The Musandam peninsula is an area of 1,800 square kilometers projected out into the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf on ...
The Musandam peninsula is an area of 1,800 square kilometers projected out into the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf on northernmost part of Oman, separated from the rest of the country by the UAE. The major access point used is the passenger ferry service between Muscat and Musandam. Musandam begins where the mountains rise from the plains of Ras al Khaimah. The capital of province or governorate of Musandam as it is officially known is Khasab. Fishing is the principal economic activity. Tourism may become a major earner. Traders from Iran boost the port trade of Khasab.
You can enter to Khasab via Ras al Khaima border and a visa fees of AED.35/- applicable for visa and is valid for 15 days. You can stay either in Khasab or travel to Muscat via flight. There are hotels available in Khasab. You can rent a dhow boat for only AED. 1200/-
There is an international airport at Khasab and flights are available from Dubai and Muscat. The mountains rise straight out of the sea giving rise to the fiord-like appearance of the coast, superbly evident from the air.
The fiord like canals yields spectacular views and chartering a boat is a good option to experience the area. The mountains have isolated communities for centuries. Coastal villages can be reached only by boat rather than by road. Pockets of flat land support small-scale agriculture. Three dams protect Khasab town from flash floods. Stone houses, several centuries old, can still be seen hugging the mountain sides in some of the wadis. Rock art made by pecking boulders with a stone implement, can be seen in Wadi Qida. Thick date-palm groves lie to the west of the inlet from the sea at Khasab and at the entrance to the wadi.
The Portuguese built Khasab fort at the beginning of the 17th century at the height of their naval presence in the region. The fort was a supply point for dates and water to Portuguese ships sailing through the strait.
Khasab gets very hot in the summer. Life may appear to be very bleak when you visit the small fishing villages at the end of the fiords, which you can only reach by boat. The communities remain very independent in spirit.
Telegraph Island which is noted for its rich underwater life on the way to Musandam is a good snorkeling point. Dhows stop off here to enable tourists to go snorkeling. These may not always be provided on the dhows. Cruising by dhow is the major tourist attraction of Musandam. On the way you may see dolphins playing with the dhows.
Khasab makes its money now from the port trade. Tourist developers are working on advertising Musandam as a diving destination as well as publicizing the awesome scenery. Trips cater for experienced and inexperienced divers alike, as well as snorkellers. Several companies operate trips from Dibba on the east coast of United Arab Emirates.
The credit for the above info goes to Khasab Travels & Tours.
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