Trip to Khasab

The northern most part of Oman is called the Musandam region. It is a peninsula bordered by the Arabian Gulf on one side and the Gulf of Oman on the other. This peninsula is isolated from the rest of the Sultanate by an arm of the UAE's east coast. This region is famous for its pristine beauty and awesome natural scenery. The most important town and port in this region is called 'Khasab'. Our company has a 3 S (sales, service and spares) facility at Khasab and I had visited this place twice earlier. The first trip was by air whereas the second trip was by air one way and return to Muscat by ferry. I had always wanted to drive to Khasab from Muscat in order to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. On the approach to Khasab the road traverses through the mountains which nearly touch the ocean at some places.

This wish came true on 24/25 January when me and a couple of my Omani colleagues went to Khasab in my car. The drive from my residence was 525 km one way and we had to cross into UAE and drove through the emirates of Fujairah, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaima in order to reach Khasab. Following are some pictures of the area around Khasab and its approach (click on the photo to enlarge):

A view of the gigantic mountainside at Ras Al Khaima

which caught my attention because of the UAE flag

painted on its precipitous face !

Cattle on the road at Ras Al Khaima. My colleagues

were aghast at this sight (as it is unthinkable

in Oman) but it reminded me of India.

Approach road to Khasab
On of the many fishing villages enroute.
The mountain and the sea !

A small fishing wharf.

A view of one of the numerous small virgin beaches.

Note the crystal clear water !

Returning from Khasab.

Myself and Nashib with the craggy face of

the mountain in the background.