Oman: Norway of the Middle East – A Trip to Musandam
Dolphins, coral fish of all colors and a 17km long fjord surrounded by mountains – those were just a few of the things we saw on our first stop in Oman; the Musandam peninsula, the very northern part of Oman and separate from the rest of the country.
Admittedly, before travelling to Oman, we were not aware that Oman consists of two parts: the “main” part with the capital of Muscat, deserts, mountains and many kilometers of coast with the United Arab Emirates to the north and Yemen to the south. Second, the peninsula of Musandam at the very northern point of the Arab peninsula, bordered by the sea and the United Arab Emirates and geographically disconnected from the rest of Oman.
A World of a Different Time & Pace
Musandam is known as Norway of the Middle East due to its beautiful mountains and fjords. The coast offers plenty of opportunity for watching dolphins and coral sea fish, making it a preferred destination for diving and snorkeling. It is a sparsely populated area with just around 30,000 inhabitants, who live in smaller towns and villages. With maximum temperatures reaching well above 50 degrees Celsius in the summer, residents of Musandam tend to stay close to the water and the mountains.
We spent two days in Musandam and it was quite an experience and a look into a different world than the fast-paced life we normally move within. We stayed in the main town of Khasab and were intrigued by the quietness and remoteness. There were extremely few tourists, few buildings and we felt like we saw more goats than people during out visit.
Sailing with Dolphins & Swimming with Coral Sea Fish
We went on a half-day boat trip to the fjords on a Dhow, one of the traditional boats in the Middle East. As we visited in the off-peak season and while COVID-19 is still impacting travel, we were the only participants on the tour and enjoyed having a 40-person boat just for the four of us. Soon after sailing into the fjord, we saw the first group of dolphins who swam along the boat and jumped in the water. No need to say that the kids (as well as the adults😊) were absolutely amazed!
Another highlight was Telegraph Island, located a few kilometers into the fjord and named as such as the island was a telegraph repeater station in the 1860s. We anchored at Telegraph Island and enjoyed watching coral sea fish of in different colors, patterns and sizes – and not least jumping into the water to swim with them. While the kids found it exciting to feed the fish, they were initially intimated by the idea of jumping into the water with them, but soon overcame their fear and enjoyed snorkeling among the fish.
Khasab Fort: An Insight into the Omani Way of Living
We also visited Khasab Fort, a picturesque building built by the Portuguese in the 17th century to protect the town from sea raiders. Today, the fort has been made into a museum of the history of Musandam and gives a great insight into how Omanis lived in earlier days in this part of the country.
The fort is beautifully maintained and showcases some of the old boats which were used in the region in earlier days as well as examples of traditional Omani living. The kids found the hands-on presentation fascinating, in particular also the traditional summer house, constructed on stone pillars with walls made from branches of palm trees and used by locals in summer when the temperatures would skyrocket.
Oman – United Arab Emirates – Oman: Border Control, Passport Checks & PCR Tests
After two great days in Musandam, we continued our trip and headed for Muscat, the capital of Oman. Normally, Muscat can be reached by ferry from Khasab but due to COVID-19, ferry connections have been dismissed and we had to travel by road. This meant re-entering the United Arab Emirates to then enter the “main” part of Oman a day later and head for Muscat. So by now we are almost experts in border controls (departure check, arrival check), passport checks (visa exit and visa entry) and PCR tests between Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
While the detour to Musandam proved a bit tedious in terms of border controls (especially for us as Europeans where we are used to easily driving through Europe with no checks) and driving back and forth through the United Arab Emirates, the experience of the peninsula with its remoteness, unique landscape and very traditional way of life was an experience we will not soon forget and definitely worth the extra kilometers.
