Khareef season begins in Dhofar

The thousand-meter-high cliffs of Jabal Al Qamar (The Moon Mountains), which face the Arabian Sea in the west, catch the moisture from clouds formed during the Khareef (Monsoon) season from June to September, creating the ‘cloud forest’, which develops a green blanket of vegetation on those slopes which drop towards the sea. The central arc of the Dhofar Mountains is known as Jabal Al Qara. The slopes of these undulating hills are covered by the ‘cloud forest’, while the plateau is an extensive seasonal grassland. Between the Arabian Sea and these mountains, the coastal plain enables animal pastoralists to bring their animals away from the cloud during the Khareef season. The wadis throughout Jebel Qara offer walks to enjoy the splendid scenery and nature. Extending east beyond Mirbat is Jebel Samhan (these pages) whose kilometer-high escarpment overlooks the rugged coastal plain below.