The Musandam Peninsula Holidays

Fjords, dolphins and a barefoot frontier

Geographically closer to Dubai than Muscat, the Musandam Peninsula is a small province of Oman that is separated from the rest of the country.

It is totally surrounded by the United Arab Emirates. Khasab is the capital of this region, and it is linked to Muscat by a one-hour flight or a five-hour public ferry. Alternatively, we can arrange for you to make this journey in a privately chartered catamaran with your own crew; this could be to save time or simply to add to your Oman experience with an overnight sailing adventure, including stops to snorkel and swim with dolphins.

Khasab itself has a couple of decent hotels. Still, it’s likely that if you visit the Musandam Peninsula, you’ll be heading here for its famous luxury resort, The Six Senses Zighy Bay. If you’re coming here directly, the journey is actually most accessible from Dubai – it takes around two hours by road. If you’re feeling especially adventurous, then your private guide can drop you off at the top of the nearby mountain so you can paraglide into the resort! An interesting itinerary would begin in Dubai and take in Six Senses Zighy Bay before flying or sailing down to Muscat (or vice versa).

During your stay in the Musandam Peninsula, adventures on offer include snorkelling and sunset cruises aboard a traditional Dhow boat, visiting fishing villages and inlets and keeping an eye out for dolphins frolicking as you go. There are some souqs to dive into and forts in Khasab for a bit of culture and history too.