Friday 19 / April / 2024
Muscat: Looking for a destination that combines the scenic mountains and desert with the refreshing sea coast line?
Jalan Bani Bu Ali state in South Al Sharqiyah could be the place for you. A 300 kilometre drive from Muscat, it has many tourist spots and archaeological sites in addition to a unique geographic setting, perfect for a quick weekend getaway.
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"Visitors and tourists in the state can practice various leisure activities such as camping, sandboarding, climbing mountain, hiking, windsurfing and free sailing at sea," Halis Al Hashemi, the Head of Media Department, at Jalan Bani Bu Ali Municipality said.
The pink lake
The Jalan coast extends for a length of 180 km, and the pink lake is one of the most famous tourist spots there.
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"It is one of the rare lakes in the Sultanate. It is located on the coast of Al Suwih village. These lakes are a destination for tourists who travel because it is close to the main road that connects Ras Al Hadd and Al Ashkharah. The lakes are also a resting place for many migratory birds such as pink flamingos, and many other birds," Nasir Al Ghanbousi, a resident of the area said.
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He added: "According to a study conducted by students of Sultan Qaboos University, the reason for the lake pink color,due to a type of algae called Dunalilla Salina, this type of algae in high concentrations of salt and also contains high concentrations of B Carotene, and there are different types of bacteria in this lake, such as Bacillus Mwgaterium and Bacillus Subtllis."
"The coast of Al Suwih village is frequented by tourists for swimming, windsurfing, where they come in large numbers to practice this hobby near the Arabian Sea tourist resort and rent in the same place, while others are camping at the beach," Al Ghanbousi explained.
Mild weather in all seasons
"The nature of coasts in the Sultanate have varies geographically: You find the rocky cliffs in Al Dafa and Ras al Khubba which surrounded by some sand to give a wonderful diversity between the rocky cliffs and sands.
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Sandy beaches are scattered in the rest coastal areas of the state and the most famous were Al Ashkhrah, Al Suwaih and Al Suqlah," another resident Haitham Al Arimi said.
"More than 70 rest stops are spread along the states coastline with a number of resorts and public parks for family picnic," Al Arimi added.
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"There are wonderful places for camping away from city noise. The climate on the coasts is moderate in most seasons — in the summer, the temperature in the day varies between 30-35 degrees, and at night it's around 20 degrees. On winter nights, the sky become clear and visitors can see and photograph the stars," Adnan Al Alawi, a photographer in Jalan Bani Bu Ali said.
