Travel Diary: Broadening horizons in Oman

Yes, you might have noticed, we are mad about diving. We are at the happiest when we float in the blue exploring this other world so important for planet earth.

We have been a little complacent recently though, sticking to one of our most loved destination – the deep south of Egypt with Red Sea Diving Safari.

It was time to broaden our horizons and we chose the peninsula of Musandam in Oman.

Truly a discovery for Jeremy, for me a rediscovery after almost seven years since my last trip there.

A chance encounter

I discovered Musandam by chance, whilst on a business trip in Abu Dhabi and I decided to extend my stay and fit in a bit of diving. It was love at first sight and I went back over and over again, until the Extra Divers diving centre closed down.

I stayed in touch with local friends and I knew that the lovely Bader set up his own diving centre. Jeremy got intrigued and we decided to spend a week there.

The Musandam peninsula is a dramatic stretch of coastline in the Arabian Peninsula, often described as the Norway of the Middle East for its fjords. Right at the tip of the Straight of Hormuz and opposite Iran, it’s part of Oman, but separated from the main Oman state by the surrounding UAE, we haven’t managed to find out why!

The real Khasab

As we drove towards the main town, Khasab, we marvelled at the landscape of majestic, jagged cliffs of basalt and sand plunging abruptly into the blue sea.  Khasab itself seems to be conjured out of the surrounding rocky cliffs.

Atana Musandam hotel

We stayed at the Atana Musandam, a boutique hotel with beautiful rooms and views, two restaurants, pool and spa.

The breakfast was great with a choice of hot, cold, local, continental and English breakfast, fresh fruit and choice of coffees.

We noticed its main restaurant seemed popular with the guests, but we decided to experience the real Khasab and sample the local restaurants. Khasab is not big but it was too hot to walk when we were there.

Getting around

Our local friends gave us a lift but we like our independence and we don’t like to abuse hospitality. And we discovered the local Uber app: Otaxi. The car would arrive in minutes and journeys were 1.5 OMR (around £3).

Atana has also a car available for guests, it’s free but it needs to be booked in advance.

Restaurants, where to head

There is a vast choice of restaurants for such a small place. We had some insider tips and tried a few.

Al Shamalya is the most popular, offering both Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. There’s a lot on the menu, but what should definitely be in your plate are the paneer curry, the grilled chicken and the most amazing paratha ever.

Don’t be afraid that the paratha basket empties too soon, the staff keeps an eye on it and will replenish. And the smoothies are delicious! Typically a generously sized main dish, a side, paratha or nan and a smoothie will cost around 5 OMR.

We also dined in the Pakistani and the Yemeni restaurant, called Mazahbi Al Yaman, and we can’t decide which one was our favourite.

The Pakistani restaurant doesn’t have a menu, you might try to ask for a certain dish but they will bring you what they want. And you won’t regret it.

We had chicken skewers with dahl and spinach and the most fragrant plain naan we ever tasted and spent 2.5 OMR in two.

The Yemeni restaurant was recently open, we had grilled chicken and grilled fish with a nan the size of a sombrero.

There is also a massive supermarket LuLu, right opposite the hotel, and there you can find snacks, ready meals, fruits or anything else you could possibly need.

Drinking / Alcohol

There are no alcoholic drinks served in Khasab’s restaurants. They are available at the Atana Hotel but they are very expensive.

If you really want a discreet beer or some wine or a night cap (like someone I know !!), you’re better off using your duty free allowance. We were always respectful of the local customs and law.

The Omani and Indian population in Khasab were so warm and welcoming it was a pleasure interacting and immersing ourselves in the food, culture and lifestyle

What about the diving?

Let’s hear first what Jeremy has to say about his first underwater adventures in Musandam:

‘I’ve really enjoyed diving in Musandam, the diving was easy and what impressed me was the variety, quantity and diversity of marine life.

I’ve never seen so many types of nudibranches and so many pipefish. Turtles are abundant and very friendly, the batfish are huge and followed us for entire dives playing with Bader’s yellow fins.

The coral diversity was also impressive, varying from sites to site and with depth. I loved the Abu Rashid dives with its carpet of lilac soft corals and fun drift.

I also enjoyed Pipi Beach, where the behaviour of Indian mackerels and shoal of barracudas suggested there was something big lurking and ready to hunt.

The visibility was average and we didn’t encounter pelagic species, although we saw eagle rays splashing at the surface whilst on the boat.’

I have dived in the peninsula many times before and these calm conditions were unusual. The visibility was better and the stronger currents made for adrenaline fuelled dives.

In May, there is an abundance of leopard sharks, out looking for mates. I’ve crossed path with mola mola twice and seen grey and black tip sharks. But this is a ray and lobsters paradise. Devil rays, mobulas, eagles, spotted, you name it.

Huge spiny lobsters can be found in the crevices of the underwater rock formation. My favourite interaction with them was to stay still in front of their lair until they would come out and ‘check me out’ with their antennas, around my mask, head, face and shoulders.

Basically, the dives are definitely for every level and experience and depending on conditions, you will have different but equally unforgettable adventures.