By air
Khasab (KHS), or ~2.5 h by road from Dubai
Middle East · Oman
Musandam, Oman
The fjords of Arabia
Getting there
Best time to visit
October to April — mild
Don't miss
Khor Ash Sham
Telegraph Island
Khasab Fort
Things to do
Dhow cruises
Dolphin spotting
Snorkelling
Where to eat
What to pack
Swimwear
A quieter corner
Jebel Harim's mountain road
Questions travellers ask
When is the weather best in Musandam?
October to April, when it's mild. Pack swimwear.
What is there to do in Musandam?
Dhow cruises, dolphin spotting and snorkelling in the fjords of Arabia, with Khor Ash Sham, Telegraph Island and Khasab Fort to see.
Is there a scenic road in Musandam?
Jebel Harim's mountain road — Musandam's hidden gem.
Can I drive to Musandam from Dubai?
Yes — it's about 2.5 h by road from Dubai, or you can fly into Khasab (KHS). Then treat yourself to fresh fish.
About Musandam
- Coastal
- Mountains
Where it is
Musandam is a governorate of Oman at the northern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, cut off from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates, where the Hajar Mountains plunge into the Strait of Hormuz in steep-sided inlets called khors.
History
Musandam has overlooked the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's great sea lanes, for thousands of years, and the Portuguese built the fort at Khasab in the 17th century. In the 1860s the British laid a telegraph cable to India through Khor Ash Sham and built a relay station on a tiny island there. Today fishing, dhow tours and trade across the strait keep the harbour of Khasab busy.
People
Musandam's people include the Shihuh, mountain tribes with their own dialect of Arabic, and in the isolated village of Kumzar people speak Kumzari, a language related to Persian. Fishing, goat herding and terraced mountain farms were the traditional livelihoods.
Known for
- Dhow cruises through the khors
- Dolphins in Khor Ash Sham
- Telegraph Island
- Khasab Fort
- The mountain road to Jebel Harim
Did you know?
The British telegraph station on Telegraph Island in the 1860s was so isolated that it is said to have given English the phrase going round the bend.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.