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 Khasab, Oman November 25


Back to Oman again today. We docked at 8 am and were off the ship at 8.15 for our tour which was a Dhow cruise to the Omani Fjords!  Described as being the Norway of Arabia - well yes, spectacular, but about 20 degrees hotter!!!  The dhow boats are lovely, there were three of them each with about 50 passengers.  Very comfy, we were seated on cushions and served tea, coffee, dates and fresh fruit.  Saw dolphin in one spot, small sharks in another and lots of small fish around the area where the swimmers dived in!  The swimming spot was at Telegraph Island, so named because it served as a base for a British crew that laid an underwater communications cable

from India to Iraq in the mid-1860s.. This area is only 68 kms from Iran, apparently there’s a friendly  exchange between the two countries, the Iranians come here to trade.  But not on Fridays,  is a day of rest!!! So today we didn’t see any Iranians haha!!  There are lots of small villages dotted in the fjords, the government has built homes free of charge for fishermen who also have a house in Khasab.  The mountains were spectacular, nearly all limestone and the new stadium in Qatar was built with stone from this area.  

We didn’t actually see the city of Khasab but it is the local capital of the Musandam Governorate which is an enclave of Oman bordering the UAE at the tip of the Musendam Peninsular.  Khasab was built by the Portuguese at the beginning of the 17th century and the natural harbour gave shelter from rough seas.  Khasab was designed as a supply point for dates and water for Portuguese ships!  

It’s close proximity to Iran means sheep and goats are brought in here from Iran and then dispatched to the UAE and Saudi Arabia in trucks.  On their return trip to the Islamic Republic the sailors load their boats up with electronic goods and American cigarettes arriving in Khasab after sunrise and before sunset to confirm with Omani immigration laws!  Since the trading is illegal under Iranian law they must avoid the Islamic Republic’s coastguard as well as all other shipping in the busy waters of the Strait of Hormuz. Apparently the crossing is hazardous since the vessels, piled high with livestock and numerous boxes must avoid the path of oil-tankers!  Recent increases of US sanctions against Iran have increased the amount of smuggling done through Khasab. History lesson for today!!!  So much I didn’t know about the Middle East,  every day is an eye-opener!  Is fascinating! 



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