Dubai Post 21: Day trip to Oman

Heading into the mountain range on the way to Oman. 

Desert landscape that would somewhat resemble
the American Southwest. 

One of the many Mosques we saw on the way to Oman. 

My hope is to travel to some of the surrounding countries while I am in Dubai but seeing that I only have three months, I had to start planning right away.  With my Dad in town, I figured it would be best to take a day trip to the UAE’s neighbor, Oman.  Oman is known for its Norwegian like fjords that invade their way into the Arabian Sea. 

The small port of Dibba, Oman. 

The lower deck of our Dhow boat. 

View of the shore out at sea. 

My Dad and I on the top deck of the boat. 

To view the fjords, visitors take a traditional dhow cruise for the day and can snorkel, fish, catch some rays and enjoy a traditional Omani meal.  To start out, we drove through the desert of the UAE finally getting to a highway that stretches in between two desert mountain ranges.  We finally reach the mini port in Dibba, Oman where a fleet of dhow boats were waiting to take eager tourists aboard.

My Dad and I were able to snag two lounge chairs on the top deck as it seemed we were the only two idiots who wanted to sit in the sun all day (30 SPF worked just fine).  Once the dhow took off, we cruised all along the Omani coast line getting scenic views of the wondrous landscape in Oman. 

View of the Arabian Sea with the fjords in the background. 

A view of the Omani flag off the back of the boat. 

Soaking in the sun. 

We finally reached a cove that somewhat resembled a cove near Port Jeff, Long Island (a location that my Grandfather used to take my cousins and I to when we were younger).  We dove into the water and started to explore what lived beneath the salty abyss.  With my head on a constant swivel looking for sharks, my Dad and I swam along the bluffs to get an up close and personal view of the Gulf marine aqua life.  We saw swarms of tropical fish inhabiting the Arabian waters and luckily no sharks.

A view of the fjords in Musandam as we head towards the snorkeling location.

A view of a classic dhow cruiser. 

Getting close to the cove. 

After an hour or two, we headed back to the boat for the traditional meal which was very Indian based and very tasty. We then switched locations and headed back into the water to enjoy another hour of snorkeling before sitting in the sun on our way back.

The first cove we stopped at to go snorkeling. 

Surrounding the mountains
 was bustling marine life. 

My Dad and I once we reached the cove. 

There were a few things my Dad and I noticed about this trip that might have be slightly different in the U.S.  The kids on board did not have to wear life jackets.  In fact, I do not think there were life jackets on the boat at all.  There was also no guidance by the crew so you kind of had to wing it.  If you started to snorkel where you shouldn’t have, you might have run into trouble.

Grotto alongside the mountain range. 

A view of Musandam. 

A member of the crew caught
a hammor fish. 

Heading out for a second round of snorkeling. 

It was a great day in a different country and a perfect ending to my weekend with my Dad.  It was now time to head to a different country, Saudi Arabia, for client visits.  I have a feeling this trip will be a little different than Oman. 

Sun setting over the mountains. 

The sunset provided a haloish glow on the mountain ranges

The sun setting over the desert on the way home.