Job Discussion Forums

[Scott2005]

Hello all,

I expect to be moving to Salalah in the very near future with my family.

While I have a lot of experience of the ME, we have never been to Salalah before.

It would be great to make contact with anyone living there now or who has left recently.

Really looking for general info and so on.

Taeverso!

[QatarChic]

I don't live there but am familiar with that part of Oman as I used to work there. Most of the expats hang out at the Oasis bar (outskirts of Salah) the man who runs it is a South African called Cecil (I think- but not too sure) Most of the families tend to join one of the two major hotels; The Hilton or The Crowne Plaza; they have really nice pools/gym facilities/restaurants each with different theme nights.

Its a reall small town and very easy to make friends both with the locals and the expats. Eating out is cheap and most of the food is Indian/Pakistani. There's a very good restaurant Lebanese Restaurant called Baalbeck.....what you can do in Salah is quite limited, but there are several flights per day to Muscat and two flights per week to Dubai; Saturday and Wednesday....if you like outdoor activities you will find plenty to do at weekends..the nearby town such as Mirbat, and Mughsayl...are definitely worth a visit..

Hope this helps. Good luck

[Scott2005]

Thanks QC!

That's good stuff.

Any other info anyone else has would be much appreciated.

Thanks again

Scott

[Joe Keysor]

I have been teaching English in Salalah for about 1 year and eight months. I like it here very well and hope to stay for some time.

The people are friendly, and I have had no problems. Muscat has more in the way of shopping malls and deluxe restaurants, but i don't care much about those. The scenery is nice, and the pace of life is slow here.

I think you will like it, if you aren't looking for a lot of excitement.

[boundforsaudi]

Anybody got a link to an online map of the city of Salalah? Or else maybe a scanned copy they could post here or e-mail me? Hey, a rough sketch on a napkin will do me. The major streets, location of the colleges, good grocery stores, malls, police station, Al-Bustan compound, beer distribution point, etc. I want to hit the ground running. This is the best I've been able to find:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ad/Salalah.jpg

[Scott2005]

Yo,

Just spent a week there, very quiet, very, interesting and VERY beautiful!

Contact me and I can send you a hard copy map. Otherwise try e mailing the guys at the Hilton Salalah and they may have a soft copy.

I have already fallen in love with the place and when I get to live there (soon) will be happy to help.

Cheers

Scott

[veiledsentiments]

Scott.... are you sure that you want your email on a public board??? I think I would edit it out and send it on a PM... (use the edit box in the upper right hand border of your post)

VS

[Scott2005]

I..... well just DOH!

[veiledsentiments]

... errr... that was rather my thought... posting early in the morning again?

[manoflettersk466]

Thought I'd share some pics I took in the Salalah area, while I was teaching there for the summer term. I include some maps in JEPG form for those wishing to see the layout ( view with "Full Size" and the city details are very clear). As an added note I have to say I worked with CECN and had absolutely no problems at all with the company. I found them to be very professional, polite, and helpful when needed.....I hope to work for them again on any more short-term assignments that may come up, in that Awesome country: Oman!!

To view pics go to:

http://vindon2.tripod.com/oman/

cheers, Manofletters.

[Duffy]

Hi, hope these few observations will give you an idea of, well from my perspective, something about the town.


As with all Middle East countries, the car fuel is cheap. To fill a 10 gallon tank? 5 Omani Riyals that is about �7.50 hence the plethora of 4X4�s even a few Humvies amongst them, usually driven by the young bucks who have had them customised. We have been hiring a car since arriving there, decided to give it a while before we bought one. We have a Toyota Echo from Europcar and we managed to screw them down to 150 OR a month and that was in the Khareef when hire cars were at a premium, but when they see that they might make a long term rental, they are accommodating. Give Anil Verma a call on 0968-23212460, In Turkey, which is our normal residence, there are minibuses (Dolmus) that will take you anywhere and everywhere, not so in Salalah, plenty of taxis though, you can get one of the orange and white cars for about 1 to 2 Riyals to take you anywhere in the city, one way. The roads are something to die for, err � not literally!! By this I mean that under British influence and engineering, the roads are comparative to any, even better than some motorway surfaces in the UK. Just be careful when driving off into the mountains as one minute you are on a smooth surface, the next WHACK!! It disappears to dirt track! Drivers are very courteous too!! I was amazed, having had 2 tours in Saudi and I was prepared for the worst and those who have been there know what I mean!! But I remember coming up to a junction on July 23rd Street and this Omani driver actually smiled at me and waved me ahead of him!! I really was nonplussed, in a nice way after I remember; again, not wishing to bang the old �Colonial� drum they were taught by the British. Oh yes, the junctions take a bit of getting used to, even if you have driven on the left before, when you get there you will see what I mean!

Food � Hmmm, well you can get what you like in Salalah. From traditional Omani to �traditional� American. Our first meal was a KFC! Oh yes, when you are in a strange town, in a strange country after 2 days travelling, the urge for something �safe� takes over? It was ok, but then � I could have been in Brisbane for the taste difference. Later of course we went on to try various Omani/Lebanese cuisines, much like any other ME country really, same basic ingredients. By this time we were both teaching horrific hours my other half was doing 38, YES 38 hours contact and I was on 32. But that�s another story best left until things are sorted. At this time we decided to try a very well known Chinese restaurant, the Cascade they did takeaways which suited us as we were finishing 9 o clock at night and the food was great, it really was fresh and tasty and the ice cream was to die for, that was until the Khareef ended and one night we went there to pick up our pre-ordered meal and I walked straight in and walked straight out again, amazing as usually I had to hang around waiting my turn. Thought no more, got back to the villa ate the meal and went to bed (oh yes �you can see what�s coming!!) We had 2 days off!! Luckily our villa, like most had 2 bathrooms so we didn�t have to fight over who was going to use the loo first. Needless to say, it will be next Khareef before we order a meal there again!! Then I found it!! I mean, I have topped 60, been around � but never had a Pizza Hut pizza!!! Can you believe it? Well, we were trying to find a decent meal one day and my wife remembered we had passed this place and thought we should give it a try, I am not a great lover of Pizza (or wasn�t) so we went there, ordered one and � well, I was hooked, we went on to pizza diet. Just as well we were doing all those lessons as our waistlines didn�t grow. So got to the Pizza Hut in Salalah its great, and the service is very good.

Listen all you purists, I am not knocking traditional Omani food, we had it and it was good, we just didn�t have time then to try more, it will be different next time, to try more local dishes.
Another thing we did, at the end of every month when we ere eventually paid, was to have a splurge, oh yes we went OTT! We went to the Crown Plaza and had a buffet meal with a bottle of wine Bliss! I usually have a couple of G&T�s before, but with the cost of a bottle being 35OR (�50) I blanched and stuck with the wine. Same thing almost happened there as it did at the Chinese, after Khareef we went there, was told the restaurant was close and was directed to a �barbecue� next to the lower pool, went there took one look at all the very bloody so-called �cooked� meat on offer and beat a hasty retreat!!

Shopping is good in Salalah, if its clothes you want, whether man or woman there is an absolute plethora of items. I�m not the smallest of chaps but, I had two pairs of trousers made for me, very individually tailored (�d�you dress left or right sir?�) and they got it right!!! For the princely sum of 5, yes FIVE riyals per pair!! I mean, where can you get custom made trousers (pants to the rest of the world!) for �7.50p, or about $13!! Other things lie food is amply catered for by Lulu�s, a legend in the ME. Here in Salalah their food hall is not different to other places. Just remember you aficionados of British/American/European food; the expatriate population is drawn from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Don�t go looking for ingredients that you need for a traditional Western meal, like tarragon?? What�s that, the shelves are stuffed with spices and things which most new expats will never have come across. In short, f you are a fan of hot spicy food � this is the place for you!!! On the 2nd (First floor to us Brits) there is the hardware *beep* everything else you will need for the home place. The one thing they sell and which I really recommend is the water cooler/heater. You know, you see them in offices and places, well Lulu�s have a great stock of these machines. We bought a table top version for 26OR, it takes a large bottle of �Oasis� water and, well the greatest thing is that when we get up in the morning, the hot tap makes a good cup of tea or instant coffee and the cold tap produces that nectar of sweet ice cold water that you are just dying for when you come through the door having been out in the searing heat for a while. GET ONE!!!

On the top floor are clothes � men�s, women�s, children�s, and all at prices to suit as they say. I thought, considering my tailor (oh that sounds so colonial-but true!) I was getting a better bargain by having things made �to fit� rather than buying something which I had either to say to myself �I�ll lose some weight and it will fit fine� or � I� must have lost some weight but I like it so I may grow into it�

Of course, I must not leave out Spinney�s. This is a small supermarket that is sort of �tacked� on to the outside edge of the RAFO base in Salalah. Here is the place where us Brit/American expats can find comfort foods, I mean all the sauces we are used to, breakfast cereals, tinned stuff like baked beans, etc� bread that is freshly baked daily. Pies and things we normally see in Britain, I even saw a so called �Cornish pasty� there, but being a Cornishman, I knew the difference � it was Devonish!! (Sorry, only someone from Cornwall would understand that!) Also, at the back of the store, on the left just beyond the fresh salads and things, stands an ordinary, home sized cabinet freezer, open it and you see a wealth of truly British bacon, truly British sausages and other pork joints, yes, PORK!!! What nicer for that Thursday morning, easy breakfast than a nice bacon sarnie, laced with HP sauce and a nice cup of tea, all courtesy of Spinney�s, (Gawd!! This sounds like a commercial!!) At price, of course! People may, and do moan about the extra cost of food items here, but lets face it folks, if you are buying in foreign foods, it costs, right?

Oh yes, accommodation. Like most, we had to find our own with help. The first place we had was a huge villa 150 metres from the sea and 100 metres from the local fish factory!! OK, it was a place to start. Then we found Al-Bustan residential complex. We now have a fully furnished villa, plenty of room for us both. Comfortable furnished accommodation with satellite TV, ok, it is ArabSat with only one English channel but with a lot of help from Wendy and her satellite decoder and card, we now have something decent to watch. Oh yes, there is a large swimming pool and a gym!! So however much you overeat, there is no excuse not to work off!!
I nearly forgot, at Lulu�s I bought a Phillips DVD/Divx player, (it was only 26 OR!!) Now to the uninitiated, DivX is the latest in compression software that will shrink down a 4Gigabyte movie to 1 Gig, or so. The great advantage of this is that I can download these DivX files from the net, I mean latest movies and TV stuff, burn them onto a disc and watch them on a normal TV, cool or what!!!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings about Salalah for now, there are other things I would like to tell you but don�t want to take up too much space.

Duffy

[veiledsentiments]

[Duffy]

Point taken VS, I withdraw that statement and as you say, will attribute it to the Omani character.

Duffy

[Duffy]

I forgot to mention that the rent we pay for the villa at A-Bustan is 175OR per month. This may seem a little high, but when you take into account that you can move straight in, (even the beds are made up for you!) and there is no furniture to buy, it is a bargain. Especially when you think that 2 years or so down the line you are not going to have the hassle of having to try and sell the household goods for a fraction of what you paid. Also, the complex has a 24 hour security guard, there is always someone at or near the reception AND there is a small shop on site. Did I mention the garden? No don�t think I did. Each villa has its own little garden to the rear where there usually is a central patio with flowers and trees all around. You can rent a villa on a more comprehensive basis that covers all utilities such as electricity and water, laundry and cleaning but not telephone bill at a cost of 280 OR per month. The electricity is going to be the highest cost because of the air conditioning which is essential, but as we were out of the villa a lot we chose the normal tenancy. If either of us were to be there all day, we might have gone for the more expensive option. The complex is about 15-20 minutes drive from the centre of Salalah.

When you have your car there are basically three directions in which you can go, East-ish to Taqaa, Mirbat and beyond. North over the mountains or West-ish to Mugsayl and Yemen.

The road to Mirbat runs along the coast to your right and the mountains to your left, watch out for Camels!! Before you get there you will drive past Taqaa, it is a small town on the coast and is fast becoming a �dormitory� for Salalah. Just beyond, staying on the main road there is a fork which leads to Whadi Darbat and beyond that into the hills. This is a valley which is green and lush during Khareef and stays that way long after. There are waterfalls and large ponds, also there are very large warning signs telling people not to enter the water, seems there is a certain kind snail which, if given the opportunity will attach itself to you and lay its eggs under your skin and it will make you very ill! Before you drive up the hill to the Whadi, somewhere in the area is the �magic road�. Now we have, as yet not found it, so I cannot comment on it�s properties but, according to books websites and people who have found it, they say it is a dirt track upon which you vehicle will defy gravity, seems you just drive on it, either up or downhill and stop, do not apply any brakes but the vehicle will not budge. Several people have been there and told us that it does happen. I guess we haven�t really looked for it because we are too busy driving round looking at the ancient sites and settlements, that�s our thing.

One very interesting site between Taqaa and Mirbat is Koh Rouri this is the remains of yet another city which sprang up from the frankincense trade. Though not officially open, we just gave the guard on the site 2OR and he let us wander at will. The town sits high on a bluff which has a commanding view over what would have been a deep lagoon until what looks to be a sand bar was thrown up and ships could no longer enter to trade, worth a visit. Also in the area we found what looked like Stone Age burial mounds, these will bear closer investigation when we return soon.

Mirbat is essentially a fishing village. There is a very interesting fort there but like this one and others the only we got to see them was on a Friday and they are closed then!! Just outside of this fort there is a small gun battery which holds 3 very sad looking cannons. Having worked for a British heritage organisation for many years I was quite saddened to see their deteriorated condition. As I was when I looked across the inlet and saw very old traditional houses just �falling down� quite literally they had been left to collapse. I do not know what the policy is for conservation generally in Oman, but I think it is very sad if post-medieval buildings are going to be allowed to decay at the expense of more ancient ones. In my mind examples of all buildings should be preserved, it is the nation�s heritage, whatever country that is. OK rant over!!

On our first visit to this town it was covered in fairly dense fog, though we could see the beach with the rough seas throwing up dead or dying fish that had been unable to fight the conditions. We caught the aroma of food cooking but couldn�t find the source, it seemed to be coming from the sea but we could see nothing. Later as we were walking around the small, new harbour the mist lifted and there were about half a dozen fishing dhows anchored offshore, obviously they were having a meal. The road beyond Mirbat leads to a village called Sadaaq, it is a fishing village which specialises in Abalone, shame it was not the season when we went there. Beyond that again are quite wonderful beaches, some stony some sandy. As I said it was the monsoon season when we got there so the seas were much too rough for swimming. Another place along that way is called �Hadbeen� I�m sure there were a few jokes made up by expats over that! There is another 80 or so kilometres to go before the road runs out, we have yet to go there, next month I think.

Another ancient site called Al Balid lies on the edge of Salalah beside the sea. It is a huge site wherein lie the remains of a settlement that existed solely for the Frankincense trade and which died out centuries ago. There are a lot of remains now excavated and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage are doing a grand job of opening the site to the public by creating solid walkways, toilet facilities, and what looks to be a large museum, the haven�t quite finished yet but visitors are allowed in to drive in, park up and walk the site it costs 1OR. I hope that they are going to put some interpretation panels around so that we can read about what we are viewing.

Going West-ish after passing by the modern Port Salalah, you reach Mugsayl. This is a resort area with really wonderful beaches. The main attraction here are the series of blowholes right on the edge of the rocks, there were huge seas crashing in the day we went and we saw a young Arab buck nearly washed away as large waves dashed over him as he posed for a photograph right on the edge of the rocks. Silly Boy!! Also here there is a small caf�, it was here that I ate Cuttlefish for the first time, a bit like tough squid was my impression of it. We carried on along the road until we eventually came across a road block manned by the Omani army, we thought it quite strange and decided to try and drive through. After much shaking of hands and Sallam Malakums we were waved through, the soldier gave me a funny look which I couldn�t figure out and we drove off. After admiring the scenery for a few kilometres. My wife shouted �Stop!� I did so and she showed me the map, or rather the larger version which showed more than just a red line, it showed that we were heading for YEMEN!! Yep, the soldiers back at the checkpoint when we got back just laughed and let us through, how many have they done that to I wonder?

The road to and from this checkpoint can be quite spectacular, especially as when we went there the Khareef was finishing and there was very little in the way of low cloud. So when we got into the mountains the views were spectacular and the road was of an amazingly high standard. That particular day we were heading back to Salalah and upon reaching the first beach at Mugsayl I saw some guys fishing off the rocks. I had been thinking about taking the sport up again as I heard it was quite good in Oman, so I went over and said hello. There were half a dozen Brit expats and they were extremely friendly giving me advice about tides, good places to fish and stuff. As we were talking one of them hooked into a fish, I was surprised to see him using a boat rod from the beach, but when I saw his catch I understood. After quite a long fight he eventually brought the fish ashore, it was a Sting Ray quite common by all accounts. This one measured over a metre from wing to wing and it was regarded as a �baby� by the anglers who said that they have caught them four times as large, hence the heavy duty fishing tackle. They measured it and put it back safely in the sea. So I am now equipped with my new fishing gear in readiness.

We arrived just after the season had started and it was a couple of weeks before we caught sight of something vague in the mists! The hills around Salalah are not too spectacular as regards viewing from a distance, but what a relief to be up there in the cool mists and drizzle. We found it quite amusing to see families, some from as far as Saudi and Bahrain, sitting in the rain, food laid out and sipping tea as though they were on say, the moors in England, then we realised that that is what is was to them. After putting up with some of the highest temperatures in the world, wouldn�t we welcome the chance to go somewhere cool and damp?? Now that Khareef is over, the whole mountain ranges can be seen.

The countryside around the city is verdant after the monsoons. I likened the hills to those around Dartmoor in England, green and lush, it is a pity to think that in a few weeks most places will be burnt brown again. One bit of advice I will give and that is make sure you have plenty of spare fuel and water before wandering off to the hills. There are many interesting looking side roads that when followed take you deep into the hills. Explore by all means, but keep a wary eye on the fuel gauge and odometer and turn back if you think you are likely to run out of anything. It is interesting, we explored a very little of the hills, only because we didn�t have a 4X4, that will change as we are getting one on our return so we can do some proper exploring.

I hope that through what I have written may have shown you that despite the fact that here are few entertainments in the city itself, there are plenty more things to see and do on the outside.

Duffy


[img][/img]

[veiledsentiments]

Perhaps the Sultan should hire you for the Salalah PR department. It sounds like a place where a 4WD could be worth the investment. (unlike using one for commuting in Atlanta...)

VS