picnicking, and of course, shelter in the rains. But with tourists thronging the blowholes nearby, Kahf al Marnaif is now a thoroughfare for visitors.

Environmental authorities have been working to restore a scenic nature reserve at Mughsayl which was extensively damaged in the recent cyclone that hit the Dhofar region three months ago. Khawr Mughsayl attracts swarms of migratory birds and other wildlife, luring in turn bird-lovers and nature photographers. The creek is one of nine reserves in the Dhofar region that have been designated as natural sanctuaries by Royal Decree. Creeks at Balid, Sawli, Dahariz, Taqah, Rori and Awqad are among other nature reserves brought under the purview of the Royal Decree. Studies have shown that the khawrs of Salalah coast, including Khawr Mughsayl, serve as stopover points for as many as 150 water-birds and some land-bird species as well.

Picture postcard settings in khareef-bound Dhofar. — Pictures by Abdullah Ibrahim al Shuhi

They are also home to some of the more spectacular birds of the Dhofar coast, including the graceful flamingo, the Ibis with its dark plumage and curved beak, the black coot, the heron and egret. Visitors can sample the Dhofar region's true monsoon splendour by journeying beyond Mughsayl through mountainous landscapes that until recently had attracted few outsiders and fewer tourists to these parts.

The wilayats of Rakhyut and Dhalkout, in the western part of the governorate, are a world away from the rest of the region and offer many delightful surprises to visitors and tourists alike. Just eight kilometres out of Mughsayl, the road climbs vertiginously up the walls of a gorge, punctuated by a number of sharp hairpin bends. This is the Salalah-Sarfait highway — a showpiece of road engineering — with the blacktop cut into the precipitous edge of a mountain. Thick fog reduces visibility to just a few feet making driving a hazardous exercise, and hence best undertaken by only experienced motorists. It is also prudent to check the condition of your vehicle — especially the gear, brakes and tyres — before setting out on this journey.

The blowholes of Mughsayl are a key tourist attraction of Salalah

A natural spring in full flow at Ayn Razat

En route are dramatic views of the rocky coastline with the turquoise waters of the Arabian Sea just beyond. Equally stunning are the landscapes around, but these are mainly obscured from view when the fog gets thick, much to the disappointment of those looking to take snapshots of the surrounding beauty. Curiously, the countryside is also dotted with numerous frankincense trees — the mainstay of local tribes that harvest the aromatic resin for Salalah's thriving frankincense markets.

Just 10 kilometres shy of Rakhyut town, the blacktop veers towards the wilayat of Dhalkout, and the border town of Sarfait beyond, leaving you on a mud-churned track that traverses some of Dhofar's most luxuriant countryside. On the slopes of these mountains, which receive the full blast of the monsoon, grow veritable forests — so thick with fine tress that local authorities have placed large swathes off bounds to foraging animals. In any event, monsoon rains make these verdant slopes too treacherous for camels and cattle to graze, forcing herders to take them to pasture on the plains close to Salalah. Tucked away in this lush wilderness are a number of tiny mountain hamlets set in idyllic surroundings. A network of dirt tracks links these villages to the main administrative centre in Rakhyut, where the government offers a full range of services. Soon these remote settlements will witness rapid development as a major road project gets underway after the monsoon, linking Rakhyut with Salalah and the rest of the Dhofar region.

Oman Observer 29th July 2002