Dhofar

The region covering the southern third of Oman is referred to as the Dhofar. Being isolated from northern Oman, the Dhofar had in the past close contacts with the Yemen. The region is mainly desertic, but in the summer months (August until early October) it is touched by the south east monsoon. During this period, known as Khareef, the region gets covered by lush green vegetation. The Dhofar region is referred to as "land of frankincense". Frankincense trees grow there in large numbers and are harvested. In the past the Dhofar prospered due to the export of the frankincense. The capital of the Dhofar is Salalah. Beautiful white coral sand beaches extend along the coast east and west of Salalah.