Hotels along the Eastern Coast and Masirah Island

Anyone planning to drive the paved coastal road from Al Ashkarah to Salalah (or vice versa) should schedule three days minimum, to have the opportunity to explore the worth seeing. The countryside on the coast is multi faceted, breathtaking but also rough and sparsely inhabited.

Masirah Island

Those, who have more than a few days to explore different areas of the Sultanate, will appreciate an excursion to Masirah island. Also for those who do the coastal road drive from or to Salalah, Masirah is a perfect overnight stop for mininum two nights. The ferry starts from Shannah, which is in a distance of a two hours drive from Al Ashkarah. The fee for the ferry is not expensive and you can take your rental car easily with you. We recommand to stay two nights on the sparse island where you find still untouched wide beaches without any traces of human visitation. Tourism is less and more limited to surfers and kiters, who appreciate the waves and the strong wind during summer.
For Birdwatchers the Island is an juwel as during winter time hundred of thousands birds stay here or stop on migration between Central Asia and East Africa.

Coastal Road till Salalah

Anyone planing to drive the paved coastal road from Al Ashkarah to Salalah (or vice versa) should schedule three days minimum, to have the opportunity to explore the worth seeing: natural bays, cliffs, wadis, pink lagoons, white dunes, salt flats or the oryx sanctuary near Jaluni. Even if the sites are not far from the road (apart from the oryx), it may take you some time driving offroad. The countryside on the coast is multi faceted, breathtaking but also rough and sparsely inhabited.