A few weeks ago we went on a day trip to see the beautiful Musandam fjords in neighbouring Oman. We booked a half day dhow cruise to Khasab Musandam as we wanted to see dolphins. According to tour operators Khasab Musandam that borders Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is where you can see dolphins and not in Dibba Musandam that borders Sharjah.

On the D-day we left Dubai at 6 am, drove on Emirates Road and reached RAK in two hours. From then on there was a visible change in the landscape as we spotted waterbodies, more patches of green and old houses. Post a 45 min drive we reached the UAE Oman border, paid AED 50 as exit charges and AED 30 as visa expense.

The magic really begins from here. The Musandam landscape is picturesque with mountains on one side and the pristine blue green ocean on the other side of the road. Each curve reveals views of serene Musandam waters dotted with dhows. After asking for directions we reached the dock from where the dhows start the cruise. Ours was a small traditional dhow with colourful red and black Arabic majlis cushions. We took our seats and munched on fruit and juice. Once the cruise began we got closer to the magnificent Musandam fjords. Even as we were enjoying the cool breeze and our close tryst with nature the sailor let out a shrill whistle and yelled, “here come the dolphins.” That was it, everyone on the dhow ran to either sides for a glimpse of the playful dolphins who swim along the dhow. We saw many of them at various junctures — swimming solo and in groups —  jumping  at top speed competing with the dhows while enjoying all the attention. After an hour and a half the dhow docked near a rocky mountain for everyone to take a dip in the refreshing waters. With snorkeling equipment one could see small colourful fishes really close from here. Soon it was time for the dhow to head back and for us to be left with some lasting memories and spectacular shots that I share here:

#dhow cruise, #dolphins, #Khasab Musandam, #Oman, UAE day trips