A summer solution

Europe has become a popular destination in summer, but there are exotic places closer home, such as Salalah

The monsoon, called khareef, continues from July to September, transforms the mountains of Salalah into a stunning, lush green landscape. Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters

Every year, many of us try to escape the scorching summer heat by holidaying in Europe, North America or North East Asia. In the process, we miss out on the natural beauty and fun that can be had in our own backyard.

Consider Salalah in the south of Oman – about which we wrote in Tuesday’s paper. When the mercury soars across the region, this place basks in mist and cool weather due to the monsoon called khareef, which is Arabic for autumn. Otherwise, there are many other locations both in the UAE and elsewhere within the region where nature is tamer and more hospitable.

One advantage of vacationing close to home is that it eliminates or reduces a variety of travel costs, including airfares. Visiting destinations closer to home is a perfect way to satisfy your wanderlust while keeping your travel dirhams circulating in this region. We might add that in times of concern over the environment, this reduces our carbon footprint just that much.