Khasab, Oman
The Sultanate of Oman, also known as “Oman”, is the second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. This area of Oman, the m Musandam peninsula, where the town of Khasab is located, is also known as the “Norway of Arabia”. The setting of this port is spectacular, a fjord as you would imagine seeing on the moon, no vegetation at all! Khasab is still relatively unknown to travelers but with its dramatic landscape of towering cliffs and fjords it’s destined to become a major resort in the future. It is a very peaceful town overlooking the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. Khasab in Arabic means fertility which refers to the large produce of dates and the freshwater. Due to where it’s located and is geographical position and mountainous terrain, it was isolated from the rest of Oman and the region developed at its own pace. In contrast to the stark beauty above the water, Musandam has an underwater world treasure. It is rich in the colorful marine life that is very inviting for fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving. As with everything in Oman, everything is very clean and the people are the nicest he will ever meet! The cuisine is a mixture of several staples of Asian foods, mostly based on chicken, fish and lamb with the ubiquitous rice. Most of these dishes contain a rich mixture of spices and herbs and marinades. We decided to take a traditional Omani Dhow out for the day. This was an amazing experience, the boys really enjoyed watching the dolphins follow the Dhow and putting on a show. With the Omani fjord as the backdrop it was breathtaking. We stopped at Telegraph Island where in 1864 the British built a Telegraph station. They laid an underwater cable from India to Iraq to get a connection between England and India. The corals and reefs surrounding this island are one of the best places to swim and snorkel in Oman. The water is crystal clear and a deep emerald green, while it’s a bit chilly, it was very refreshing. The boys got in right away and started snorkeling it took me a while because everyone else was saying how chilly it was. I got in pretty quickly and was surprised that it wasn’t so cold, and I’m a total wimp with cold water, I prefer bath warm Caribbean waters. Rowan and Grant had so much fun being surrounded by all the tropical fish, we couldn’t get them out of the water! We practically had to pull them out as the Dhow was leaving. Since we are so close to Iran, it was fun to see the Iranian smugglers at dusk. Small little speedboats would be coming in and out and trade goats for American cigarettes. Of course we watched this from the safety of our ship, I told the boys not to point at them or bring attention to it bc you never know!
