Sifting through the fjords of Oman offers ultimate relaxation...

Khasab in Oman is the capital of an area called Musandam. This is the point where you enter from the UAE. The drive from Dubai with pick-up at 6 am at JBR took approximately 3 and a half hours. It was a smooth drive with no traffic at all and there weren’t many people on the boat too.

This was our main reason to go on a weekday. We were advised to go to Khasab instead of Dibba because there are always fewer people from here. Call me unfriendly but I can’t possibly imagine spending my off day, trying to get some respite, with a boat full of people. Plus, the chances of getting good pictures becomes harder.

The boat ride on a dhow, traditional Arabian wooden vessel, was very smooth and you can get good shots from sitting anywhere on it, particularly great for dolphin spotting as they are pretty much everywhere around the boat.

Before we set sail, we were offered some fruit and coffee/tea. The service on board was always prompt and courteous and we must mention the staff for their excellent work. Just before we pushed off at about 10 in the morning, we were given a sheet with some very interesting information on the villages we would be passing on our way through the fjord. What's interesting is that only a boat can access these villages.

We passed one village after another astounded by each mountain and the next. All rocky with hardly any shrub or bush. One of the villages, Maqlab, had only 10 houses. What was amazing though was the electric lines pulled from the top of the mountain down to the village. Guess no one’s baking on a charcoal stove anymore.

The waters are crystal clear and it isn’t long before our guide starts whistling and clapping. And there they appear, these graceful dolphins swimming just as fast as our boat alongside us. I was astounded at their speed and was so lucky to see a mama dolphin with her baby too right next to us. Over the course of the day, we caught many sightings of them.

Our first stop was at Telegraph Island, a spot where the British built a telegraph station over a century ago with a line they pulled from as far as India. Needless to say, thanks to the invention of the telephone, the station is no longer in use but you still see the remains of the old fort-like structure that stood there previously. We stopped for some snorkelling.

Our captain threw some bread in the sea and there came a flood of colours. You see lots of reef fish including Dory, which is quite nice. The water was rather chilly for February though - around 23 degrees, so perhaps April or May might be better for this trip.

Just after snorkelling, we had lunch on the dhow - biryani rice with vegetables and chicken as well as a simple salad, hummus and bread. I brought along some Pain Chocolat and a tall can of Pringles for fear of how the food may taste but I’m very glad to say the Pain Chocolat was not needed. The Pringles made for a great snack after. After all, who can resist potato chips?

Following lunch, we were sailing again and trailing along dolphins bobbing in and out of the sea. This time, although instinctually I reached for the camera, I decided to observe them and promptly put the phone back in my pocket. Why ask to see the wonders of the world and choose to see them through a camera lens than with your own eyes. This, I must say, made the experience so much more special for they really are a beauty.

As we sail along, we move on to our next stop, Seebi Island, but not before another pod of friendly dolphins swim by us, and really close this time. It was really enchanting because we got to see their faces. As I watch them, I realise that there are perhaps more than one species of dolphin here because these looked different from the last batch we saw. Time for some research I guess.

At Seebi Island, we pause for more snorkelling and pretty much see the same species of fish we did before but this time, there’s much less. People who didn’t wish to brave the chilly water, slept, and I bet they did soundly under the spell of the sea breeze.

There’s a village of the same name, Seebi, which is located at the end of the fjord. Before we passed Seebi Island, our guide cheerfully points at two rock structures jutting out of the mountains - one to our left resembling a crocodile and the other to our right resembling the head of a tortoise. Both were on point I must say.

At our second snorkel stop, we watch some goats hanging around on a small inlet. It seems they were put there by villagers at Seebi Island because they would pretty much only stay on that inlet and not be able to wander off since they’re surrounded by sea. They’re fed by their owners who come out to them on a speedboat and there’s a tank of water for them too.

We head back at around half past two in the afternoon and get on land just over an hour later. From there it’s back on the car and back to JBR in Dubai. We look out of the car windows to see the road flanked by tall buildings and think of what a contrast they made to the fjords of Khasab.

We must give a shout out to Planet Tours in Dubai who recommended the Khasab tour to us over Dibba and also a special mention to Musandam Sea Adventure Travel & Tourism who were great in making sure we were comfortable the whole time. They continuously offered coffee, tea and dates and pointing out where we were on the map. The dates, by the way, were from Khasab itself. In Arabic, Khasab means fertility signifying the abundance of dates and fresh water in the region.

All in all, the best words to describe the scenery - beautiful, and the experience - worth it.

Tip: dolphin sightings are guaranteed in Khasab but not necessarily in Dibba

Opinions expressed in this article are of the writer's own; the trip to Khasab was fully paid for and borne by the writer