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A wild journey through Oman, from epic mountain passes to remote storied islands

Once an important hub for Indian Ocean trade, Oman today may be considered unassuming but its history is etched into some of the Middle East’s wildest landscapes. A journey from Muscat through the Hajar Mountains and Musandam Peninsula reveals its charms, with canyons that rise to citadel mountains, and dhow-filled harbours leading to serrated shores.

The national emblem of Oman is the khanjar — a curved dagger, shaped roughly like the letter ‘J’. Khanjar are ubiquitous in Oman. They appear on the national flag, on police cars, banknotes and coins. Khanjar sculptures adorn roundabouts; depictions of khanjars have been engraved on Rolex watches. Not long ago, khanjars were emblazoned on the tailfins of Oman Air planes — until someone considered that perhaps knives and passenger jets do not mix. Around Oman, you can see khanjars being worn to occasions as diverse as weddings, funerals and job interviews — they stand for pride and purpose, an iron-clad adherence to tradition. For the better part of a millennia, these daggers were tools for camel husbandry and self-defence. In the present day they are a symbol of a country whose heritage cuts deeper than most along the Arabian Peninsula.

And, as I look at it out of a plane window, it occurs to me that the shape of the country’s coastline also vaguely resembles a khanjar. The shoreline curves northward — at the sharp tip is the Musandam Peninsula, daggering deep into the Strait of Hormuz. The central spine is the Hajar Mountains. And, at the cutting edge, beaches blade into the blue waters of the Gulf of Oman. Nearing the hilt, my plane lands in the Omani capital Muscat — one of the most likeable capitals in the Middle East, sprawled along a coastline serrated by little coves.

“When you wear a khanjar, it’s a way of showing that you mean business,” explains my guide, Khalid Mathrushi, who has just given his young son his first (small and blunt) khanjar. “People respect you: they take you seriously.”

I’m travelling around Oman on an itinerary organised by adventure tour operator Wild Frontiers, getting a sense of its history and landscapes by following the curve of its northern coast. In Muscat, the trip starts at Muttrah Fish Market. That morning’s catch is still twitching on the counters, the air is noisy with the clops of fishmongers’ knives, and giant tuna are shunted around in wheelbarrows. A delta of squid ink drains onto the floor, mingling with fish entrails. Very quickly you see Muscat is a town with saltwater in its blood.

The city was known to Ancient Greeks as ‘the hidden port’ — its old deep-water harbour concealed under the cliffs. It prospered from the 16th to the 19th centuries — firstly as a Portuguese foothold in Arabia, then as the capital of an Omani Empire that extended to Pakistan and Zanzibar. It was a hub for Indian Ocean trade: among the ships laying anchor here were Portuguese carracks ballasted with spice and gold, dhows carrying Chinese ceramics, and other vessels laden with Arabian frankincense, bound for churches and temples across the oceans. In the 20th century, Muscat lapsed into relative obscurity as ocean trade dwindled — only the occasional steamer stopped by, and the names of the few passing ships were inscribed on the harbour walls. In the 21st century, however, it’s prospering again, but remains fairly unassuming — without the showboating architecture of nearby Dubai or Abu Dhabi. It is a low-rise city, where your gaze instinctively wanders to the water.

Directly outside the fish market I find the Sultan of Oman’s two luxury yachts moored, their funnels painted with khanjar insignia. So, too, do khanjar medallions adorn the iron gates of the Al Alam Palace, a little further along the shore. The palace was remodelled by the father of the modern nation, Sultan Qaboos, who overthrew his father, Said bin Taimur, in a 1970 coup with the help of the British — bloodless, although his father accidentally shot himself in the foot with a pistol during the commotion, and lived out the rest of his days in London’s Dorchester Hotel. Sultan Qaboos went on to oversee the renaissance of Oman — oil money transformed the nation at lightning pace from a poor backwater to a prosperous, peaceful power in the easternmost nook of Arabia.  

In a region famed for rulers with tyrannical inclinations, Sultan Qaboos loved Mozart and built a magnificent opera house. He passed away in 2020 to be succeeded by his cousin Sultan Haitham bin Tariq. But wherever you go in the country the twin portraits of these two rulers watch over you — each seated on a golden throne, each clutching a gilded khanjar.  

Lesser khanjars are for sale when I visit Muttrah Souk — a labyrinth of covered alleyways that burrows inland from the city’s corniche. Stepping inside, aromas of frankincense and rose water mingle with the musty scent of brass curios including telescopes and sextants (navigational tools) — some antique, some replicas made in China. Iron lanterns scatter latticed light over neatly folded pashminas.  

Before I leave Muscat, I stop at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The largest in the country, it opened in 2001 as a spiritual landmark of the national renaissance. Minarets rise over marble courtyards and pigeons coo under swooping arches. The prayer hall is cool and cavernous, built from materials sourced from across the globe: chandeliers made of Austrian crystals; teak from Myanmar; a carpet from Iran, crafted with 1.7 million knots. Umayyad-style arches recall the designs of Damascus and Cordoba, while blue tiles nod to the splendour of Istanbul and Isfahan. It’s a mosque for a capital that’s consciously gazing outward to the world, and is open to non-Muslims, too. “You can speak to god in any language,” says Sanima, the attendant in the mosque’s education centre, where I stop for dates and coffee. “He understands them all.”

Into the mountains

Modern Oman is criss-crossed by tarmac roads, traversed by multi-lane highways, flooded with cheap petrol and busy with imported Japanese cars. Yet at the heart of the nation is an immense mountain range that’s impregnable to even the best efforts of road builders. “This is a serious route,’’ says my driver, Nawaf Al Wahaibi, as we throttle up the dirt track into Wadi Bani Awf. “You have to drive it many times to master it. I don’t believe people will ever be able to lay tarmac here.”

Wadi Bani Awf is one of the valleys that trails into the heart of the Hajar Mountains. Clinging to its contours is our track — part thoroughfare, part roller coaster — often travelled on 4x4 sightseeing tours by people who come to marvel at the highland vistas and escape the lowland heat. Road signs sternly warn of the dangers of the route, which is accessible only to drivers with the nerves of an iron khanjar. Our 4x4 storms and slaloms up steep gradients. The engine heats up, the air thins and our ears pop. Sheer drops loom inches from the tyre treads. Eventually the view opens out into a vast panorama of rock: citadel mountains and canyons gouged deep into the earth. Birds of prey ride the thermals below. We are a world away from the coast.

Rising to 3,000m from the coastal plain, the Hajar Mountains were once a barrier — preserving ancient traditions, keeping outsiders away. In one sense this is the real Oman: until the 1970s, the country was known as ‘Muscat and Oman’ — the former stood for the cosmopolitan coastline, the latter referred to an interior of mountains and deserts, a terra incognita to the wider world. Only in recent decades have the tentacles of modern life extended to traditional mountain villages. Mains electricity now serves places once reached by shepherd’s trails. Villages where water was carried in goatskins now have modern plumbing. Concrete compounds are displacing cave homes. But the pass at Wadi Bani Awf retains part of its old wildness. Some days before, Nawaf had been driving this same route when a sudden thunderstorm flooded the canyons, washing away concrete bridges and uprooting the date palms. He drove as fast as he could up the mountain and narrowly escaped the deluge.  

Further into the pass we come to Bilad Sayt, a mountain village where flowering gardens of palms and bananas punctuate the parched expanse of the hills. Rising over this little oasis is a miniature castle — one of a great many guarding the passes of the Hajars, and a key draw for visitors here.

Not far from the mouth of Wadi Bani Awf is the behemoth of Nakhal Fort, its turrets linked by rambling stairways and topped with iron cannons that are white-hot to the touch in the midday sunshine. There are more — Nizwa with its hulking keep, Al Hazm with its three-metre-thick walls. Their towers are aligned to catch soothing breezes and their gatehouses designed so cauldrons of boiling honey could be tipped on assailants from above. Oman’s castle-building frenzy peaked in the 17th and 18th centuries, when the country was a patchwork of competing dynasties. The most famous have been restored — in some instances it seems like the last workmen only downed tools yesterday. But more evocative are the ruined watchtowers, solitary and sentry-less, with sparrows nesting in their crevices. Crumbling ramparts stretch up and down mountains. It can often be hard to guess what they might have been defending, or indeed against whom.

Eventually we reach the top of the pass. The afternoon call to prayer drifts from a mosque somewhere down in the haze below. Other 4x4s swoop along the track, dwarfed by the plumes of dust rising in their wake — clouds that billow like peacocks’ tails, or something released with the rub of a lamp.From up in the mountains, all of Arabia seems to unfurl beneath our feet: to the north is the sea, running to the Indian Ocean in the east. Out of sight to the south is the Empty Quarter — a vast expanse of sand, where dunes roll to the Saudi Arabian border. And to the west, the blade of the dagger continues on its upward swoop, culminating at the Musandam Peninsula.  

Onto the water

The sea is still as our dhow hauls out of Khasab harbour for the day: a mirror to a cloudless morning sky. Oystercatchers flit along the shore. Shallow waves slip from our wake. I sit on the deck, under a hessian shade strung from the mast, feeling the chug of the engine beneath a thick Persian rug while scanning the water for movement under its surface. It’s not long before a presence is ghosting about under the hull. Suddenly a bottlenose dolphin torpedoes through the water, emerging in a blossom of surf. For a while, a pod races our boat — all eyes on board are fixed on their acrobatics as they arch through the spray. Only when they disappear are we able to look up and fully take in the drama of our position. Musandam is where the Western Hajar Mountains rise sheer out of the turquoise depths of the Gulf. Here, long inlets — known as ‘khors’ — lunge deep among high peaks. It’s an absolutely extraordinary collision of land and sea, where the saltwater and reef abruptly turn to summit and mountain ridge.  

The Musandam Peninsula is undeniably spectacular. But it’s also a chokepoint on what may be the world’s most strategically important waterway. Around 25% of all crude oil in the world is exported through the 25-mile-wide aperture of the Strait of Hormuz. Squint from the shore and you can make out a fleet of supertankers inching along the horizon between here and Iran — shuttling to the ports of Kuwait, Saudi, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar. Oil has brought extraordinary wealth to this waterway. Plate-glass skyscrapers and luxurious hotels have sprung up along the shores. And yet, any sailor on a southbound tanker will see a landscape almost wholly unchanged by the passage of time.

Our dhow chugs past fishing villages, the minarets of their mosques tiny and needle-like against the cliffs that rise above. Here and there are traditional lock-houses — subterranean homes with intricate bolts, designed so villagers could secure their waterside winter properties and take their goats to summer pastures. Many settlements along Musandam remain accessible only by sea. At the furthest tip is Kumzar, a village where residents speak a language that blends Farsi, Urdu, Arabic, English and Portuguese — a stew of vocabulary inherited from passing seafarers, centuries ago. In more ways than one, these remote khors have been a sanctuary: historians have debated whether the people of Musandam could be descended from the original inhabitants of Arabia — who ruled over the region before being displaced by the Arabs. This is also one of the last redoubts of the Arabian leopard, though it has not been seen in many years.

Though Musandam is a peninsula, it might be better considered an island — it’s technically an exclave of Oman, separated from the rest of the country by a narrow strip of UAE territory. The peninsula was still free of tarmac as late as the 1990s — Haneef first came here as a truck driver in the 1980s, steering lorries over gravel roads. At sea level, the temperatures routinely soar in excess of 40C, but Haneef remembers blizzards on the high mountain passes — he knew from driving on sand to drop his tyre pressure to get through the snowdrifts.  

“They call these the Norwegian fjords of Arabia,” says Haneef Bekalam, one of the crew on the dhow. “Sometimes they look as if an artist painted them.”

The Norwegian fjords are a useful analogy for the geography here. But where the fjords of northern Europe have been formed by retreating glaciers, the khors of Musandam are the result of tectonic shifts — the Arabian plate being subducted by the Eurasian plate. The mountains are slowly submerging into the sea — shrinking a little more every year. “Perhaps it means one day there will be no Musandam,” says Haneef. “Maybe now is a good time to come here.”

Our dhow lays anchor beside the islet of Jazirat al Maqlab, also known by the English name Telegraph Island, where a sea-urchin-encrusted flight of steps leads out of the shallows. I follow it to find foundations of old buildings baking in the midday sun. There is little to see; only a solitary tree casts a sliver of shade.  

Telegraph Island feels far from anywhere, and yet this was once one of the most important locations in the British Empire. In the mid-19th century, it was home to a repeater station on the telegraph cable that ran from London to Karachi. Orders governing the world’s largest empire were relayed through this lonely plot on an Arabian fjord. But things did not go to plan: molluscs chewed into the cables and locals menaced British interlopers from the mainland. The heat and boredom sent operators to insanity and worse. Two members of staff lost their lives. But the island, barely bigger than a football pitch, made its own contribution to our language — to make the circuitous trip down the khor and around the Strait of Hormuz was to go, in a literal sense, ‘round the bend’.  

Today Telegraph Island still might trigger another kind of delirium — a mad infatuation with the surreal beauty of Musandam. I dive into the shallows as a silvery school of mackerel flashes past. Below me are angelfish, above are the dramatic heights of the mountains, themselves formed aeons ago from an oceanic crust, with fossils of fish bones found on the summits. Above and below the water, there is a sensation of wide-open space. The Arabian Peninsula is a region beset by conflict, obstructed by travel restrictions, fringed by futuristic cities and lavished with shopping malls. In this context, roaming Oman’s natural landscapes is an experience both precious and rare.

At sunset, I drive the tracks up to the highest point of Musandam. Down below there are countless vessels, including dhows and   trawlers — the modern inheritors of an Omani seafaring tradition that dates back to legends of Sinbad the Sailor and Bronze Age boats sealed with bitumen. A blood-red sun lingers on the mountaintops, long after the land below becomes bathed in shadows and cools. It departs with a final flash: like the glint of a blade before it’s sheathed.

When to go to Oman

Peak season in Oman is between October and March, when temperatures dip to between 18C and 30C (though it’s often much cooler in the Hajar Mountains). Shoulder seasons in September and April can yield good deals but temperatures rise to an average of around 36C in September.

Where to stay in Oman

Atana Musandam Resort . Doubles from 40 OMR (£85), B & B. Sama Hotel Jabal Akhdar . Doubles from 45 OMR (£93), B & B.

How to do it

Wild Frontiers’ nine-day Northern Oman: Wadis, Mountains and Coasts group tour takes in Muscat, Wadi Bani Awf, castles and more, with possible extensions to Musandam. Prices start from £3,460 per person, including accommodation, most meals, guided excursions and transfers, but excluding international flights.  

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THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO MUSANDAM

THE ESSENTIAL MUSANDAM GUIDE

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Musandam is a special place. Part of Oman, but surrounded by the UAE, it has a unique geography, culture and history that sets it apart from its Arabian neighbours. Jutting out into the narrow Strait of Hormuz, Musandam’s jagged coastline has earned it the nickname ‘Norway of Arabia’. While its fjords are indeed impressive, the expansive Musandam mountains are equally worthy of exploration. Hiking, snorkelling, diving, camping, off-roading, and relaxation opportunities abound. Whether you’re planning a weekend trip from Dubai, or a week long adventure, Musandam is the perfect place to immerse yourself in nature and traditional Omani culture.

Khasab is the regional capital of the Musandam Governorate, and the majority of things to see and do in Musandam are around this northern area. Dibba (Daba) Al-Baya is a smaller province, located in the south of Musandam. This area is perhaps most notable as the location of the Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort. While the two regions are technically connected via a mountain road, only Omanis are permitted access, making it impossible to drive between them without having to exit Oman and re-enter via the UAE. Additionally, Madha is part of Musandam, but is enclaved by the UAE. For these reasons, most people focus on just one region, with the Khasab area offering the best variety of things to see and do in Musandam.

MUSANDAM MAP

Use the map below to find everywhere mentioned in this Musandam Travel Guide. You can also download an offline version  to Maps.me ( iOS / Android ). Tap the menu button at the top left for more details, to toggle layers on and off, and switch between satellite and terrain view. Tap the star symbol to save to your own Google Maps.

WHAT TO SEE & DO IN MUSANDAM

MUSANDAM COAST MUSANDAM MOUNTAINS DIVING MUSANDAM

MUSANDAM PRACTICALITIES

WHERE TO STAY WHEN TO VISIT HOW TO GET AROUND HOW TO GET THERE VISAS FOR OMAN USEFUL RESOURCES

From cruising the fjordlands to fossil hunting, there’s a surprising amount to see and do in Musandam. Some areas can be explored independently with a 2 or 4WD, while less accessible areas will require you to hire a boat or join a tour.

MUSANDAM COAST

Khasab coastal road.

Crossing the border at Ras Al Khaimah, the differences between the UAE and Oman are immediately apparent. Leaving a world of industry, highrises and construction behind, a rugged expanse of mountain and sea views extend before you. Low-rise traditional houses clustered in small villages line the entrances to wadis on your right, while stretches of attractive beaches come and go to your left. The coastal road to Khasab has literally been blasted out of the mountainside, a stretch of smooth tarmac tucked between soaring ochre layered cliffs and unspoilt coastline. It’s a pleasure to drive and offers numerous opportunities to stop at beaches, old forts and scenic viewpoints along the way.

Limestone cliffs of Musandam rising above the curving  coastal road, behind the beach at Al Jadi

Limestone cliffs of Musandam rising above the curving coastal road, behind the beach at Al Jadi

Bukha is the largest town between the border and Khasab, with an impressive mosque and old fort. Around 6 km beyond lies an attractive stretch of beach, perfect for camping, picnics or watching a magical sunset. Rounding the headland, the road climbs briefly and turns south towards Khasab, offering wonderful views over the Strait of Hormuz. You’ll wind your way around little inlets and past Bassa Beach, another popular picnic spot, before reaching the regional hub of Khasab.

The mosque at Bukha, glowing golden in the early morning sun

Fjords Dhow Cruise

To fully appreciate the beauty of the fjordlands around Khasab, you need to take to the water. Numerous half day, full day and even overnight dhow cruise options are available, sailing out of Khasab harbour. Dhows are traditional wooden fishing boats, usually with an open deck kitted out with cushions for lounging around on, plus a shaded area. Some have two or even three levels. While you’ll still see dhows used for fishing throughout Oman, these are all used solely for tourism and are pretty comfortable and atmospheric.

A dhow boat cruises around the sun-kissed ‘fjords’ of Musandam

Most tours follow a similar itinerary: cruise into Khor Ash Shamm, stop at Maqlab ‘Telegraph’ Island for a snorkel, then return to Khasab. The island’s nickname dates from its use as a telegraph booster station in the 1860s for the cable route between Bombay and London. You’ll pass small villages clinging to the cliff sides and no doubt encounter dolphins along the way. If you opt for a full day trip, lunch on the boat is usually included and you’ll get to explore at a more relaxed pace. Check if snorkelling equipment is included or if you need to bring your own. You can compare options and book your trip easily on Viator or Get Your Guide .

Khasab Castle

One of the few actual ‘tourist sites’ in Musandam, Khasab Castle is well worth a visit if you’re interested in learning about the history and unique culture of the area. Originally established by the Portuguese in the early 17th Century, it soon changed hands and has been periodically modified and restored over the centuries. Today it houses a fascinating museum, detailing all manner of history, culture and customs pertaining to the region. You can climb up the tower and wander around the various rooms. There are numerous boats on display in the courtyard, including a traditional dhow with wood sewn together in a custom unique to the area. There’s also examples of traditional palm leaf and Bait al-Qufl (House of the Lock) structures, again specific to Musandam. 

The drum tower of Khasab Castle in the afternoon sun

The local boat sewing tradition

The tower of Khasab Castle in the afternoon sun

Wood panels of a dhow boat sewn together in the traditional fashion

Rocky Beach

Our favourite beach in Musandam, this secluded little spot is perfect for escaping the crowds (if there are any). Hidden away at the bottom of a steep and winding dirt track near Harf village, it’s best accessed with a 4WD, but a 2WD can handle it if you’re careful.

Morning view from the best camping area at the northern end of Rocky beach

The small beach, a mixture of rocks and sand, sits snuggly between towering cliffs of layered limestone that plunge right into the sea. There’s a graveyard behind, and a couple of fresh water tanks which are filled up by boat once a week. You can swim in the clear water of the Arabian Gulf surrounded by colourful fish, and rest in the shade of the makeshift palm leaf shelter by the tanks. This also makes for the perfect camp spot , where chances are your only company will be a few goats.

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The view over Khor Najd, complete with switchback road winding steeply to the coast, is a Musandam classic. You can reach the viewpoint in a 2WD, although the descent to the shore is best tackled in a 4WD.

The spectacular view over Khor Najd

This is a popular spot for family picnics, camping, and fishing. Expect it to be busy, especially at the weekend or during national Oman or UAE holidays. There are fresh water tanks here too, and plenty of space to pitch up either close to the shore, or set back towards the cliffs. While the setting is no doubt spectacular, we couldn’t help but feel the view from the top is better than the reality at the bottom and it was our least favourite camp spot in Musandam (granted, we were there during a very busy period).

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Just get in touch via our contact page to  let us know your rough trip plans and the kind of support you would like and we’ll get back to you with options and detailed pricing

Sal Ala Acacia Forest

There’s an acacia forest (a rare sight in these parts!) at the end of the main road heading south from Khasab, about 7 km beyond the turn off for Khor Najd. It makes for an interesting side trip if you’re already making the journey to the fjord, or a good choice if you’re looking for a nice 2WD accessible picnic spot and a chance to do some hiking.

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Tawi Village & Petroglyphs

Some of Musandam’s best preserved and numerous petroglyphs can be found in Tawi village. It’s just a few kilometres up Wadi Qida, and if you’re in a 2WD, these are far more accessible than the ones found in the mountains near Jabal Harim (mentioned below). Turn off from the main Khasab Coastal Road, a little west of Bassa Beach, and head up the road for 2.6 km. You’ll see a collection of large boulders on the left before you reach the end of the road. Here you’ll find carvings depicting hunters on horseback, boats, wild animals and more. The village itself is picturesque too, with old wooden doors, roaming goats and steep cliffs rising all around.

Petroglyph of a hunter on horseback in Tawi Village

Goats always know how to pose

Hunter on horseback petroglyph in Tawi Village

MUSANDAM MOUNTAINS

If you’ve got your own 4WD, you’re in for a treat. Otherwise, the only way to get a taste of the spectacular Musandam mountains is by joining a tour, as the roads are impossible to access in a 2WD. There’s a lot of exploring to be done along the main mountain road south of Khasab. That road extends all the way to Dibba (also spelt Daba), although as previously noted, you can’t get beyond the checkpoint in Wadi Bih unless you’re an Omani national. If you’ve only got a day or two to spend in the mountains, make this area your focus. If you have longer, the Harf Plateau is another great area to get off-road.

The information board at the start of the mountain road south of Khasab

KHASAB – DABA MOUNTAIN ROAD

As sayh plateau.

Turning off the paved road south of Khasab onto the 4WD only mountain road towards Daba, the first scenic spot you’ll come to is the fertile As Sayh Plateau. It’s lush and green in winter: wheat and alfalfa fields mixed with palm groves stretch out for a couple of kilometres. 

The green fields of the fertile As Sayh Plateau as seen from the mountain road above it

There’s a small settlement of houses, some hard to distinguish from the rocky hillsides they’re built into. It’s a beautiful spot, hidden away in a seemingly hostile dry land.

The lush fields of the As Sayh Plateau seeming almost magical among the dry ground

The lush fields of the As Sayh Plateau seeming almost magical among the dry and stony ground

UAE and Stairway To Heaven Viewpoints

Turning right up the tracks from As Sayh will lead you to some fantastic viewpoints overlooking the UAE, as well as the Stairway To Heaven hike. You’ll need to get out and walk a bit for the best views, then return to the main track to carry on exploring.

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Fossils and Petroglyphs

When tectonic plates collided millions of years ago, they formed both the Zagros Mountains in Iran and the towering cliffs of Musandam. Predominantly limestone, these mountains in Musandam are much older than the Hajar Mountains in ‘mainland’ Oman. The varied colours and clearly visible layers of these hulking brutes are simply mesmerising. But they’re also home to fascinating treasures of the past, as long as you know where to look. If you hunt around on the rocks above the As Sayh Plateau, you’ll find numerous fossils confirming that this area was indeed once under the sea. And further up the road, near a military helipad, you’ll find petroglyphs depicting hunters and wild animals. These rock carvings are believed to date back to before 600 BC. The views are pretty incredible, too. 

We’ve marked the spots on our map to help you find them.

Fossils exposed in bare rock above the As Sayh Plateau

These petroglyphs are believed to be over 2,500 years old

Exposed fossils above the As Sayh Plateau

These petroglyphs of human figures are believed to be over 2,500 years old

Wadi Bih Road

Jabal Harim (that big mountain with a military installation on top) is the highest in Musandam at 2087m. You can’t actually drive to the top (due to said military facility), and if you’re on an organised ‘mountain safari’ tour this is likely where you’ll turn around. But if you’ve got your own wheels, the best is yet to come. 

Continuing on the road, with the peak to your left, the view laid out before you at the pass is utterly spectacular. Look closely and you’ll spot the road, hugging the mountainside, then twisting across a broad finger of land before dropping down to Wadi Bih. The odd house and pockets of cultivated green land cut into terraced fields complete the scene. It’s only 18km to the wadi bed, but don’t be surprised if it takes you an hour or more. The views will have you stopping constantly, and the terrain requires careful driving.

Snaking across the rocky mountainside, t he incredible Wadi Bih mountain road

The incredible Wadi Bih mountain road, snaking across the rocky mountainside

If you’re planning to camp, you’ll find one of our all time favourite spots 4km from the pass. Otherwise just pull off the road and admire the view before descending to the wadi bed.

Sunrise views over Wadi Bih from one of our absolute favourite camp spots

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A’Rowdhah Bowl

Continuing straight over Wadi Bih and up Wadi A’Rowdhah at the small Qad Qad village, you’ll reach an expansive flat bowl surrounded by mountains. There are a couple of interesting cemeteries followed by a bizarre section of perfect tarmac road skirting the edge. The road curves around the wide open space, past numerous acacia trees, scattered houses and even an air strip. It’s a lovely spot for a picnic and a good place to camp. There’s every chance you’ll see camels roaming too.

The perfect shaded picnic spot in the A’Rowdhah Bowl

Camels on the move

The perfect picnic spot in the A’Rowdhah Bowl

A’Rowdhah Bowl to Limah Mountain Road

Beyond A’Rowdhah the brief section of tarmac ends. A steep switchback road heads up and over the mountains towards the coastal village of Limah. The views are, like most around here, spectacular. When we attempted the route in December 2018 we could only get so far, as part of the road on the descent to Limah was under construction. However, while still rough going, we believe the construction work is more or less complete now and it’s possible to drive to Limah. But even if you’re not planning to drive all the way, having made it as far as A’Rowdhah, it’s worth continuing up to the pass at least. There you’ll be rewarded with views back down over the bowl and out to the coast.

Note that you’ll need to retrace your route to get back to the main road so be sure to have enough fuel, water, food, etc.

Looking down towards Limah and the coast from the mountain pass above A’Rowdhah

HARF PLATEAU

For wonderful views over the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, head up the Harf Plateau. This off-road route runs roughly parallel to the Khasab coastal road, but high above on the top of those cliffs you’ve no doubt been admiring.

Parked up on the Harf Plateau with views of the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz

You can access the road from the village of Harf. There are mountain villages to explore, like Herat, and numerous hiking trails leading to abandoned villages and ruins (although none officially marked). The views down over the beaches and villages are great, and there’s plenty of good spots for camping. 

Looking down from the Harf Plateau towards Al Jadi and Bukha under atmospheric stormy skies

DIVING MUSANDAM

Great scuba diving sites are found all over Oman and Musandam is no exception. The main dive hubs are Khasab and Dibba. If you’re looking to include some diving as part of a general Musandam trip, arranging a couple of dives with an operator in Khasab is ideal. If diving is the main purpose of your trip to Musandam, you may want to opt for Dibba, where you can also arrange overnight dive trips. 

Whale shark season is May to October, with September to January considered the best season for diving. February and March can be pretty choppy and windy. Visibility is unpredictable, with the nutrient rich Strait of Hormuz offering anywhere between 5 and 20 metres visibility. 

A couple of companies that come recommended are Musandam Discovery Diving , based in Khasab, and Sheesa Beach , based in Dibba.

SEE MORE OF OMAN

The Essential Guide To Salalah And Dhofar

10 Day Off-Road Oman 4×4 Itinerary

Our 1 Month Oman Road Trip Itinerary

10 Day Oman Itinerary: 2WD Road Trip

The Essential Guide To Musandam

19 Amazing Places To Visit In Oman

Scuba Diving In Oman

Oman Video | Part Two

Oman Video | Part One

11 Best Wild Campsites in Oman

Oman Camping Road Trip: Everything You Need To Know

Where to stay in musandam.

Accommodation in Musandam is fairly limited, centred in and around Khasab, or Dibba. Camping is a great alternative if you have your own gear and transport. Overnight dhow cruises are also an option, and offer a unique experience.

Khasab Accommodation

As is the case all over Oman, budget accommodation is hard to come by in Musandam. Khasab has limited hotels to choose from, with prices around $90 – $200 for a double room. Lake Hotel is the cheapest, with rooms from around $55. Other options include Ahlam Musandam Villa , Ahlam Villa Musandam , Khasab Hotel , Diwan Al Amir , Esra Hotel Apartment , and the pricier Atana Khasab Hotel and Atana Musandam Resort . There are also a couple of established beach campsites you can book which include all of your meals, camping equipment, etc.

SEARCH FOR YOUR ACCOMMODATION HERE

Dibba accommodation.

Six Senses Zighy Bay is by far the most famous luxury resort in the region, with Dibba Beach Resort a slightly more affordable option.

Camping Musandam

Oman is the perfect place for a camping road trip, and Musandam has loads of great spots to pitch up. From beaches to mountains, we spent a week camping around Musandam and have detailed a couple of our very favourite spots in this guide . We’ve also marked numerous possible camp spots for you on the map above to help you find the perfect place whether you’re in a 2WD or 4×4. 

One of our all time favourite camp spots, on the mountain road above Wadi Bih

As with everywhere in Oman, camping is of the ‘wild’ variety, ie. there are no official campsites (besides the fully inclusive ones mentioned in the Khasab accommodation section above). This means there are no facilities like toilets, water, sinks, etc., so it’s imperative that you follow the Leave No Trace principles when camping in Musandam. 

For more practical camping info, check out our complete guide to camping in Oman . Note that there’s a Lulu Hypermarket in Khasab, a great place to stock up on food and supplies. For fuel, there are petrol stations in both Bukha and Khasab.

Overnight Dhow Cruises

For a truly unique Musandam experience, why not sleep out under the stars on a traditional dhow boat ? You’ll have the chance to see dolphins, snorkel around Telegraph Island, eat dinner on board, and then sleep out on the wooden deck. Pretty idyllic! 

Or this option with Musandam Sea Adventure also includes a mountain safari the following day, visiting the As Sayh Plateau, Jabal Harim, Khor Najd and the Acacia Forest. It’s a great option if you’re short on time and want to see the very best of Musandam, or don’t have your own 4WD.

Stopping off and snorkelling around Telegraph Island while on a dhow boat cruise

Stopping off and snorkelling around Telegraph Island on a dhow boat cruise

WHEN TO VISIT MUSANDAM

The best time to visit Musandam is between November and March. Day time temperatures are a pleasant 25-30 °C , with those at night time dropping to around 20 °C.

A beautiful evening on Al Jadi Beach in early December, as the sun sets and the lights of Bukha spring to life

A beautiful evening on Al Jadi Beach in early December, as the lights of Bukha spring to life

The summer months (June to August) can be unbearably hot throughout Oman (apart from in monsoon cooled Salalah ). In Musandam, summer temperatures push 40 °C and rarely drop below 30 °C. So unless you’re planning to camp in the mountains (about 8 °C cooler), it’s best to avoid these months. 

April, May, September and October can still be pretty hot, making it uncomfortable for beach camping or hiking. 

As Musandam is accessed most easily from the UAE, it’s a popular weekend or holiday getaway for many locals and expat residents in Dubai and elsewhere. Be sure to check both Oman and UAE public holiday dates if you want to avoid the crowds.

HOW TO GET AROUND MUSANDAM

As there are no public transport options or taxis in Musandam, the only way to get around is in your own vehicle or on a tour. You can bring your own car (or a rental) by road from the UAE, or on the car ferry from Shinas (more details below). Alternatively, you can hire a car in Khasab; no big name rental companies operate there, just a few local affairs. You can find some phone numbers and email addresses via a Google search if you want to try and confirm a car in advance.

As for tours, the two common itineraries cover a fjord dhow cruise, and an off-road mountain trip to Jabal Harim, the As Sayh Plateau, Khor Najd and a few other spots. Many tour operators offer Dubai pick up and drop offs too. You can search and book various options on Viator or Get Your Guide .

HOW TO GET TO MUSANDAM

You can get to Musandam by air, sea, or land. Your chosen mode of transport will likely depend on where you’re coming from, and your plans once you get to Musandam.

Fly To Musandam

There is a daily flight from Muscat to Khasab (and back) with Oman Air. It takes around 1 hour. This is the only flight option and obviously makes most sense if you are coming from Muscat. It’s a small regional plane, with a 20kg luggage limit. For the best views, try to sit on the left flying to Khasab or the right to Muscat. As you will be flying domestically, you won’t need to worry about multi-entry Oman visas or paying extra for cross border car rental insurance, etc. As noted above, there is no public transport in Musandam, so it’s best to arrange a tour or car hire in order to get around once you land.

ORGANISE YOUR FLIGHTS NOW

Ferry to musandam.

The National Ferries Company runs a car ferry service from Shinas (in the north of Oman near the border with the UAE) to Dibba, Limah and Khasab. The direct Muscat – Khasab ferry no longer runs. You can however book a combo bus/ferry ticket to get from Muscat to Shinas return with Mwasalat bus company. 

The ferries do not run every day. You can check the current schedules on the NFC website . This is a scenic way to travel, the 4 hour journey from Shinas to Khasab passing by the stunning Musandam coast. Taking the ferry also has the benefit of no border control hassle or extra visa costs. However it is fairly expensive, especially when taking a rental car with you, and it may work out more expensive than just driving. You can make reservations by phone or email with NFC, or book via a local travel agency.

Drive To Musandam

If you’re coming from the UAE, driving to Musandam is certainly the easiest option. If you’re planning a trip from ‘mainland’ Oman, driving is also possible, but there are extra considerations given that you must exit and re-enter Oman via the UAE.

UAE to Musandam Border Crossings

The main border crossing is at Al Dhara/Tibat, near Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE. It’s a fairly straightforward process, but it can get busy at weekends or on public holidays. As far as we’re aware, to cross the border to Daba/Dibba you must be a GCC national or a resident of the UAE. If you’re an expat resident of Oman, or a tourist, you need to have a letter and confirmed booking in order to cross this border, from Six Senses Zighy Bay, Golden Tulip Dibba or a Dibba based tour company. It’s a good idea to check this directly with the hotel/tour company before confirming any travel plans.

Oman to UAE Border Crossings

If you’re planning on driving from ‘mainland’ Oman to Musandam, you’ll need to cross into the UAE, then back into Oman at either the Ras Al Khaimah or Dibba borders. There are numerous border crossings between the UAE and ‘mainland’ Oman, and with the limited information available, it’s a little confusing which ones you can use as non-GCC residents or nationals. Saying that, we (tourists on British passports) crossed with no problems at the Khatmat Malahah border post on the east coast between Shinas (Oman) and Fujairah (UAE), and also at the Mezyad/Hafeet border post south of Al Ain.

Camping for the night in northeastern ‘mainland’ Oman while driving to Musandam via the U.A.E.

Cross Border Rental Car & insurance

If you’re hiring a rental car in the UAE or Oman, make sure you are allowed to cross into the other country. You will be able to confirm this with your rental company before booking. You will also need to ensure you have the correct car insurance for crossing into the other country. We arranged our Oman rental car through Holiday Autos , ensuring cross border travel into the UAE was permitted in advance. When we picked up our car we advised the staff of the dates we planned to be in the UAE. They then arranged the insurance documents for us to collect the following day, costing an additional 25 OMR.

BOOK YOUR RENTAL CAR HERE

Visas for oman.

Citizens of 103 countries can visit Oman visa-free for up to 14 days . You must have proof of a return flight within 14 days, confirmed hotel bookings for the duration of your stay, and health insurance. Many nationalities can also apply in advance for an e-visa for a single entry trip of up to 30 days (OR20), or a multiple entry 1 year visa which is valid for stays of up to 30 days at a time (OR50). You can find out more about visas and apply online here.

Do ensure that you have the correct visa to suit your itinerary. If you fly or take the ferry from Oman (Muscat) to Musandam, without entering the UAE, this will be classed as a single entry into Oman. However, if you drive via the UAE, you will be exiting Oman and re-entering again, so you may require a multi-entry visa. 

 Be sure to check your UAE visa requirements also. Note also that there is a UAE exit fee payable when crossing the border into Oman (we were charged 32 AED each).

USEFUL RESOURCES

Lonely Planet’s Oman, UAE & Arabian Peninsula guide book is the most up to date out of the main publishers, with The Rough Guide to Oman and Oman Bradt Travel Guide also useful.

If you’re planning to head off-road, the Explorer Oman Off-Road book is invaluable. You can order it direct from Explorer’s website, or pick it up at local bookshops, including the WH Smith at Muscat airport. They did have an app version of the book, but it is unavailable at the time of writing.

THANKS FOR READING!

If you’ve found this guide helpful, please consider leaving us a small tip. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps cover the costs of running this blog.

Kim and Del Hogg

If you’ve found this guide helpful, please consider leaving us a small tip.

Your support is greatly appreciated and helps cover the costs of running this blog.

We hope you’ve found this guide to Musandam useful. It’s a fascinating region in a really special country. If you have any questions at all, just use the comment section below. And if you know of anything we’ve missed, get involved with the discussion and fill in the gaps.

Happy travels!

ORGANISE YOUR TRIP TO MUSANDAM NOW

Still not sorted your travel insurance it’s not too late get a quote now.

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – if you purchase a product or service via these links, we may earn a small commission  at no extra cost to you . This helps offset the cost of running this blog and keeps us travelling so that we can continue to produce great content for you. We greatly appreciate your support!*

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Telegraph Island

This tiny spit of land is only accessible at high tide, and it's easy to imagine how those posted on the island, when it housed a British telegraphic relay station in the 19th century, went mad from isolation. There's nothing to do on the abandoned island, but snorkelling and swimming in the pristine surrounding waters is a highlight.

Khor Al Sham

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

This beautiful inlet is interesting for its stone fishing villages, accessible only by boat, and for Telegraph Island, which dots the middle of the bay…

Khasab Fort

With its command of the bay sadly diminished since Lulu Hypermarket was built on reclaimed land opposite, Khasab Fort nonetheless cuts quite a dash with…

Khor Al Najd Viewpoint

Located 24.5km southeast of Khasab, Khor Al Najd is the only khor (inlet) accessible by vehicle (preferably 4WD). You can camp on the rim of this wild bay…

19.96 MILES

The highest peak in the UAE at 1934m, Jebel Jais is even occasionally dusted with snow. A switchback road snakes up the mountainside delivering vistas of…

Jebel Harim Pass

17.61 MILES

This pass, high up on Jebel Harim, connects the east coast of Musandam with the west coast, across the neck of the peninsula. Rawdah Bowl lies at the…

House of Locks

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An interesting feature of Jebel Harim is the type of local stone-built house known as bait al qifl or ‘house of locks’. So called on account of their…

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Set on an isolated khor (inlet) at the northern edge of the peninsula, the surprisingly modern town of Kumzar is accessible only by boat. The villagers…

Jebel Jais Viewing Deck Park

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As observation decks go, it doesn't get much posher than this. Opened in early 2018, the landscaped and manicured viewing terraces here at 1250m have…

Nearby Musandam attractions

1 . Khor Al Sham

2 . Khmazera Castle

Buried in the heart of town (brown signs show the way), this small fortified house sports two cannons at the doorway, a renovated well in the courtyard…

3 . Khasab Fort

4 . Bassa Beach

Located a 2km walk from the ferry terminal, this sandy beach has shade and toilets and is the nearest place to Khasab for a swim. Wild camping is…

5 . Khor Al Najd Viewpoint

6 . Petroglyphs

About 8km from Khasab harbour lies the village of Tawi, site of a few prehistoric rock carvings of boats, houses and warriors on horseback. To reach these…

7 . Al Khalidiyah

From the base of the track to Khor Al Najd, a road leads to the village of Sal Alaa and Al Khalidiyah, an inland bowl full of magnificent mature trees…

10 Things to Do in Telegraph Island, Khasab, Oman

1. Explore the Island

2. visit the lighthouse, 3. go snorkeling, 4. take a boat tour, 5. go fishing, 6. visit the beaches, 7. go kayaking, 8. go bird watching, 9. visit the fort, 10. go diving.

•  Khasab Beach
•  Khasab Castle
•  Khasab Fish Market
•  Khasab Harbor
•  Khasab Musandam Cruise
•  Khasab Old Mosque
•  Khasab Old Souq
•  Khasab Old Town Beach
•  Khasab Old Town Fish Market
•  Khasab Old Town Harbor
•  Khasab Old Town Mosque and Beach
•  Khasab Old Town Mosque and Fish Market
•  Khasab Old Town Mosque and Harbor
•  Khasab Old Town Mosque and Souq
•  Khasab Old Town Mosque
•  Khasab Old Town Museum
•  Khasab Old Town Souq
•  Khasab Old Town
•  Khasab Souq
•  Telegraph Island

• Governorates
• His Majesty
• Environment
• Photography
• Motor sports
• Other sports

UK Telegraph travel writer in Oman to check attractions

Referred by The Telegraph, a British daily broadsheet newspaper based in London, as its destination expert, travel writer Sarah Hedley Hymers will arrive in the country Thursday evening according to a source taking charge of one of her itineraries while in the Sultanate.

Hedley Hymers who had been monitoring and writing about interesting activities and attractions in Dubai in the last few months is making a side trip to the Sultanate and typical of the reports she made for Dubai, is expected to list down and outline the best places to stay and visit in Oman.

With The Telegraph regarded as national “newspaper of record” of the United Kingdom, her travel pieces would be accessed by around 500,000 print subscribers and have the potential to reach millions of online readers from around the world.

The Telegraph has around 4.5 million followers on Facebook, around 2.5 million followers on Twitter and around 200k followers on Instagram.

While information about how long she will be in Oman is not yet known, Dr. MaryAnn Roberta, Oman Observer Health and Wellness Columnist and Corporate Director Marketing & Development of Al Nahda Hotels & Resorts confirmed that the travel writer’s first stop will be at the Dunes by Al Nahda in Barka.

“We’ve recently won the 2018 Luxury Honeymoon Hotel, Country Winner Oman award given by the World Luxury Hotel Awards and in keeping with this new achievement, we created an itinerary that would give Ms. Hedley Hymers a great impression about what Oman can offer,” Dr. Maryann shared.

“Arriving in the evening on Thursday, she and her companion/s itinerary will be fully-packed. I’ve arranged for her to experience not only a world-class spa experience only found here in the country offered by Uru Spa. They will be serenaded with romantic music by possibly the only harpist in Oman and will have an opportunity to stargaze by the romantic cabana while surrounded by the beautiful dunes,” she shared.

“The next day, they will experience quad biking and dunes bashing and we also arranged a visit to different attractions found right here in Barka like the baby camel hotel and possible a one-on-one Omani food cooking experience,” she added.

She also said, “We want her to take with her the best experiences Oman can offer. Although we don’t know what her other travel plans are, we will do our best that she’d get plenty of activities she can write about and report back to the people in the UK and The Telegraph reader’s from around the world.”

Hedley Hymers was previously associated with Condé Nast Traveller as its head of content and digital director.

Yeru ebuen & Titash Chakraborty

Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here

Travel Oman: Glimpses of history at Telegraph Island

The Island in Oman Where Soldiers Slowly Lost Their Minds

Oman is a land of natural beauty and amazing culture, but it’s also a land of mystery – ancient local stories abound here, including the tale of a group of British soldiers who allegedly lost their minds on an island in northern Oman in the 19th century. Here’s everything you need to know about this intriguing spot.

Telegraph Island, locally known as Jazirat Al Maqlab, is located in Khor Ash Sham (Elphinstone Inlet) off the shore of the Musandam Governorate, the northenmost point of Oman . It is 60 meters (197 feet) long and 90 meters (295 feet) wide, and is currently uninhabited. However, it attracts tourists who enjoy snorkeling and fishing.

The British connection

The island today

Ironically, Telegraph Island today is one of the top attractions in Musandam . Visitors take dhow boat trips around its fjords, watch dolphins swim in the Gulf waters, and go fishing. Several tours are organized to enjoy these water activities from the peninsula.

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On a Road Trip Through Oman, Navigating Grief and Parenthood

By Ashlea Halpern

I was three weeks out from a 23-day travel itinerary with my toddler, Julian, when my dad died suddenly. The trip was something I had planned months earlier, determined to prove to all the face-palming naysayers (and myself) that you don’t have to give up traveling after having a baby; you just have to find new ways to move through the world. Due to grief, I considered canceling, but ultimately I decided against it. My father was a textbook agoraphobic who shut himself off from the world and at the end was leaving his house only once or twice a year. But travel was how I learned who I was and who I wanted to be. I’d been to more than 80 countries and spent four years traveling full-time with a 35-liter rucksack and a tiny hatchback. If I could bestow any qualities onto my child, I hoped they’d be my strongest ones: insatiable curiosity, relentless optimism, fiery resilience, and a willingness to bend to my environment rather than expecting my environment to bend to me.

Muscat’s Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the country’s largest house of worship

The author’s son, Julian, on the beach at Jumeirah Muscat Bay

Our journey took us from swish Dubai to the safari camps of Tanzania, but the stretch that most unpacked both my grief and my maternal ambitions was the week we spent in Oman navigating the beach, desert, cities, and mountains by eerily empty highways. On a sweltering afternoon in Muscat, the mellow seaside capital accented with looming minarets, I chased Julian across the glossy marble and stone promenades at the grand mosque of Sultan Qaboos, where fawning congregants greeted him with sweet dates. Children under 10 are not permitted in, but a female guard noticed me steaming in my hijab, sticky toddler glued to my hip, and discreetly ushered us through a side door to cool off under a large air-conditioning unit.

At sunset we strolled along the buzzing Mutrah Corniche and past the rainbow cordilleras of fragrant spices at Mutrah Souq, the city’s oldest bazaar. Julian’s eyes lit up when he sampled the slow-cooked lamb shuwa with spiced rice at Bait Al Luban, a restaurant where the only free seats were on the sun-blasted balcony. I laughed as Julian guided my fork to his mouth and announced, “Num!” Food was one of the few pleasures my dad allowed himself. If he were there, he’d have beamed with pride.

Al Alam, the palace of Sultan Qaboos in Old Musca

A coffee break at a refreshment stand in Musca

From Muscat, we drove through the rugged Al Hajar mountains toward the Gulf of Oman, passing the beige blur of cliffs and canyons to a soundtrack of khaliji music on Omani radio . I glimpsed my son in the rearview, babbling to himself as this new old world streamed by. Would he remember any of it? Did it matter? The point was we were out here doing it. We were living.

With its karst-flanked shoreline and tranquil water, the Jumeirah Muscat Bay beach resort looks like a screensaver. If Julian were older, we could have gone kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding, but we settled for splashing in the surf and sipping freshly squeezed watermelon coolers by the pool. (Not that I minded.) The staff bent over backward for the “little sultan,” who in turn flirted shame­lessly with a comely Indonesian waitress. Later, we moved to the citadel-like Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar, atop a 6,500-foot massif, where the crisp mountain air felt great after so many 100-degree days. Julian toddled intrepidly along a glass-bottomed observation deck over the Jabal Al Akhdar canyon, gawking at the groundskeepers shaking meaty green olives from the trees.

It says a mother and child stroll through Oman’s Jebal Akhdar

Tea at Wahiba’s Hud Hud camp

Naturally, Oman’s punishing heat spawned some ferocious tantrums. Nowhere was my patience tested more than at Bimmah Sinkhole, a teal saltwater lake formed by the collapse of an underground cavern, which is accessible only via a steep staircase. Julian insisted on climbing back up himself before collapsing halfway in a fit of hot tears, forcing me to scoop up this sweaty 27-pound sack of potatoes and lug him a quarter mile back to the car. As the waterworks continued, a trio of teenage boys approached us with bottles of water, concern etched across their faces.

The hospitality in Oman, like other Islamic countries I’ve visited, was unparalleled. Young men leaped into traffic to help us cross the street. At souks, old men in ankle-grazing dishdasha high-fived Julian and tousled his blonde hair. Restaurant servers distracted him with balloons and goofy dance moves. More than one stranger insisted on buying our snacks at gas stations. The warmth and graciousness of the Omani people reminded me why I decided to this trip in the first place. More than anything, I want my son to believe what I believe: that 99.9 percent of humans are kind and that we’re far more alike than we are different. Karmically speaking, you get out of life what you put in. Good vibes only.

The Wahiba Sands desert in eastern Oman

The trip came full circle at a rustic tent camp in Wahiba Sands, an undulating desert three and a half hours from Muscat. For toddlers, deserts are basically giant sandboxes, and one of my happiest moments was watching Julian coast down the dunes on his tuchus. He squealed in delight at the golden sand streaming through his chubby fingers and cackled hysterically when a camel flashed him a toothy grin.

Sipping tea on our tent’s wraparound terrace, stars winking in a vast Cimmerian sky as Julian dozed against me, I recounted our adventures for my dad. I imagined him up there in the Milky Way, everywhere and nowhere at once, shaking his head the way dads do—thrilled he didn’t have to experience any of it himself but grateful to have raised a daughter who embraces it all with gusto.

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The Lana, Dorchester Collection: First Guest

Middle East Travel Guide

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