Destination: Yemen.

I want to explore the world. All of it. Unfortunately, our world is not all rainbows and butterflies. Countries like Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen, to list a few, have been traumatized by war and instability. Due to the Yemeni Civil War, most countries have closed their embassies—making it difficult for globetrotters chasing 193 to complete their missions. So, when I learned of a way to enter Yemen from Salalah, Oman, I decided to give it a try before the window of opportunity completely closed [see post: Over the Border: Day Trip to Yemen].

Oman has been on my list for quite some time now. But, this quick trip was not intended for exploring the country. Nevertheless, I was able to allocate one full day to exploring Salalah and its surroundings.

I arrived at Salalah International Airport shortly after 3:00 in the morning on Friday, January 4, 2019. Getting through the airport was quick and easy. Since I was coming from Muscat, I did not have to go through passport control again. Citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar do not require a visa to visit Oman, while tourists from all other countries do. Since Americans are eligible to use the Oman eVisa system, I applied for a tourist visit visa in advance via the Royal Oman Police E-Visa website. I paid 50 OMR (about $130 USD) for the ‘36B Visit Visa Multi-Entry 1 Year’. I received the visa via email only several hours after applying. Note: This visa must be used for entry to Oman within one month of approval.

I booked a two-night stay the Crowne Plaza Resort Salalah using hotel points. The hotel’s complimentary airport shuttle was waiting for me outside of the airport. Before I knew it, it was 6:00 in the morning and I was being picked up for a day trip to Yemen. Since I did not return to Salalah until late that evening, the following day was my only full day to explore the area.

While planning this trip, I prepared a list of places that I wanted to visit. Finding someone to take me around was very expensive. I ended up booking a custom tour with Beautiful Salalah for 80 OMR (about $208 USD)—ridiculously expensive for the route that I had proposed, but the cheapest quote that I received.

My itinerary included the following stops:

Taqah – Coastal fishing town in the Dhofar governorate.

Khor Rori – Ancient south Arabian archaeological site near Salalah.

Wadi Darbat – Valley in the governorate of Dhofar that has a river running through the middle and waterfalls nearby.

“Anti-Gravity Road” – Well-known anti-gravity point near Mirbat.

Mirbat – Coastal town that was once the capital of Dhofar and is now primarily known for fishing and its old houses.

Jebel Samhan (not Jebel Shams) – One of the major mountain ranges in the governorate of Dhofar with many plateaus.

After the tour concluded, I returned to the hotel to relax on the beach and watch the sunset.

The following morning, I began my two-day four-flight journey back home to Chicago via Muscat [see post: 8 Hours in Muscat], Doha, and New York City. What a great way to begin the new year! Oman is incredibly beautiful; I will definitely return.