Another weekend, another road trip. This time we have been to Oman: Musandam & Khasab.
Around 4 hours drive from Abu Dhabi and 3 hours away from Dubai these little hidden gems are located. Since we moved to the UAE, we always wanted to go on road trips and out for camping but somehow we never really made it into the pure nature.
I am such a nature lover. I love the forest, the fields, the desert, the wadis, the sea and I love to sleep under a sparkling sky full of stars or sitting next to a campfire all night long.
Coupled with a chilled group of people this is just the best kind of trip you can literally do. Tim and I enjoyed it so much and we wanna tell you about it, so you might also try it and drive to our friends in the neighboring sultanate of Oman.
Thursday
We started our trip on a Thursday after work from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, picked up our friend and then went all the way to Oman via Sharjah, Ajman and Ras al Khaimah to the boarder of Oman.
We got stuck in a little traffic jam in Dubai and Sharjah but the rest of the drive was super smooth and relaxed.
At the border itself you have to follow some different steps which take their time but it’s not too crazy compared to what I heard and read.
So when you leave the UAE border, you have to get the exit stamp in your passport. You park your car and go inside the departure hall. You pay 35 UAE Dirhams to get the exit stamp.
The next step is to drive to the next stop which is then the Oman border. Same thing again. You park your car, go inside with your previous printed e-visa and passport. Then you go to the insurance which is located 100 meters next to the visa counter. For a 5-day car insurance you have to pay AED 85. Then you go back to the visa counter, get your Oman entry stamp and you can drive thru.
Everyone at the border was super friendly & supportive – no matter on which side (UAE and Oman).
A drive of around 30-45 minutes from the border is the Khasab city where we stayed in a hotel overnight.
As such a 4 hour drive makes you pretty hungry and lunch was way too long ago, we were searching for a nice restaurant. The options were quiet limited but after a little research on the web, we found a restaurant in the small city of Khasab. It was an Iranian restaurant called Wadi Qada Restaurant where you can choose between sitting on tables or on the floor – and the food is really great for a decent price. You can get fresh juices, desserts and tea as well.
Friday
Dhow cruise
We woke up at 7.30 AM and went out to look for a coffee. Not that easy to find to be honest. Khasab is not a really big town even if it’s the second largest in Oman, after Muscat, but still super small and somehow traditional. So we went to LuLu Hypermarket but the coffee shop doesn’t open sharp, so we strolled around and found a very traditional and simple coffee shop right around the corner. Owned by a Pakistani who was super friendly and nice. We got our coffee and were good to go for the Dhow cruise.
We booked it via Dhow Khasab Tours.
First you have to go to their office and pay there. Then they will guide you with the to the marina where the Dhow is waiting for you.
We had a huge boat and were only around 12 people on it. Super nice group and the perfect size for a day on the water.
Included in the trip were softdrinks, coffee, tea and lunch. Super nice! The food was tasty and the baot crew was very friendly and in a super good mood. The captain himself grew up in a small fishermen village in Musandam with around 20 people and could tell us lots about his life and the nature around us. Really great!
We went swimming, snorkeling, found oysters and ate them fresh out of the see, saw squid and beautiful fish and lots of Dolphins following our dhow.
Camping
The dhow cruise was from 10 AM till 4 PM. After we arrived back at the mina, we went to the supermarket for groceries and camping equipment. We got wood for the campfire, some BBQ & camping stuff.
The dhow captain suggested a nice place to stay for camping and of course we followed his recommendation. And we weren’t disappointed: The camping spot was just beautiful!
We were the only people on the beach. A beach where the water is crystal clear, the sand is white and full with beautiful shells, sea stars and mussels!
We were sitting in front of the campfire for the whole night, had BBQ and told each other stories, jokes and whatever until 4 AM in the morning. It was so beautiful to hop into your tent then and fall asleep with the sound of the waves around you.
Saturday
We woke up then at 7 AM to take a morning bath in the refreshing sea which was just wonderful. The water was very clean, there was no garbage at the beach at all and it was a super nice experience. After Tim & Saif went out to get us some Karak, coffee and small swandwich, we packed our stuff and started the drive home around noon.
See you next time Oman, you are just a wonderful and such a peaceful place!
Hotel:
Khasab Hotel, was very simple one but ok for one night.
Costs: Around AED 300 per night
Dhow Cruise:
Dhow Kasab Tours was our provider of choice.
Costs: Around AED 250 per person
Visa Regulations:
- Apply for the e-visa before your trip (it’s usually processed within a day)
- Bring cash (AED 35) for the UAE exit stamp (you can pay sometimes with CC but not everywhere)
- Take your original car registration with you or a copy + NOC letter from the owner (in case it’s not your car)
