Muscat – Jabal Shams has been experiencing freezing temperatures for the past few days with 0.3° recorded on Wednesday night. With the drop in mercury, visitors are rushing to the area to feel the chill and enjoy its varied tourist attractions.

Jabal Shams, Oman’s highest peak, is about 3,100m above the sea level, which makes its climate different from the other places in the sultanate.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Abdullah al Khatri, owner of Jabal Shams Moon guesthouse, said that during the winter season – October to April – Jabal Shams receives a large number of visitors from both within and outside Oman.

Jabal Shams or the ‘Mountain of the Sun’ offers one of the most picturesque settings in Oman, especially during the winter season. It is also one of the most popular destinations for camping.

Currently, the area is witnessing a large turnout of foreign tourists, residents and citizens alike. “On an average more than 300 European tourists are visiting Jabal Shams daily to enjoy the freezing temperatures as well as to watch the night sky,” Khatri informed.

“We have five air-conditioned rooms and they are mostly getting occupied, especially during the weekends. The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has developed a reinforced fence to help people see Jabal Shams’ famous canyons and take a tour of the several hiking tails.”

Khatri further informed that tourists are coming from America, France, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Belgium and Russia to enjoy the frost-covered hills, watch stars and the sunset.

Apart from this, tourists are also going for trekking to explore the area. “We have several hiking trails, some of which run up to 12km.”

Adventure seekers, particularly those who like mountain climbing, are also rushing to the hills of Jabal Shams. “This is the reason why tourists from various countries come here to enjoy its varied offerings. Our guesthouse offers accommodation with free bikes, private parking, a shared lounge and a garden. Boasting a shared kitchen, this property also provides guests with a sun terrace and an indoor pool. It also organises evening gigs for the guests,” said Khatri.

The guesthouse owner is hopeful that more tourists will throng the area with the onset of the festive season culminating in New Year celebrations.

“We are expecting a huge increase in number of tourists in the coming days for camping in Jabal Shams. This will undoubtedly revive tourism in the area.”

Speaking about environment, he said that Jabal Shams is considered one of the most beautiful places for camping in Oman and it should be conserved for sustainable tourism. “We are working on developing our services and increasing our programmes to attract more tourists.”