Musandam: The jewel of Arabia

By MOHAMED EL HEBEISHY, LIFE.STYLE@ARABNEWS.COM Published: Sep 8, 2010 17:58 Updated: Sep 8, 2010 18:06 Cairo, Damascus and Beirut have always topped the destinations’ list when it comes to the Eid vacation; but is that all what the Middle East has got to offer? Join Mohamed El Hebeishy as he breaks the clichés and go for Musandam — the jewel of Arabia. It wasn’t long after going through the UAE - Oman border crossing that the topography started to change. The picturesque sceneries of glorious mountains dropping suddenly into the sea were welcoming me. I was in Musandam. Occupying the far south-eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula, Musandam has rarely surfaced on the tourist map. The small peninsula has always been linked to its strategic location, overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, rather than anything else. But now things are taking a different turn with tourism kicking in. As with the case with any Omani coast elsewhere, the coast at Musandam is peppered with forts. In the heydays of Arabian trade, Omani mastered the art of seafaring and traded heavily with neighboring countries, as well as farther afield ones in Africa. Maintaining a chain of forts to protect the homeland was a must. My first stop in Musandam was at one of Oman’s most glorious forts - Bukha Fort. Build round the turn of the 17th century and restored in 1990, Bukha Fort occupies a hilltop overlooking the sleepy town of Bukha. A steep sprawling road takes you up to the fort’s door; from where you would have a golden opportunity to take postcard photographs of the whole area. Omanis were not the only ones to recognize the strategic importance of Musandam, the Brits did as well. But instead of building a fort, they built a communication outpost - Telegraph Island. In the days before Blackberry and Wi-Fi, telegraph was the fasted method of communication. As there was a great need to speed up the communication between the great British Empire and its colonies in Asia, primarily India, the Brits stretched a telegraph cable through the region. And on a tiny island off the coast of Musandam they built a small telegraph station. Today, Telegraph Island is the destination of most cruise daytrips taking off from Khasab, Musnadam largest urban center. To add a touch of authenticity, tour operators running the daytrips use motor-equipped dhows instead of modern sailing boats. Dhows, with their unique structure, were the backbone of the Omani fleet back in the good old days of trading. The dhow cruise was not all about the Telegraph Island, where you see the ruins of the telegraph station or snorkel around the island, the highlight of my trip was actually the dolphins. The amicable creatures are a joy to behold. Once they spotted us, they came to say hello as they swam and jumped all around the dhow. It was an amazing experience to see the dolphins in their wild habitat rather than in a pool. Khasab, though being the provincial capital of Musandam, is a town-size urban center with a couple of hotels, a few eateries, and a handful of shops. It fits the overall laidback ambience of Musnadam; however, I was intrigued to sleep out in the wild. Musandam’s mountainous terrain and lovely beaches host some of the best camping spots in the whole of Arabia. The temptation was more than I could just resist, so I grabbed my tent and sleeping bag and off for night camping under the stars. Camping might suit best the adventurers and the nature lovers among us. For those who don’t want to roughen it, they can always head to Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay. Occupying a hidden bay surrounded by mountain, the high-end resort was built following the style of a local Omani fishermen village. Luxurious villas have the stone-like rustic chic look from the outside, and come in with all the modern amenities one could think of. Privacy is an important factor in the philosophy of Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay; the whole resort is made up of just 83 uniquely designed villas, including a super lavish private reserve and two retreats. The pool villas come in with their own private pool and a widely open door that gives to you access to the beach. For complete privacy, you could just slam the door shut and voilà, you are totally isolated inside your pool villa. No accommodation in the Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay is deemed complete without a tip to toe pampering treatment at their one of a kind spa. Don’t miss on their signature Six Senses Slow Life treatment; it is rejuvenating delight to your own well being. From mesmerizing vistas, to joyful dolphins, and from the historic Telegraph Island to the pampering treatments of the Six Senses spa; Musandam could be the perfect choice for an out of the ordinary Eid vacation. Eid Mubarak! How to get there? Musandam is rather an isolated Omani enclave that is enclosed by the United Arab Emirates. Unless you are flying from Muscat to Khasab, the easiest way is to follow my footsteps and drive from Dubai, or anywhere in the United Arab Emirates. Where to stay? If you a nature lover and have packed your tent and sleeping bag, then you can skip reading this part of the article. Otherwise, Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay is a tried and tested recommendation. Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay Website: www.sixsenses.com Tel: +968 26735 555 E-mail: reservations-zighy@sixsenses.com Mohamed El Hebeishy is the author of Frommer’s Egypt guidebook (second edition), and photographer and author of the widely acclaimed coffee-table book Egypt Rediscovered.