flying from Salalah to Muscat

[World_Trekker]

Taken from my recent Oman trip

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/Omanmap3.jpg

Salalah to Muscat on WY506
Muscat is the capital city of Oman while Salalah is Oman's 2nd largest city
Taken from my Oman trip

Date: Oct 13, 2008
Dep: Salalah Airport SLL at 12:55
Arr: Muscat International MCT at 14:30
Distance: 1,050 km
Flight duration: 1 hr 35 mins
Fleet: B737-800 ( 144 seater ? )
Class: Economy
Seat no: 14F
Pax load : >95%

Overall service: Oman Air operates 3X daily flights from Salalah to Muscat vv, the one-way fare is fixed at 34 Riyals ( $ 93 ) thats very expensive for this short flight compared to 7 Riyals ( $18 ) if you take bus ( 12 hr journey ).
The seafood meal is just so-so . Most of the passengers are Omanis in their traditional dress.

[World_Trekker]

My ticket..
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0233-1.jpg

Salalah Airport , its a small but very roomy and comfortable inside. Just nice for Salalah's population of 120,000
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0225.jpg

[World_Trekker]

I arrived at the airport just 50 mins before time. Here is the check-in

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0228.jpg

Salalah Airport only handles 4 flights on that day- 3 to Muscat, and another to Kozhikode ( Calicut ).. here are some passengers travelling on the same flight
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0229.jpg

inside Salalah airport
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0230.jpg

[World_Trekker]

at departure hall
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0231.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0235.jpg

my plane
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0236.jpg

[World_Trekker]

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0237.jpg


I spend the whole flight with this magazine
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0238.jpg


Dhofar mountains that surround Salalah
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0240.jpg

[World_Trekker]

Route map
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0241.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0242.jpg

Ready to take off!
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0243.jpg

[World_Trekker]

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0241.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0244.jpg

Taking off... Jebel Dhofar from far away. Salalah is very beautiful city - it's surrounded by crystal clear Arabian Sea coast in one side and spectacular Jebel Dhofar on another,
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0245.jpg

[World_Trekker]

Salalah town from above

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0246.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0247.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0248.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0249.jpg

[World_Trekker]

Salalah town, Salalah sea, Salalah skies,

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0250.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0251.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0252.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0253.jpg

[World_Trekker]

My lunch- seafood biryani

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0254.jpg

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0258.jpg


http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0259.jpg

[World_Trekker]

Jebel Hajar just behind Muscat metro area
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0261.jpg

southern tip of Muscat .
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0262.jpg

Oman has superb infrastructure,
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0263.jpg

Muscat... I think thats Ruwi-Mutrah- Old Muscat area
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0264.jpg

[World_Trekker]

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0266.jpg

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0267.jpg

Muscat is sandwiched between Gulf of Oman coast and Hajar Mountains. For me its the most beautiful capital city i've been
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0268.jpg

Making a u-turn over Gulf of Oman into Muscat airport
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0269.jpg

[World_Trekker]

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0270.jpg

Seeb area
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0271.jpg

Seeb,
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0272.jpg

Seeb
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0273.jpg

[World_Trekker]

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0274.jpg

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0275.jpg

http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0276.jpg

[World_Trekker]

When we get down the plane we wer bussed to the terminal.. I wonder why need bus when we can simply walk its not that far to reach terminal which is just ~200 metres away
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0278.jpg

an Air India plane just arrived from Calicut and Trivandrum
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0279.jpg

Only one baggage-reclaim belt for domestic arrival
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0280.jpg

display board at MCT
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0281.jpg

[World_Trekker]

Muscat Airport
Muscat airport is quite small compared to Dubai , but its quite roomy inside and the facility is great.

arrival hall at Muscat International Airport
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0282.jpg

display board
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0283.jpg

Costa Coffee @MCT
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0284.jpg

restaurants at MCT
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0285.jpg

[World_Trekker]

inside Muscat airport
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat2/IMG_0286.jpg

The end!

[lak47]

World Trekker mate, i really really enjoyed that! :) Thanks for sharing those! Wonderful effort :)

Some of them are going to deffo be me wallpaper! Some stunners in there, specially the coastline ones. Loved them.

Cheers mate!

[World_Trekker]

World Trekker mate, i really really enjoyed that! :) Thanks for sharing those! Wonderful effort :)

Some of them are going to deffo be me wallpaper! Some stunners in there, specially the coastline ones. Loved them.

Cheers mate!

Hi lak ! Have read many of your posts over this forum- and really enjoyed your open-minded, highly matured and brilliant posts !

I have posted this report in some other sites like Skyscrapercity and Airliners.net- and many of them had no idea about Oman domestic lines and many haven't even heard of the town named "Salalah" before !

[Jeff]

Wonderful pictures!

I guess it's not the rainy season in Dhofar! :p

Gosh, Oman seems DRY from your photos. Dry, dry, dry.

Parched.

Makes me want to drink a tall glass of ice water.

[lak47]

^hahahahaha! Yup jeff, 'tis dry :D Mountainous all over.

And also, the tall glass of ice water feels like heaven after a walk out on the beaches! :D

But it's such a pretty country :cry:

@ WT : Likewise man! :D Pleasure reading your travel diaries. Keep them coming :)

[World_Trekker]

@Jeff- the country is almost dry all the time except for Dhofar between June-Oct

@lak- Okay so you're one of the very few leisure-savvy members right here,

Anyway I have one complaint on this flight- the lunch is not up to expectation ! Oman has the greatest food in entire Middle East, plus its not what one deserves for such an expensive flight. So I was abit disappointed as they only gave 3 small prawns and call it "Seafood rice" !

The plane flies all the way along the stunning coastal strip of Oman and the beach view only started to vanish 25-30 mins before touching down at MCT

Salalah Airport is much bigger than Sana'a ( a city with the pop size of Dubai ) , surprise !

[lak47]

Yup WT. Like to travel. ROFL @ seafood!! hahaha!

Been to Salalah quite a while back. But wish to go there again, driving meself! Along with a bunch of friends! Would be fun by road.

I like Salalah! Nice, peaceful slice of heaven. Would love to settle down there.

WT, where you from originally? And you staying in Muscat?

[World_Trekker]

You should seriously think about Yemen on your next trip, its F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C country . It has been my dream to drive 4WD from Salalah to Dalqut then to Yemen's Al-Mahrah governorate.

Having been to many countries in MiddleEast & NorthAfrica , Yemen is definitely the best country for tourism- moving around is very easy, public transport is first-rate, very safe ( just ignore whatever crap about Yemen you found on media ), the beaches and mountains are the best in the region ! Aden is the most beautiful city I've seen in all my travels.

But for living in I'd pick Oman for sure, there's no other countries in MENA ( even richer neighbors like Kuwait, UAE, Qatar ) that can match Oman's standard of living !

Am from East Asia, been to Oman 3 times.

[lak47]

Oh alright mate! Have many Yemeni friends at Uni and heard a lot from them too. We also used to have the Yemen vs Oman argument regularly.

Shall give it serious thought! Will need the help of a pro like you though!

You can drive to Yemen from Salalah! Didnt know that! But then again, expert 4WD driver needed? Or are the roads easy to negotiate?

Been to India ever,mate?

[BeachBambi]

You can drive to Yemen either via Sarfait (Salalah - Mughsayl - Rakhyut - Dalkhut - Sarfait) or via Mazyouna (Salalah - Thumrait - Madhai - Mazyouna). 4x4 is not a necessity for either journey.
Polite manners at the border are a must and under NO circumstances upset the border guards or try and go through before completing all the formalities. Such an incident occurred 3 weeks ago resulting in the death of one person, intensive care for another person and tribal revenge carried out on the border guards. (I kid you not)

[death rose]

oooh nice pics ! =D hope you had fun hehe





I spend the whole flight with this magazine
http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Salalah-Muscat/IMG_0238.jpg


omg btw the way your thumb looks here is kinda weird xD

[BrAiKi]

Nice pics, remind me of my flights from/to the desert :D

[World_Trekker]

Oh alright mate! Have many Yemeni friends at Uni and heard a lot from them too. We also used to have the Yemen vs Oman argument regularly.

Shall give it serious thought! Will need the help of a pro like you though!

You can drive to Yemen from Salalah! Didnt know that! But then again, expert 4WD driver needed? Or are the roads easy to negotiate?

Been to India ever,mate?

Not neccessarily 4WD, even your own compact car is possible to reach Yemen. I heard the road from Al-Mughsayl into Yemen border is spectacular, it climbs up from sea level to 1100 metres in 5 kms like zigzag, then not far from border the road drops down from 1000 metres back to near sea level.

Roads in Yemen are excellent. Yemen is poor financially, but the quality of roads, housing, and tourism facilities are quite good.

Went to Bangladesh early this year, but India- not yet, but plan for Tiruchirapalli next year.


oooh nice pics ! =D hope you had fun hehe


omg btw the way your thumb looks here is kinda weird xD

Shokran! Err, what does it mean !?

[Fact HearT]

Trekker,,,,thanks for sharing ,,,u seems as spended a good time of taking these photos.

[lak47]

Righty, thats good to hear about the road to Yemen :)

[Lime]

You should seriously think about Yemen on your next trip, its F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C country . It has been my dream to drive 4WD from Salalah to Dalqut then to Yemen's Al-Mahrah governorate.

Having been to many countries in MiddleEast & NorthAfrica , Yemen is definitely the best country for tourism- moving around is very easy, public transport is first-rate, very safe ( just ignore whatever crap about Yemen you found on media ), the beaches and mountains are the best in the region ! Aden is the most beautiful city I've seen in all my travels.




I have actually been from Salalah, to Dalqout, I saw the border ... but I didn't cross over to Yemen.

And I didn't know that about Yemen, All I heard was that it is unsafe and people there are extremely poor.