Hilton Salalah teams up with Oman Air and Kuwait Airways to offer special Khareef holidays

"We are very excited about working with Oman Air and Kuwait Airways to offer such excellent value holidays for GCC residents, so that they may experience the mild temperatures and beautiful scenery of the Khareef season," said Franz-Josef Macho, General Manager, Hilton Salalah.

"Visitors this summer will also be able to enjoy the annual Khareef Festival which runs until 31 August 2002 and provides a fantastic variety of entertainment including traditional folklore, dancing and fashion shows," explained Franz.

The deluxe 147-room Hilton Salalah, the only five-star property in Salalah provides an exclusive private beachfront with endless white sandy beaches and spectacular sea-views. The hotel has three restaurants and popular theme nights, Arabic 'Alf leila wa leila' every Thursday and Italian 'Una Festa Napolitana' on Tuesdays and Arabic tent. Other facilities include a bar, nightclub, heated swimming pool, two floodlit tennis courts and fully equipped fitness centre. In addition, banqueting and conference facilities are available for up to 250 people.

Salalah, which lies in the extreme south of Oman, is known for its lush greenery, coconut palms, frankincense and the annual Khareef, or monsoon, season when the area experiences tropical rains and cool temperatures. Throughout the town, antique Omani silver, daggers, rifles and handcrafted jewelry can be found in the many shops and souqs. Khareef in Salalah also marks the "wedding season" where traditional Omani wedding celebrations take place throughout the city.

"While the rest of the Gulf bakes in the heat during the summer, Salalah is able to offer beautiful scenery, mild temperatures and a variety of entertainment and culture for a truly memorable break. With the early arrival of the monsoon this year, visitors can enjoy the pleasant clime of around 20 degree celsius," added Franz.

Gearing up for the summer rush, both Oman Air and Kuwait Airways will operate more flights to Salalah. In addition to flights from Al Ain, Doha, and Kuwait City via Muscat, Oman Air will introduce in July, three direct weekly flights from Dubai and one direct from Abu Dhabi to Salalah. Flights from Jeddah and Manama are operated on a code-share agreement with Gulf Air. Kuwait Airways has also introduced for the first time, a direct weekly flight from Kuwait City via Dubai to Salalah.