A dhow trip to the spectacular fjords of Musandam in Oman is a magical way to unwind.

There we were, perched on the tip of the dhow under a warm morning sun, when suddenly a shrill female voice pierced the air: “There it is!''

Everyone on the boat made a dash towards the side the girl was pointing to. The ‘it' in question was a dolphin, racing alongside our boat – the first of many we would encounter on our trip.

This was the first time me and my band of adventurous friends had seen a dolphin in the flesh and felt this was gonna be one memorable trip – we were right.

The trip began at the crack of dawn. Setting off from Dubai at 5am, we touched the Oman border via Ras Al Khaimah in two hours (driving at 120-plus km/h).

Getting through the border was a breeze. After paying visa fees, we were through. We passed the Khasab fort that overlooks the harbour and reached just in time for the dhow cruise.

The boat sets sail at 9.45am and within an hour we were heading to Khor Ash Sham, a 25km-long sheltered fjord.

The mountains seemed to rise straight out of the sea, giving rise to the fjord-like appearance of the coast. Made of yellowish-orange dolomitic limestone and mudstone, these mountains were formed millions of years ago.

Anil, our guide, informed us that in those days this area was underwater, but seismic activity pushed the surface above the sea to form the mountains.

The cliff-tops are a treasure trove of fossil beds and a trip there can be rewarding.

After this we passed the villages of Nadifi and Qanaha. These isolated villages (for most part inaccessible by land) lay in bays, with stone houses lined up against towering cliffs in a vertical sweep.

We then dropped anchor at the Telegraph Island (the British landed here in the mid-19th century) for an hour of swimming and snorkelling before moving on.

On the return leg we passed the picturesque sight of the mountain village of Sham. Though we were tired by now, the majestic scenery unfolding before us was too enticing to allow for any rest.

The clear blue waters of Musandam were teeming with sea life. You could easily spot stingrays, barracuda and even sharks. Meanwhile, on the cliffs, you could see thousands of cormorants perched on the rocks, diving into the sea to feast on the fish.

Musandam has a magical attraction. Even as we disembarked from our dhow in the evening we were already thinking of coming back. Till next time...

The writer is a Dubai-based travel enthusiast

If you go...

You can indulge in dolphin-sighting cruises, swimming, snorkelling, diving, off-road tours and trekking.

Getting There
Drive time (Dubai to Khasab Port) is approx 3.5 hours at 120km/h. Oman Air has regular flights from Dubai to Khasab.

By John DeSouza, Contributor, Xpress

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