Khasab’s Ferry terminal has a severe stray goat scene. Or at least that was my first impression.

Dubbed as the “Norway of Arabia” by Viator I was a bit surprised at first impression.

After speeding uncomfortably through rocky mountains jutting from the calm sea below and feeling very motion sick, we finally entered the city of Khasab for our day tour on a Dhow in the waters of Oman’s idyllic the Musandam Peninsula.

It was an excursion I had convinced Christian to join me on to escape what I considered to be the overblown illusion of Dubai.

Plus, I could add a stamp to my passport and who doesn’t want to do that?

So we booked a one day tour from Dubai to Oman with Viator with the promise of a sun-soaked lazy 6-hour ride to see dolphins and snorkel on a traditional Omani dhow.

And there we were. Entering the city of Kahbasb and being surrounded by goats. They were everywhere, and I could not understand it.

Khabash was basically a rock with no greenery, and yet all the goats were a-hoppin’.

Unable to control my curiosity I asked our young driver who momentarily pulled himself away from his fantasy of being a race car driver to engage me.

“Why are there so many goats here?”

“Farmers let them graze.”

“What do they eat? There’s no grass in sight.”

“Garbage”

I looked around, and yes, apparently goats in Khabash are garbage collectors. I made a mental note to go vegetarian while in Khabash and stopped distracting the driver with obvious questions.

We arrived at the port shortly after our drive through the town, and it was a stark contrast to the city. Row after row was lined with colorful boats for fishing and tourist.

It smelled of sea, fish, and goat. A repulsive odor that dissipated the further from shore you got.

We boarded the Dhow with 10 others and took our place in the shade. An Egyptian man names Ali introduced himself as our guide and informed us that we’d be sailing for 6 hours.  Our goal was to enjoy the view, learn about the surrounding villages, snorkel in three different locations of historical significance, enjoy lunch, and looking out for dolphins.

With that, the ten of us all sat cross-legged on the soft and padded ground, shoes off, with the sun in our eyes and we sailed off.

Along the journey, Ali spoke of his journey from Egypt to Oman which took him through many lands including the United Kingdom and America. As a former professor, he professed his endless love of history and anthropology. Ali combined those two loves to elaborately paint a picture of the history and culture of the small villages we passed by. He spoke of their customs and how their way of life was tied to the water.

Just when one would begin to feel an ache or pain for sitting too long, we arrived at our first snorkeling point, and I jumped in and was surrounded by beauty. The workers on the Dhow graciously spilled fish food into the water to attract the fish to the Dhow. I thought it was a bit commercial, but I was grateful for the show.

The waters were crystal clear, and I could see the coral below challenging me to get closer. The bottom was a comfortable 10 to 15 feet away, and I felt safe and relaxed in the waters.

After a few additional snorkeling stops, we ate lunch and headed back to shore. All of us relaxed, almost too relaxed to feel disappointed by the reality that after 5 hours we had yet to see a dolphin.

Of course, like an excellent guide, they made sure to save the best for last.

Suddenly Ali made a call, and we heard a splash. Next to us was a school of dolphins. Babies included, just swimming along the boat. The two kids, aged 2 and 5, were ecstatic and so were the adults. We all practically pushed each other over to get to one side of the boat to watch them jump in and out of the water.

Ali kept whistling to them as if he were the Cesar Milan of Dolphin whispers. I suspiciously looked for a guy who was dropped over the edge feeding them. But no, they were swimming along the Dhow. Following us and it was magical.

CC: Jasmine Nears-Biesinger

The next hour back to shore felt like ten minutes. The excitement, the dolphins, and the passing scenery. I was disappointed to smell the whiff of the coast as we approached. We disembarked and waited for our driver to grab his vehicle and begin the journey back to Dubai.

We first drove through the port.

Then through the edge of the city.

And of course, there were more goats.

Want to take this tour? Sign up for the Musandam Dibba Day Trip from Dubai Including Dhow Cruise here.

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