Mini road trips always provide a good opportunity to escape from the malls and the scorching sunshine, which you are used to. It is also the best time and activity to lead you out of the monotonous and busy city life and if you are a visitor, then it is the best opportunity to explore the expansive countryside away from the hectic traffic and noise. Driving to the Musandam will be a good experience as it provides the best unwinding experience for both locals and foreigners.
There is much that Dubai has to offer beyond the shopping, sand and the sun. Exploring the countryside provides you with the opportunity to see crumbling watchtowers, majestic craggy mountains, huge waves of spectacular sand dunes, and green date-palm oases among others. Other regions are normally dull with scrubby sandy plains. The Musandam Peninsula offers one of the most spectacular drives in the Arabian Gulf, which is a territory of Oman within UAE. You can spend a whole weekend snorkeling with dolphins or cruising spectacular creeks on wooden dhows as you marvel as some of the most breathtaking panoramas in the region.
Leaving Dubai
You can do this easily by picking up a rental car from town or right from the airport. With your accommodation in place, take some time to rest in readiness for the trip. Early in the morning before traffic builds up, start your trip stress-free but always be on the lookout to avoid speeding locals who are known to drive too fast. After leaving Dubai, your next stop should be Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai-Sharjah road is always good if you can avoid the busy peak hours and will only take you 20 minutes to arrive in the very beautiful and traditional of an emirate which is made even more attractive by the scenic lake, radiant souqs and dhow docks.
You can pack at the dhow docks and take a short leisurely walk around the Heritage Precinct and Arts Precinct, home to a historic courtyard houses, restored fort which have been turned into museums, charming Al Arsa Souq and art galleries.
Ras Al Kaimah, Um Al Quwain and Ajman, United Arab Emirates
As you drive along Corniche road, you will find the Arabian Gulf Street and Ajman within a few minutes. The smallest emirate in UAE and sleepy town does not offer much in terms of attractions and the smallest emirate in UAE. However, this is where one of the country’s waterfronts is located with lofty date palms and high-pitched soft white sand where you can take time to picnic if you wish.
From here, head towards Um Al Quwain emirate and Ras Al Kaimah. You can enjoy bird watching in Um Al Quiwain at Khor Al Beidah. As you move further down the road, you will come to the more interesting Ras Al Kaimah which has an old depilated town speckled with several tailor shops and a small but colorful market. As you drive further, you will come to tiny dilapidated communicates of Ash Asham, Rams and Ghalilah to the Oman-UAE border.
Enter the Musandam in Oman
It’ll take you approximately two hours to reach Al Darah border if you drive from Dubai directly. However, it can take you four hours if you are enjoying leisurely stops as part of your trip. Always carry your passport as you drive and this should not be a problem especially if you are driving a rental car as you must have used it. However, don’t assume but make sure it is parked as part of your luggage for the trip. With everything in place, you will be entering Oman from UAE in just a few minutes.
From Al Darah, drive to Khasab
The 40 kilometer road from Al Darah to Khasab (The main town of Musandam) is just but amazing. As you pass the border, you’ll come across Bukha which is the first settlement with a splendid fort that has a stout watchtower, situated picturesquely next to the turquoise-colored seawaters. You cannot miss one of the world’s most amazing drives from Bukha to Khasab. Situated along the coastline, the road hugs the vast, craggy Hajjar Mountains all the way. There are creamy beaches on one side and towering rocky ranges on the other separating the bitumen from the crystal-clear sea. There are wooden dhow boats, mosques with small minarets and ramshackle palm-frond shelters used for maintaining fishing nets by fishermen.
The tiny Al Jadi and Al Jerry villages have a lot to offer including picturesque beaches which are lined with a blue domed mosque and fishing boats. Enjoy a scenic drive from Al Harf down to Hana and them to Khasab and enjoy smacking views of Musandam’s famed inlets or khors and rocky coast of smooth cliffs. The coastal Tawi also provides you with ancient engravings of warriors on boats, horseback and houses.
Musandam’s Capital, Khasab
Apart from some mosques, a souq and a restored fort, Khasab has very little to see. Howver, the small town leads to amazing activities such as a tour to Jebel Hareem (2078 meters mountain) otherwise known as the ‘mountain of women’, and dhow cruises. With a 4-wheel rental car, you can enjoy the drive in a bit harrowing steep climbs, narrow dirt roads snaking around the rocky mountain. You will enjoy amazing scenes of date palm fields, almonds and mangos plus stone houses which have been constructed along precipitous cliffs. As you come to the end of this road, you will see a purple-colored mountain crest that drops spectacularly into Rawdah Bowl which looks like Grand Canyon. You can enjoy the incredibly striking, glassy turquoise bay of Khor an-Najd from the nearby elevated point.
Make sure to enjoy a dhow tour to Khor. There are many activities to enjoy here including snorkeling and swimming in Cobalt Sea or enjoy watching dolphins. With this done, take your 3-hour drive from here to Dubai and enjoy the memories long after. Make sure to book your rental car in dubai for an extra day beyond your expected day of departure to avoid any pressure. This could also help you save money on your trip.
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