The Musandam peninsula is a remote area of dramatic mountains and sheer-sided Khawrs (fjords), often referred to as the “Norway of Arabia,” and widely regarded as the most scenically spectacular region in Oman. Musandam peninsula is located at the northernmost tip of Oman and is divided from the rest of the country by a sizable portion of UAE territory.
Musandam Oman Attractions
There are several ways to discover Musandam Oman’s splendour. On the comfortable seats of the traditional Omani dhow, you may discover the Musandam fjords. Explore the ancient Telegraph and Seebi islands while taking a full- or half-day dhow excursion through the Musandam fjords. Enjoy an overnight stay at Khasab Musandam beach camp to spend a romantic evening, Khasab Musandam dolphin watching, snorkelling in Musandam’s clear sea, and seeing the region’s ancient islands with your family and loved ones.
Another excellent activity to enjoy the Omani seas at night is to spend the night on a dhow sail. You may see fossils that date back a few million years by going on a mountain safari. Additionally, you will tour Sayh, a Bedouin settlement located 1100 metres above sea level. A Khasab city trip allows you to discover the region’s natural splendour, distinctive customs, and top tourist destinations.
Musandam Peninsula tourist attractions
Khasab
Khasab, a small but thriving hamlet on the northern extremity of the peninsula at the top of a steep rocky wadi, is the only sizable community in Musandam. The New Souk, the vibrant centre of contemporary Khasab, and the more run-down Old Souk, located 2 kilometres (miles) north on the shore, are the two distinct components of the town itself. The town’s magnificent fort, constructed by the Portuguese in the 17th century and now home to an intriguing small museum on Musandam, is located in the latter. The vast port of Khasab, which used to be the hub of the town’s booming smuggling trade with Iran, spreads out in front of the fort.
Bukha’s coastal route
Musandam’s only paved access to the outside world is a 28 km (17 mi) coastal road that runs from Khasab to Bukha. This magnificent engineering accomplishment dramatically winds around the sea cliffs and Khawrs of the coast. The first few miles after leaving Khasab are especially excellent, having been blasted out of the foothills of the mountains at Khawr Qida and displaying striking bands of sedimentary layering.
Petroglyphs depicting camels, sheep, and hunters have been chiselled into the rocks at Wadi Tawi, which is on the opposite side of the bay. With breathtaking views of the Strait of Hormuz and, on a clear day, Iran, the road ascends from here to the settlement of Al Harf at the highest point of the ridge. The distance from here to the peaceful town of Bukha, which is home to a magnificent coastal fort, is around 12 kilometres (7 miles).
Khawr Sham
The largest fjord in Musandam, Khawr Sham, is encircled by rugged red-rock mountains, and dhow excursions along it depart from Khasab. Around the khawr are a dozen little communities that can only be reached by boat. Additionally, it’s not unusual to see dolphin pods playing fully chasing boats about the Khawr. The rocky small Jazirat Telegraph (Telegraph Island), which is halfway down the Khawr, was given this name in honour of the telegraph station that the British constructed here in 1864 along the path of the London to Bombay undersea telegraph cable. Old British building foundations may still be evident, and dhow boats frequently stop at the island.
Kumzar
To reach the renownedly distant settlement of Kumzar, one must embark on an even more spectacular boat ride. The only method to get there is via water, which takes around 2.5 hours by dhow or 45–1 hour by speedboat. Even if it is no longer feasible to visit the town, the breathtaking sea beauty is still worth the journey. Trips leave the harbour and go up the coast, passing Jazirat al Ghanim and the entrance of Khawr Ghob Ali (Goat Island).
Before heading towards Kumzar itself, a colourful cluster of houses jammed below towering cliffs, the drive continues into the Channel of Hormuz, offering amazing sea vistas of jagged headlands, distant islands, and oil tankers sailing up and down the strait.
Comments