We spent 5 nights in Salalah during the Spring Break – April 2022. This was the first time visiting the South Eastern side of Oman – having been to Muscat almost ten years ago now. It was also our first real holiday since Summer of 2019 so we were fairly nervous and excited at the same time 😉

Here’s a very brief rundown of the trip, which we will expand into separate detailed posts.

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How did we go to Salalah from Dubai?

According to Googlemaps, it’s about a 12 hour drive from Dubai to Salalah. We have 3 very small, fussy, little people. So we decided to fly.

When we were looking for flights – the quickest way there was with FlyDubai. They don’t fly Saturday, Sunday and Wednesdays. The only flight leaving Dubai on a ‘family-friendly’ time of the day was Tuesday and Thursday at 2:20pm in the afternoon, arriving at 4:15pm. So we chose the Thursday flight.

Coming back to Dubai, we chose the Tuesday flight, leaving Salalah at 5:10pm, arriving back in Dubai at 7:05pm. Again, family-friendly timing, haha.

How much were the flights?

We paid around 6000 AED for 2 adults, and 2 toddler and 1 infant – including 20kg check-in luggage allowance.

Which Terminal do you go to?

Terminal 2.

Yes there is McDonalds there. No there is no play area.

Make sure you check-in online, and get there at least 60 minutes beforehand if you don’t want to miss your flight.

Do you need a PCR test or visa, coming from Dubai?

During our visit in April 2022 – no PCR test is required for fully vaccinated UAE residents.

We had to apply for a visa online (see website below).

Please check the current rules before you go.

Source : Department of Foreign Affairs of Oman

How is the immigration process like at Salalah Airport?

I would say, it was rather painful for us as we had to stand in queue for more than an hour with the little people in tow (sorry, spoilt Dubai residents moaning here) One was trying to run away, one wanted to pee, one was dancing around – it was an absolute nightmare ha ha. There were two other families with similar-age kids at the time so we were all feeling the pain together.

No, there is no family line.

It would be good if there was one though – Hint hint, Salalah Airport Team. Hope you are reading this.

Where did we stay in Salalah?

We spent 3 nights in the beautiful Alila Hinu Bay, in Mirbat.

Have a read through our Alila Hinu Bay staycation here.

And the remaining 2 nights chilling in Al Baleed Resort by Anantara in Salalah.

Have a read through our Al Baleed Resort by Anantara staycation here.

Both resorts are different – architecture and style, plantation and landscaping, even the beach itself. As such, the experiences in both were very different for us as well.

If you love a bit of luxury during your travel – I would recommend you pick the same 2 resorts over your time in Salalah.

Did you do any excursions, sight-seeing? Or was it just a relaxing resort holiday?

When we were in Mirbat – during our stay in Alila Hinu Bay, we were taken out on two excursions :

• Jabal Samhan – where Wadi Darbat sits – Full review of Wadi Darbat excursion here.
• Boat trip along the Mirbat Coast – Dolphin watching, snorkelling, shipwreck dive. – Full review of Mirbat Boat trip here.

From what I’ve read there is a lot you can see in Salalah as well as Mirbat if you had more time. Hiking, swimming in the mountains, etc.

The remaining of the time was spent chilling at the resorts – pool time with kids, kids club play time, and a bit of spa time for mummy and daddy as well.

What about leaving Salalah, how is the departure area like?

We were dropped off at the airport 2 hours before our flight.

Don’t worry, there is a “play area” which we ended up hanging out at with another lovely family with kids 🙂

Overall thoughts about the trip to Salalah with kids

Did we enjoy ourselves? Of course we did. The beach, the marine life in Mirbat, the resorts themselves. It was fun for us, as well as for the little ones. Both resorts were lovely in their own aspects.

If you haven’t been to Salalah with kids – make a trip. If you are one of the adventurous ones with kids who don’t mind long-distance driving – drive. Otherwise, fly – like we did.

And if you ended up picking one or both of these resorts – please let me know.

Disclaimer : We were guests of Alila and Al Baleed over our stay. We paid for our flights, directly with Fly Dubai.