Wadi Dawkah

Dhofar


This small reserve, 40km north of Salalah, protects a 5km grove of ancient frankincense trees and is listed by Unesco as part of the frankincense-related heritage sites. More than 1200 trees are dotted around the arid wadi that lies just beyond the cooling mists of the khareef. The trees have fewer leaves as a result, but equally the sap is of a better fragrance and therefore the trees are all the more prized.

Sign boards at the site explain how the tapping of sap is carried out. Trees are bled for sap when they reach 10 years in age, and each tree yields three to four kilograms of luban (frankincense) each season. The beads of incense range from yellow to the highly prized milky-blue nuggets; some are even the colour of jade. There's a small path, some shaded picnic tables and toilets, but no other facilities at the site.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dhofar attractions

1. Ayoon Pools

13.9 MILES

Below the village of Ayoon there are some natural pools surrounded by tall stands of reeds and other vegetation. The pools are accessed along a 3km off…

2. Ayn Garziz

15.99 MILES

One of the most visited of the springs issuing from the foothills surrounding Salalah, Ayn Garziz often has a generous flow of water collecting at the…

3. Job’s Tomb

16.53 MILES

In religious terms, this tomb is probably the most important site in Dhofar. The tomb of Prophet Job, mentioned in the Old Testament and venerated by…

4. Ayn Razat

17.86 MILES

The most striking of all the springs scattered across the Salalah Plain, Ayn Razat flows copiously from the hillside at all times of year and rolls across…

5. Ayn Humran

21.38 MILES

Tiny compared with its more bountiful neighbours, this spring collects in a small well in the middle of a rural road at the northern rim of the plain. Of…

6. Sultan Qaboos Mosque

22.13 MILES

This newly completed, single-dome mosque with two minarets is a gift from His Majesty to the people of his mother's hometown, Salalah. It's open to…

7. Plantations

22.82 MILES

Salalah is famous for its plantations of coconuts, papayas and bittersweet, small bananas. Stroll through the plantation roads near the corniche (2km from…

8. Al Baleed Archaeological Park

22.98 MILES

Well-labelled and atmospherically lit at night, the ancient ruins of Al Baleed belong to the 12th-century trading port of Zafar. Frankincense was shipped…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "oman/dhofar/attractions/wadi-dawkah/a/poi-sig/1609947/361113",
      "destination": "Dhofar",
      "continent": "Middle-East",
      "country": "Oman",
      "region": "Dhofar",
      "position": "superzone"
    }