MUSANDAM

KHASAB FORT / CASTLE:
Khasab (Arabic: صبَ خَ , romanized: Ḫaṣab) is a city in
an exclave of Oman bordering the United Arab Emirates. It is the local
capital of the Musandam Governorate, and has frequently been dubbed the
"Norway of Arabia" because of its extensive fjord-like craggy inlets and
desolate mountain scopes.
Khasab is a small city when compared to nearby cities of the United Arab
Emirates. It has many residents who mostly live in mainland Oman and
come to Khasab for vacations. There is a huge population of Indians,
Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, like in mainland Oman, who work in
restaurants, grocery stores, supermarkets, tour operators and many other
places.

The city is surrounded by the northern mountains of the Western Hajar
Range. Khasab has a fully functional hospital and several hotels, beaches
and parks across the city. The city's population is dominated by ethnic
Omanis from the mainland. Khasab also has a fort which is known as
Khasab Fort. The sea port is dominated by the dhows which take tourists
for a cruise across the natural, dry "fjords".
The city is frequently visited by residents of UAE as the Khasab Coastal
Road provides access to the city from UAE by connecting with the E11
Highway in the UAE side. The city can also be accessed by the ferry which
is maintained by the Government. The ferries are modern.
The Portuguese built Khasab at the beginning of the 17th century, at the
height of their naval presence in the region. The natural harbour gave
shelter from rough seas. Unlike many forts, which were built on high ground
for defensive purposes, Khasab was designed as a supply point for dates
and water for Portuguese ships sailing through the strait. Today, Khasab is
protected from floods by three large dams.

TELEGRAPH ISLAND:
Telegraph Island (also known as Arabic: تليغراف جزيرة, Jazīrat al Maqlab,
and Şaghīr) is located in the Elphinstone Inlet or Khor Ash Sham, the inner
inlet of Khasab Bay, less than 400 meters off the shore of the Musandam
Peninsula, and less than 500 meters south of much larger but also much
lesser known Sham Island, both of which are parts of the Sultanate
of Oman. It is 160 meters long, and up to 90 meters wide, yielding an area
of 1.1 hectares. The name as "Telegraph" comes from the telegraph-cable
repeater station built on the island in 1864.
The inlet at the island is a fjord surrounded by high mountains, with
notable geology in the rock strata which dip downwards under the immense
pressures caused by the Arabian tectonic plate meeting (and subducting
beneath) the Eurasian plate. In the 19th century, it was the location of a
British repeater station used to boost telegraphic messages along
the Persian Gulf submarine cable (see below), which was part of
the London to Karachi telegraphic cable. It was not an easy posting for the
operators, with the severe summer heat and hostility of local tribes making
life extremely uncomfortable. Because of this, the island is, according to
some travel agents and journalists, where the expression "go round the
bend" comes from, a reference to the heat making British officers
desperate to return to civilization, which meant a voyage around the bend
in the Strait of Hormuz back to India.
Today, Telegraph Island is a reminder of the British Empire. Abandoned in
the mid-1870s, the island has remained deserted and only the ruins of the
repeater station and the operators' quarters can be seen. Tourism has
grown in the Persian Gulf region, so the island is regularly visited by dhows
carrying tourists to view the ruins and to fish and snorkel in the waters
around it.

DHOW CRUISE:

Cruise to the Musandam fjords (also known as Khour Shem), beautiful,
calm, turquoise waters contrast with the creamy, white limestone cliffs.
During the cruise we explore small fishing villages (Nadifi, Qana, Maqlab,
Shem, and Seebi) and the famous Telegraph Island and Seebi Island,
there is also a possibility to see dolphins along the way. There will be two
stops for swimming and snorkeling in the clear, dynamic water of
Musandam.
Musandam fjord has much more to entertain you. You will see mountains
and feel like they are painted with a pencil. Small villages in the Khour will
enable you to meet different cultures and amazing people. You will be
surprised to see how they have survived in these small villages. Live on the
edge of Musandam sea and spend their lives fishing in the clear
Musandam waters.

SNORKELLING  KHAWR NAJD :
This lagoon is one of the largest in the Governorate of Musandam, and
is from the word ‘help’ in Arabic. At times of distress, travelers and
traders laid up there during bad weather conditions at sea.
Khawr Najd can be reached either by traditional sea vessels (4 hours)
from Khasab through the Strait of Hormuz, or by four-wheel drives
along a beautiful mountain road (30 minutes), overlooking panoramic
views of the lagoon from a height of 420 metres, where the tourist can
revel in majestic scenery of sea and mountain