Khasab is a port city on Northern Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. From Khasab harbor, ancient styled wooden boats named as “Dhow”(Arabic word for wooden boats) cruises the Strait of Hormuz, offering rugged coastal views surrounded by rocky mountains and dolphins sightings in ocean.
Musandam Peninsula has an enchanting Fjords or Khors, created by fragmented rocks stretching like a claw into sea and huge cliffs standing besides are splendidly reflected in the blue waters of Strait of Hormuz.
The coast which meets Strait of Hormuz extends some 600 kms. These stunning Fjords have been named as “The Norway of Arabia”. Musandam area is divided into four parts – 1.) Khasab ( we stayed in Khasab)
2.) Bhuka
3.) Dibba
4.) Mudha.
10 Things to do in Khasab Musandam
1.) Dhow cruise Trip to Musandam Fjords- One full day tour by Dhow through a traditional Omani decorated dhow where visitors are comfortably seated on floor on cushions and carpets. Visitors are given opportunity to find the ancient towns and snorkel the waters of Telegraph Island & Seepi Island, going to Khor Shem, Qanaha & Maqlab along the way. Also dhow stops at dolphin sighting view in middle of sea where dolphins comes along with us. Buffet lunch and refreshments are served on board. Snorkeling gear and towels are provided on board. Timings of Cruise:- 10:A.M. TO 4:00P.M.
2.) Camping in Musandam Beach- People take camping stuff and do a overnight camping on beach besides sea and mountains. People take their caravans also.
3.) Overnight staying at Dhow cruise under moon-light to enjoy nights in sea surrounded by cliffs. Dinner and breakfast provided onboard.
4.) Mountain Safari to top of Fjords – You will need a 4 X 4 vehicle for this to reach Jebel Harim which offers most beautiful view from top at 2087m above ocean leve. Visitors enjoy the beautiful views of Hajar Mountains.
5.) Snorkeling & Swimming in Clear Waters- Dhow Cruise stops in middle of sea for an hour and offers snorkeling and swimming in between the sea.
6.) Natural Dolphin Watching along the Dhow Boat-
7.) Banana Boat ride, Local Beach Access with sea gulls – Local beach of Khasab is good for beach lovers and can access water sports.
8.) Kayaking and Fishing- There are many fishing points in Khasab area. Also lots of Kayaks can enjoy kayaking.
9.) Khasab City Tour – Very small city on the borders of UAE & Oman with local Arabic Culture and a small fort in Portugese style.
10.) Trekking – Explore the Mountains of Musandam. From top of mountains have a stunning views of Gulf of Arabia and Gulf of Oman. On top of mountains camping can also be done. Many people lay down their tents and stay here.
Nearest International Airports – Dubai in UAE and Muscat(Oman)
From Dubai it takes around 4 hours to reach here covering a distance of around 200kms by road.
Between UAE and Oman border there is checkpoint at border where are visa and passports are checked. Sometimes it takes lot of time because of huge rush on long weekends, so it is better to start early from Dubai so that Queue can be avoided. This place is favorite from UAE for day trips and long weekend trips. Check visa formalities on Oman site before going. Driving after crossing the border to the Khasab city is very scenic.
After reaching to Khasab we stayed in local 4 star hotel Atana Khasab hotel offering the views of sea with mountains and swimming pool. Many rooms are facing sea and many facing only mountains. Hotel is located on rocks facing sea. It offers professional diving course also with professional instructors. Parking is free in hotel.
Currency – Omani Rial
Food – Arabic and Continental
Atana Khasab hotel arrange cruise service and mountain safaris. These services picks up from hotel and drops also.
Thanks for reading… Love travelling ……Love ADVENTURES………
Coming soon with new experiences.
The Dhow reminds me of the Kashmiri boats! The dolphins sighting is always such a pleasure!
Camping beside the sea in such a location would be such an awesome thing to do.
Trekking in this rocky terrain would be exciting yet very tiring!
Some lovely landscape shots in this post! I would love to go hiking and kayaking. Especially if I was lucky enough to see dolphins like you!
Oman is a country I have never been to but is on my list so I’m jealous you visited Oman! Good tip about setting off early from Dubai to avoid the queues, I wonder how is the visa process is for UK nationals? The images you shared are stunning, fjords are the last thing I’d expect to see in Oman.
Absolutely breathtaking views. I love how well traveled you are. I would love to visit Dubai and Oban both from seeing your recommendations
Wow, this looks like a great adventure. I love the pictures of the dolphins. I bet the snorkeling was phenomenal!
I actually didn’t know much about Oman at all before reading this post. But now you’ve made me want to add it to my bucket list! I’d love to do all 10 of things you suggested. I love snorkeling, kayaking and would love to go dolphin watching! So cool!
When I think of Oman, I would think of the dry desert mountains, but I would never have thought of dolphins and especially fjords. Such a diverse and beautiful landscape. The dhow boat rides look like an unique way to experience the area and a must for me if I make it to the region for a visit. You have brought to life a vibrant area that I know so little about.
What gorgeous natural scenery! I would love to see dolphins in real life someday! I had never heard of this destination before.
So much gorgeous natural scenery. A great spot for a long weekend away. Especially with those dolphins.
Such beautiful photos of the fjords; something I always associate with cold countries! A dhow boat trip looks like an absolute must. How lucky to see dolphins! I would definitely go snorkelling here too – I bet it’s great.
What a gorgeous place! Love the dolphins, most people only see them in captivity and not in the wild. I’m not really a camping person but must say, I wouldn’t mind camping on the beach!
This is so amazing. THis post is right in time as I am planning to travel to Dubai in July for work. I can definitely make use of some of this information.
well, first of all, your photos are truly stunning as you were able to capture the ambiance perfectly.. those huge rock formation are truly mind blowing and I would love to witness them in my own eyes.. same thing with those marine creature encounters!
thanks for giving us a quick tour through your wonderfully captured photos
hopefully I will get a chance to experience and visit this place in the future
Thanks!
This looks so stunning! I would love to spend a day here on a boat, just admiring how beautiful it is.
That’s a beautiful area. Thanks for giving us information about an area that we wouldn’t normally think of going
This is exactly how my husband and I love to do our vacations! Adventure-filled with great landscapes! 🙂 This is now on my bucketlist!
Your photos are absolutely beautiful with such incredible views. I’d love to take an adventurous trip like this and will add it to my bucket list. Thanks for sharing!
Ok, I was totally unaware that there are Fjords in Oman! Amazing. This trip with dolphins and snorkelling seems so fun. Thanks for bringing this story to me – very cool indeed!
Khasab sounds amazing! I love to read about other interesting places in the Gulf area, there is so much more to it than just Dubai, although Dubai is amazing as well. This looks like a very picturesque place, perfect for the activities I love most – trekking and snorkelling! I want to see the dolphins!
What a great list of fun activities to do in Khasab! Dolphin watching sounds especially interesting. The view from atop the fjords is spectacular!
Oman does look and sound like such an amazing place. I love all of the beautiful pictures of natural wonders you have here. They look spectacular.
This looks incredible! It is this beauty that appears to still be untouched and as naturale! Thank you for sharing!
I love the scenery. The water is so clear and blue! Oh the roads from the aerial view photo are really tight curves. Real hairpin curved roads!
Wow! That look beautiful. Once in a lifetime visit for sure!
Goodness this looks beautiful. I adore an active holiday where you have plenty of energetic opportunities. Big fan of dolphins! Been Whale watching before, but would really like to see the dolphins!
You made some amazing photos! Sounds like you had a great adventure. I sure would love to do the same. The water is just beautiful.
The fjords and clear blue water looks so beautiful. Seeing the dolphins swimming there must be such an amazing sight too.
Wow that brings back so many memories. Lived in Dubai for two years and loved trips to the musandam. Did you take a dhow trip? Great post
I would love to take the cruise around the fjords. Were you able to jump off the boat at any point and go for a swim? Looks like there’s a ton to do here between the snorkeling and hiking – I could easily stay here for a week.
The Dhow cruise looks wonderful! This is one region of the world I know nothing about, but would like to see it for myself. The Hajar mountains are beautiful, you’re so lucky you went there!
Beautiful pictures! The boat trip looks amazing!
Such a beautiful place!!! Never been there, but definitely it would be nice
These pictures are breathtaking!!
This was great! Those pictures were breathtaking… I can only imagine what they looked like in person
Looks like you had a great time! What a lovely place to visit. xo
This is such a great read! I love learning about new places to visit, and I am definitely adding Musandam beach on my list of places to camp. Hooray!
wow, Just Wow. I am planning to head to dubai next year hopefully and am surely gonna visit this beautiful place
What a dream destination. So exotic! I have heard a lot of good things about Oman. But never about the fjord. Camping is my thing so I would problably do that. And snorkelling, hiking and dolphine watching. Must be an awesome trip!
Oh man this just makes me even more excited for my travels I cannot wait. I love the look of the fjords and khors of oman, they are stunning. What camera did you use to capture your shots? x
Thanks! I always use Canon Camera. This one is having high zoom power to capture distant places.
Dolphine watching is a real candy for eye type of activity . Me and my 3 year old son has special fondness for this one .
I always wanted to break the routine of living in the big city and to get an easy gateway weekend. I would love to visit Omani’s historical sites, beautiful scenery, experience the outdoor sports and activities.
This view is breath taking and it looks little similar to Kashmirs famous dal lake . 🙂
Wow! Beautiful place! Blue waters, seems very calming and relaxing and from a rockhound’s point of view I would love to see the rock formation on that mountain!
So beautiful. Dubai is at the top of mu bucket list of places to visit. I’ve heard so many good things about it, especially that it is beautiful. Your adventure sounds like it was a great getaway for the whole family. Nice.
I’ve never heard of Khasab, but it looks breathtaking! I would definitely do the dolphin watching and swimming in the water.
Beautiful Dubai ! That’s the word that I can describe about this place after reading your post . I like the port and cruising them with wooden boat . So artistic and ancient style , love it
I certainly would not mind sailing around on these open blue seas for a few days, if I did not suffer from sea sickness.
Beautiful pictures and the trip looks fun too. Oman is indeed a place on my bucket list and now after reading this i am even more excited. also it would be great if you shared your budget for the trip along with the post, just for us prospective tourists.
Peace!
sure will post the budget soon. Keep following! working on budget part
This looks like a great place to visit. I really love the natural scenery, so impressive. I love seeing dolphins. That is once in a lifetime experience.