Ayn Razat

Ayn Razat is one of a series of springs rising where the Dhofar mountains meet the coastal plain, and it has been laid out as a public garden: lawns, planted beds, paths, a channel carrying the spring water and a small cave in the rock face above. It runs year round, though the flow and the surrounding greenery are at their strongest during and after the khareef, when the whole escarpment is green and the springs are full. It is a place Salalah families come in the evening rather than a sight in itself, busy at weekends and during the monsoon season and quiet on a weekday. Ayn Hamran and Ayn Athum are nearby springs of the same kind.

What you actually see

• The spring source - the water rising at the foot of the escarpment.
• The gardens - the laid-out lawns, beds and paths.
• The water channel - the built course carrying the flow through the park.
• The cave - the opening in the rock face above the spring.

When to go

July to September during and after the khareef for the strongest flow and the greenest surroundings, which is also the busiest time. October to April is dry and quiet with reduced flow. Evenings are when local families come.

Honest expectations

It is a municipal park rather than a natural site, with planting and concrete channels. Khareef crowds fill it and litter is a problem in season. Flow reduces considerably in the dry months. Facilities are limited.

Nearby

Salalah lies southwest; Ayn Hamran is close by.