Musandam Peninsula

Me and Jared on our Dhow, waiting for the cruise to begin.

On their second full day here, we decided to take Harry and Linda to the Musandam Peninsula in the Sultanate of Oman (the country bordering the UAE to the east and northeast). The bulk of Oman runs along the southeastern edge of the UAE, but Musandam is an isolated area at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, completely separated from the rest of Oman and surrounded by the UAE (think Alaska in the US, but on the east coast).

Jared and I had been to Musandam before in March of 2008 when we went for a weekend to celebrate our 5 Year Anniversary. Jared discovered Musandam, and it really is a hidden jem in that it is extremely rural and underdeveloped, with only 2 hotels, and having only opened for tourism around 1997 (since it is located directly on the Straight of Hormuz, through which nearly 100% of oil coming out of the region must pass). Being situated right on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Musandam is positioned where the turquoise waters of the Persian Gulf meet the Gulf of Oman. In order to get there you have to drive on curving mountainous roads through the inlets and fjords that make up the region (and pass through two other more rural Emirates: Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah).

As you drive, the beautiful waters of the Gulf are on your left and mountains appearing to jut directly out of the sea are on your right. A truly breathtaking ride if you're a passenger with a guide driving you in a Range Rover (as we were the first time we came). Breathtaking in another way, if you're driving them in a tiny Mitsubishi Lancer, running late due to underestimating the time it would take to drive from Dubai, and having to pass oil tankers driving in low gear with Jared having a nervous breakdown in the passenger seat, thinking we're going to miss our 9am boat ride. In the end we made it though, despite a truly stressful drive there (Harry and Linda really are great sports!).

Once we got to our boat though, all the stress immediately dissipated and the 3 hour car ride from Dubai was worth every minute. We went on a full-day boat cruise on the old-style Arabic wooden boats through the fjords all day, stopping periodically for snorkeling and dolphin watching, along with a grilled fish lunch on the boat.

Breathtaking scenery from all angles -- islands and mountains coming straight out of the sparking clear water.

Harry and Linda lounging on the boat, most likely grateful to be alive and out of the tiny car...

Another view with a luxury yacht in the distance. Jared and I were contemplating the pros and cons of retiring on a boat, but then remembered the Somali pirates and decided we would probably never be able to afford a yacht anyway.