The elegant dancers and bright costumes mainly brighten up local weddings these days. Just outside Salalah in the desert you'll find frankincense trees. Frankincense has a variety of uses including an ingredient for perfume and incense. In the shops, frankincense as well as myrrh, is graded according to sweetness and quality and buying always involves a little haggling. The beach is as beautiful as Miami or Bondi but don't even think of stripping down to your swimsuit while here.
Women remain covered up at all times in public.
And if Salalah develops a tourism industry to supplement its oil revenues, and the cruise ships arrive in increasing numbers, it'll be a long time before it gets spoiled. A couple of things to keep in mind when visiting this area of the Middle East - the heat is excessive in summer and you must appreciate the Muslim customs concerning behavior and dress. Our cruise from Dubai to Oman was just one leg of the Silver Wind's global voyage. Each segment is a different price but includes all travel, connections, food and drink. And each one is a truly exciting adventure.