TRADE IN the resin of the Boswellia tree made great wealth for those who controlled it: the farmers, the traders, the shippers and cameleers. The most famous frankincense empire was the Nabateans, who built Petra, but Salalah (Oman) and Hadhramaut (Yemen) were also key players.
Remains of this historic business can be seen in the souqs as well as ancient ruins along the beautiful coast.
The Omani southern coast along the Arabian Sea is beautiful at any time, but comes alive in the "khareef" green season in July and August.
Around Salalah, the frankinsence trade has deep historical roots, seen at places like this at Al Baleed, and lives on in the town market.
The sand is as white as the sea is blue, and you'll likely see few people outside khareef.
At the far end of the coast, just inland are the historical twin towns of Jalan Bani Bu Ali and Jalan Bani Bu Hassan, with old forts and mosques and souqs to explore.
Many fishing towns and villages dot the coast.
Another feature of the coast is the Wahiba Sands area, also known as Sharqiya Sands.
Where the Wahiba Sands meets the coast is just the beginning. The real Arabian Nights experience lies to the north.
Stays in Bedouin camps can be arranged, as well as 4WD trips further into the Empty Quarter.
The massive inhospitable desert between here and Saudi Arabia is not to be fucked with. Even finding your way to the camps needs a guide, and to delve deeper, you'll need a good one, well equipt.
If you really want to hate yourself, you could head off for a few days on one of these horrible, farting beasts.
The Toyota has mostly replaced the camel, although there are still some crossing the deserts the old way.
The main town on the coast is Salalah. Pleasant, with good food, markets, and hotels, it is easy to rent a car to explore the coast. Omani men relax in the streets in the evening. Tea vendors and car-washers wander around.
Between Salalah and the firmly closed Yemen border, are some breathtaking beaches and cliffs.
Being a nomadic, Bedouin culture, camping the night on the beach is perfectly acceptable.
Traders plied the Arabian Sea, with port near Salalah dating back to before the birth of Christ.
East of Salalah town are some of the best ruins from the ancient trading days. Sumhuram prospered over 2000 years ago.
Hard to believe that this was once amongst the busiest ports in the world, with goods moving between Arabia, India and the Mediterranian. Dry tree resin, frankincense, was the most prized of goods.
Frankinncense was carried into what s now Yemen, and the control of the land routes made the Nabateans rich and powerful. Their capital? Petra.
Frankincense still trades, although the cliffs, the blow-holes and the crystal clear blue water will win more fans for the region these days.
Like much of Oman, dinner is a multi-cultural possibility in Salalah. The migrant population means lots of India or Sri Lankan, Turkish or Thai, or why not Lebanese?
Mirbat, east of Salalah, is a mid-sized fishing town where not much happens, although one government building bears the scars of battles decades past.
Migratory birds also come to the coast for the khareef season.
And who can blame them? With few people to disturb them or you, Oman's Arabian Sea beaches are perfect for relaxing.
An old cannon lies in the sand of Jalan Bani Bu Ali fort, slightly inland at the eastern end of the coast.
In the early 1800s, followers of Bani Bu Ali refused to recognise a treaty made with the British by the Sultan of Oman.
Not surprisingly, the Brits didn't have much time for the rebellious upstarts, launched an attack and captured the own and fort.
While the foreigners are long gone, the fort and many older mosques make this a worthy stop along the way. Some residents are Wahabi followers, tracing their roots to before the British troubles.
The conservative towns are tradtional, sleepy, harking back to a time and glory past.