On the Renaissance Day Holiday in Oman on 23rd July 2019, we planned a road trip to Jabal Samhan Salalah (also written as Jebel Samhan), the highest point in Dhofar Governorate in Sultanate of Oman.
Jabal Samhan is famous for its view point, from where one can see the clouds below. The journey from Salalah to Jebel Samhan is fascinating one especially in Khareef season.
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Lunch at Pizza Inn at Salalah Gardens Mall
We planned this visit with our friends and we met them in the afternoon in Salalah Gardens Mall at Pizza Inn. Since it was Tuesday, there was a weekly promotion for buy one get one free pizza.
We ordered Barbecue and Chicken Fajita flavors pizzas and ate well before commencing the journey. Alhumdulilah
The Drive from Salalah to Jebel Samhan
Although the journey from Salalah to Jabal Samhan takes around 50 to 60 minutes but since it was Khareef and the path was foggy, it took us a little more than an hour to reach our destination. The distance from Salalah is around 80 to 90 kilometers.
From Salalah Gardens Mall we drove on Ar Rubat Street and passed through Burj Al Nahdah roundabout, and Salalah Grand Mall, from where we turned right side on As Sultan Taymur Street.
From the next roundabout, Ad Dahariz roundabout, we took the third exit to Highway 49. While passing through Ad Dahariz Natural Reserve – Khawr Ad Dahariz, Al Mamora Roundabout, and couple of other roundabouts of Taqa Wilayat, we reached to the marked exit on the highway for Wadi Darbat.
From here the road ascended on the Al Qara Mountains.
which are one of the 3 mountain ranges which form the beautiful Dhofar Mountain Chains. The other two mountain ranges are Jabal Al Qamar, on the western side in Dhalkut wilayat and Jabal Samhan, on the eastern side in Mirbat wilayat.
Just at the Wadi Darbat intersection, we took a small break at the Wadi Darbat. Here we picked the tea, some of us wanted Shaye Karak, while some wanted Milk Tea. The mangoes on the makeshift selling kiosks were delicious as well. Seems like Mangoes from Pakistan.
After this small hiatus, we continued our journey towards Jabal Samhan. After Wadi Darbat, the area of Tawi Attair had dense fog and the visibility was quite low. From Tawi Attair, we turned left and followed the direction of Jabal Samhan.
Jabal Samhan location is marked on the way from Tawi Attair and following this is recommended if you are not using GPS. I was using Google map for proper navigation.
On they way one can also see Tawi Attair Sinkhole (The Birds well) and Tayq Cave and Sinkhole (also written as Teeq or Taiq). We didn’t have much time, so we skipped those. Previously we had covered these places and details about them is in another post.
Be extremely careful while driving in the fog, as visibility is very low and there could be cows and camels crossing the road.
From Tawi Attair to Jabal Samhan the journey took around 35 to 40 minutes as we were driving with caution. The drive is mesmerizing, and is one of my favorites after the journey from Ayn Sahalnoot to Zeek.
Before reaching Jabal Samhan, the weather became clear and it was sunny.
Jabal Samhan Tour
If you want to reach Jabal Samhan View Point while sitting in an air conditioned car, with a guide, I would recommend Beautiful Salalah. You can contact them at +968 9120 6678 (whatsapp or call) or send an email at info@beautifulsalalah.com.
Jebel Samhan Height
Samhan Mountains are on the Eastern side of Dhofar Mountains and as per the Oman Ministry of Tourism Website, the highest point is above 2000 meters.
This is not as high as Jabal Shams in Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate, which is around 3000 meters, but it is the maximum height in Dhofar region.
Jabal Samhan View Point
Jabal Samhan View Point was our final destination. From this tourist attraction, you can view the clouds below you.
We were lucky to see the dense clouds below us on this evening. Some days it’s very clear and the visitors have to leave this place without even seeing any cloud.
There was no fog at this spot, eventhough there was on the way. We reached the view point at around 6 pm. The wind was amazing and strong. The view was mesmerising.
At the view point, a walkway provides safe track to walk along the clouds and enjoy this nature beauty. There are fences to prevent slipping from the cliff. Don’t cross the fence.
In the view point there is a small parking for the visitors. Some makeshift shops and restaurants (Coffee Shops) were there for the khareef season. My friend purchased a kite from there, as kite flying is a popular activity.
After staying there for 45 minutes, we have to leave although we didn’t want to go. Since there is no light pole on the way from Jabal Samhan to Tawi Attair, we wanted to leave before sunset and reach Tawi Attair before it gets dark.
The journey from Jabal Samhan to Salalah was stunning and the setting sun with dense clouds above and green plains with winding roads in front was a great view. Subhan Allah
The fog increased on the way back and it was dark after sunset. At couple of spots, camels and cows were crossing the road.
The return journey took us around 2 hours as we drove the vehicles with extra precaution and due to Khareef also the traffic was more in Salalah City.