The Horn of Arabia

Whew! We went on a long road trip to Salalah, Oman last weekend. It was a 4-day weekend to commemorate UAE’s National Day, so we decided to finally do what we’ve put off doing for so many years. Driving the unthinkable 1,250 km to Salalah, and back!! And we did it! Longest drive I’ve ever had in my life in a day. And there’s next to nothing along the way – the 800+ km between Ibri and Thumrait in Oman is a flat and featureless expanse of dry land, with nothing much, no hills, no tree, no bushes… Only a road, on empty land as far as the eye can see! Anyway, pictures of our adventures in Salalah will have to wait till I’ve downloaded all the friggin photos. For the time being, here’re photos of another part of Oman, the Musandam Peninsula, which we visited on a similar road trip during the UAE National Day holidays in 2019, with Dad and Hazel. This is an extension of my earlier Musandam Post.


Khasab, Musandam, Oman

Musandam is a piece of land at the North-Eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula that pokes into the Gulf (of Arabia, or, of Persia, depending on which side of the Gulf you’re on). It is an Omani exclave (separated from the rest of Oman) and accessible by land only from the UAE. It’s like a friggin horn poking at the belly of Iran, and it forms the gateway to the Gulf. Enjoy!


Smile! Hazel & Anu, just after crossing the UAE-Oman border, at Tibat, Musandam, Oman


The layered hills of Musandam at Tibat


The town of Bukha


Dad, at Bukha Fort


One of the coves of Musandam – this is at the Harf Viewpoint


Finally reached Khasab – let’s have lunch!


Winding down with a mug of coffee at our hotel in Khasab, the Diwan Al Amir Hotel


Let’s explore the place… It’s getting dark, time for a ‘satay’ break, Omani style, at the road leading out of town, south of Khasab’s airport


The kids at Khasab’s fort – see how little Justin still is at that time. He was 10 then!


A view of Khasab from atop Khasab Fort

We were in Musandam for 2 days. Apart from exploring the town, we did a dhow cruise to Telegraph Island (which I’ve posted earlier).


OK, time to go home! The Cliff Viewpoint, Musandam at dusk, on our way out…