mit dieser mail möchte ich mich einfach noch mal bedanken für die wunderbare Zeit bei euch! Die Tauchspots sind allesamt super, und der Empfang und der Umgang war unkompliziert, offen und sehr freundlich – das war eine großartige Woche für einen Tauchjunkie wie mich!Bis irgendwann mal wieder, 

Liebe Grüße, vor allem an Sandra und Bader, die beide einen tollen Job machen!!! 

JJJWolfgang

This photo was taken by Joerg Dzienus. On the dorsal fin of this Leopard shark there is a parasite and on the other side there is a shipholder. Who can tell me what kind of parasite this is?

Hallo Tom,

wir schwärmen immer noch von unserem Tauchurlaub in Musandam.
Perfekte Organisation, ein stets aufmerksamer Kapitän, erfahrene Guides,
viel zusehen über und vor allem unter Wasser, eine super Athmosphäre unter
den Tauchern auf dem Boot und dazu gesellige Abendessen in Khasab:
Das ergibt einen tollen Urlaub und dafür danken wir Dir und Deinem Team ganz herzlich.
In der Zeit vom 31.03.07 bis 05.04.07 waren wir sicher die unerfahrensten Taucher,
aber wir haben uns zu jedem Zeitpunkt sehr sicher, eben sehr gut betreut gefühlt.

Durch unser Berichten werden wir in unserem Freundeskreis hoffentlich großes Interesse an Musandam wecken.
Viele liebe Grüße auch an Sandra.

Alles Gute

Heidi + Horst

Dr. Horst Maier

Tel.: +49 351 8673940

Fax: +49 351 8673944

mail-to: horst.maier@msrmaier.de

web: http://www.msrmaier.de/

Lieber Tom,
wir bedanken uns für die schönen Tage bei Euch in Khasab! Ihr seid eine gute Adresse. Das Tauchgebiet ist sensationell. So eine Korallen- und Fischdichte haben wir vorher noch nie gesehen. Hinzu kommt, dass wir an einigen Tauchplätzen wahrscheinlich die ersten Taucher überhaupt waren.

Du hast ein gutes Team mit Remco und Sandra. Remco war sehr hilfsbereit und versuchte immer, uns gute Plätze zu zeigen, wenn die Konditionen es erlaubten. So war es ein entspanntes und stressfreies Tauchen. Auch Sandra hat uns sehr verwöhnt, da sie uns morgens frische Hörnchen brachte und immer dafür sorgte, dass wir von der Villa abgeholt und abends zum Essen ins Dorf gebracht wurden. Wir fanden es auch nett von Dir, dass Du uns zum Grillen eingeladen hast. Das Essen war köstlich und besonders das Bier!

Leider waren einmal 2 unsympathische Meckerer dabei, die sich über alles beklagt haben. Sie haben sich schlecht benommen und absurde Forderungen gestellt. So wollten sie schon 45 Minuten nach der Abfahrt eine Pinkelpause machen. Als erfahrene Taucher hätten sie sich besser vorbereiten können. Sie wollten auch unbedingt mit uns als Vierergruppe tauchen, wir sind es aber gewohnt, allein in unserem Tempo zu tauchen und nicht immer auf Fotografen Rücksicht nehmen zu müssen. Wir fanden es ausserdem schlimm, dass er nicht auf Korallen achtete und sich mit Füssen auf Hirschhornkorallen stellte, die dabei abbrachen. Dass sie nur schwer über die Leiter aufs Boot kamen lag nicht an mangelnder Hilfe oder an der Leiter sondern daran, dass sie furchtbar dick und unsportlich waren.
Alle übrigen Mittaucher auf dem Boot waren sympathisch und vom Tauchen begeistert und haben sich gefreut, dass die beiden nicht mehr kamen.

Sonst war unser Urlaub gelungen und rundum angenehm, so dass wir das Tauchen bei Euch sehr empfehlen können.

Herzliche Grüße von

Brigitte und Jochen

Divers

Sarah Lee DL 185 dives
Ken Scott AI 250 dives

The Plan

Flights were booked independently with Gulf Air as we currently live in Cyprus, Larnaca to Bahrain, Bahrain to Dubai. There are direct flights from Larnaca to Dubai with Emirates although more expensive. The flying time is 3 hrs, the stop in Bahrain adds on 2 hours to the journey. The diving, all hotels and transfer to Khasab were booked through Regal Dive. We planned 3 days in Dubai then transferred up to Khasab for 5 days diving then back to Dubai for 2 days. The pre booked transfer from Dubai to Khasab by road, a distance of about 120 miles, cost £53 pp. The road journey is OK and takes between 2 and 3 hours depending on time of day and traffic. The journey took us through various terrains of sandy desert to residential areas, road works, building sites and industrial zones. The crossing into Oman is at Tibat and will cost AED20 pp to leave the UAE and 12OR pp to enter Oman. (we had already obtained Oman Rials in Dubai ready to cross the boarder). From Tibat to the Golden Tulip Hotel in Khasab takes around 30 mins. Once across the boarder the traffic eases off and the road begins to meander along the coast with golden beaches, blue sea and the mountains that the areas is famed for. The road drops down into a bay where the hotel lies nestled on the waters edge at the bottom of the mountains and is the only sign of habitation.

The Hotel.

The Golden Tulip Hotel lies just outside the small town of Khasab and is classed as 3* hotel with the dive centre on site. There is a choice of accommodation; chalets which are just next to the main hotel or a room within the hotel. I booked a chalet because they are bigger but don’t always have the full sea views. On arrival we were allocated a room within the hotel, which after a look at decided it would be fine. There were 2 double beds and balcony so we had plenty of room. We had a look at the chalets later on in the week and in fact most seemed to have a sea/mountain view, the layout was still open plan but there was a seating area and bedroom area – I preferred them to the room but there wasn’t a lot to choose from to be honest. We were on a B&B basis, breakfast was buffet style with plenty of choice but not much variation for a week. The eating arrangements were probably the biggest disappoint for us as we found it expensive. A five course buffet dinner was OR10 pp (£15) plus 17% tax and a service charge which goes onto most things. The alternative was an all day menu that we tended to eat from. This menu had a limited choice and an average dinner (main course only) for 2 of us with soft drinks still worked out about £10 pp. There is in fact a half buffet consisting of main course and desert or salad, soup and desert at OR6 pp but you only get offered this if you ask as it is not advertised! A can of Carlsberg beer (Coke can size) in the bar cost £4.30 so this curtailed any drinking. We were sure we could eat cheaper in Khasab centre itself, about 4km away, but to get there the hotel has to arrange a driver as there are no taxis. We never found out the price of the journey as Tom the dive centre manager kindly took us into Khasab for our last 2 nights to eat. We were able to eat (more than enough) for 10OR for 4 of us including drinks and a tip ! The food was excellent in town, cheap and plenty to choose from. Incidentally there is a bar just at the main entrance to the hotel, again the hotel doesn’t tell you about, for the locals, apparently the beer is much cheaper and there are even dancing girls – we didn’t get to sample it but if you want a cheap beer then this seemingly is the place to go if you can put up with the loud music.

The diving

We booked a 10 dive pack though Regal dive which gave us 2 (2 tank ) boat dives a day and hired BCDs and regs - rental was per day rather than per dive. The Padi dive centre is on site and is run by Tom Adriaens, through Extra Divers. Tom had worked down in Muscat and recently moved up to Khasab so has a very good knowledge of the Omani waters as well as an impressive grasp of the local language.

We booked knowing it was low season and the coldest time of the year. Water temperatures were around 22/24 degrees with air temp between 22 – 28 degrees depending on cloud cover and wind. We wore 5mm semi-drys, I wore a hood and, gloves and chill cheater under garments and felt chilly towards the end of some of the longer dives. The coldest times were between dives especially on the days when it was overcast. A good wind proof and hat is advisable, that said it wasn’t unbearable just a uncomfortable at times.

Meeting time is 08.30 for a 09.00 departure for a short truck run to the port where the dive centres boat is located. The boat can take 14 divers, the most we had on the boat at one time was 8 people including the skipper and 2 dive guides. I would think that 14 would be a tight squeeze to be honest. Water, fruit and biscuits are provided between the dives.

Most of the sites lie at the top end of the peninsula about a 45 – 60min boat ride away. The boat only has soft seating (next to the engines) for about 6 otherwise you have to sit on the hard surfaces around the boat which is OK if the waters are flat but we had some rough water days and at times it was back breaking and wet ! Memories of UK diving on a RIB come to mind. It was our choice not to sit next to the engines on the soft seats but if it is rough (only 2 months of the year apparently) it can be a little uncomfortable, there is also very little cover from the elements so we ended up quite wet on one day. It is however just as the brochure describes: remote, uninhabited fjords of Arabia. This is no exaggeration – it is certainly remote and with the rare exception of a passing boat we had the whole of the Musandam peninsula to ourselves – a great luxury. The dives tended to be drift dives either over reefs or along walls. If you have less than 20 logged dives you have to dive with a guide so we were left pretty much to dive on our own. We chose to put up a DSMB on a number of occasions because we were happier knowing the boat knew where we were. Musandam is often described as a dive location for experienced divers – whilst I wouldn’t disagree with this because some of the currents were quite strong and the remoteness of the area I really don’t think it would present any problems for UK divers used to diving with currents and using a DSMB on unguided dives.

The visibility all week was between 6 – 10m due to plankton – no bad things because this hopefully meant big fish First impressions after the first couple of days was that it didn’t always have the wow factor of the Red Sea when you splash into brightly coloured corals and masses of golden anthias but what it does have is BIG fish and plenty of them and untouched, pristine corals (albeit in various shades of brown and beige on some reefs). There were times that the coral stretched, unbroken as far as the eye could see and was quite breath taking. It was like we were the first people to ever dive some of the sites. We saw turtles on several of the dives, huge parrot, groupers, porcupine, trigger and angle fish, massive painted cray fish, eels - two of which were as thick as a mans thigh and huge star fish. At one time we were circled by two schools of huge barracuda only a metre away from us as well a some very big and inquisitive yellow fin tuna all at a depth of only 10m. There were a few sting ray however the highlight for me was when an eagle ray swept past us out of the gloom. In fact we saw them jumping out of the water several times to and from the dives sites.

There were never more than 6 divers in the water all week, most of the time it was just 3 of us and a guide. The last day we were the only divers so we opted for a 3 tank dive. We did a night dive on the Humsi wreck mid week which is one of the closest sites to the centre a short 20 min ride. It sits at approx 10m and is generally only used for night dives.

There is no doubt about it that this is home to some very rich seas and with commercial fishing banned it has the potential to see some very exciting marine life. It’s a shame there aren’t a couple of wrecks but the marine life is very exciting and corals are staggering. We would certainly consider a return visit.

If you choose to stay at the Golden Tulip take lots of books because there really isn’t anything else to do at the hotel itself. The hotel can arrange trips into the mountains which I understand from the other guests are spectacular.

Another option for accommodation is at the Extra Divers guest house located in Khasab itself. Tom showed us round it and it is certainly where we would stay if visiting again. There are 6 double, ensuite rooms which look very comfortable and at OR30 per room all year B&B it represents good value for money. Whilst you don’t have the view of the sea you are in the town which may be small but it does mean you can eat out and have a wander in the evenings and get a taste of Omani life.

From Sarah Lee & Ken Scott

Websites

www.regal-diving.co.uk
www.musandam-diving.com
www.extra-divers.li
www.goldentulipkhasab.com

The magnificent 4 you could say, these four Belgians came to Khasab on the 23rd of February for one week and what a week it was. There was no dive or they were doing it and with even the mention of the possibility of an extra dive in a day there was no turning back they will do it! We came to dive!  The other guests could not believe it because even in the evenings they were game for everything, we had two barbeques in one week and there was no evening that we did not go out in the otherwise not so lively Khasab. Do a lot of diving and you get the reward as the pictures proof, taking by Nico Jeandarme, the owner of the best diveshop in Tienen and surrounding continents. Here just a two of the high lights a Moonfish and a Leopard Shark doing some indecent things with the tail from his before sleeping friend.

Thanks guys, I hope to see you again soon!

Its been a while since I last posted something here, and I do apologise, seems the Khasab way of life has taken its toll on me a lot sooner than I thought it would!
Things don’t move very fast here (I’m pretty convinced things are moving backwards some days!), but I suppose this is what has captured me the most about this place, and hence why I am not in such a hurry to leave. There is just something about this little town and its ways…
Well so far so good, since my last post I have now got my Rescue divers and am going to be a Dive master pretty soon! The diving is still great, and am still discovering new dives and am enjoying meeting new people!
With the start of summer coming on the water temperature is rising, and the visibility is improving everyday. The next two months are going to be very busy as we have a lot of divers coming out from Europe to enjoy the start of our summer. The guest villa is becoming increasingly more popular as it offers diving groups, and over night divers a like, a nice chance to experience the town and socialize with other divers who all share the same passion of diving. In the evenings we entertain the guests of the villa with either a barbeque, or a night out on the town to visit the local restaurants.
Please, if you have any comments or questions about the diving or way of life here, and then feel free to mail me.
Cheers for now

Matthew Blair

Coming from a predominatly small town in Malawi,Africa, I could never have imagined myself to land up in such a strangely beautiful place. The mountains of Musandam encave the small town of Khasab, as well as the dive centre, but at the same time create such a stunning landscape that the views seem to hold your gaze for ages. The red cliffs come down into an amazingly blue sea all about the islands of Musandam. It’s hard not to think that I have died and gone to heaven, that thought held for a sum total of 1hour. On reaching the dive spots you get a sense that no life is going to exist below the surface because of the sheer cliffs, and barren landscape; definalty a false sense! If I thought i was in heaven out of the water, its hard to describe what its like below the surface. Where i would be should there be a place beyond heaven?
I arrived here a week ago after arranging with Tom to do my Rescue Divers, and Divemaster certifications through an internship programme (little did i know that i was going to get dragged into writing on his website too!) Coming from Africa i had great expectations, and must say they have been fulfilled in every way thus far. Life here in Khasab moves at its own pace, and welcomes the company of the tourists and divers that come here warmly, and whole heartedly. Life is generally cheap, which makes things a lot more pleasant. There are a variety of restaurants at which to eat, and a busy fish market (which i am slowly becoming accustomed to!) The dive centre itself is constanly improving, and new dive spots are progressively being found. One gets the sense of being a pioneer of sorts here as most of the spots have never seen a diver before, and all the fish are curious instead of timid. To date i have seen some of the most amazing coral gardens, and the widest variety of fish ever. Turtles and eels being a common sight on each dive.
Musandam diving is definatly a must do, while its still literally virgin waters. While i am here i will keep updating this post with new activities and as i learn more about the area. If anyone is curious or has any questions about what i am doing here, feel free to e-mail me.
Cheers for now.

Victor Jongeneel - CMAS 2* - >400 plongées
Pour me contacter

Commentaire du 01/01/07 :
La région du Musandam (la péninsule qui ferme l’entrée du Golfe Persique) n’a été ouverte à la plongée que récemment, avec la construction d’une route reliant les Emirats à la capitale Khasab, et l’ouverture d’un centre de plongée dans les bâtiments de l’hôtel Golden Tulip. La région est absolument splendide, avec des montagnes désertiques tombant dans la mer et une côte extrêmement découpée et sauvage. Il y a de très belles possibilités de randonnée en 4×4 et à pied, encore qu’il est difficile de trouver des cartes topographiques correctes…
Le club (http://www.musandam-diving.com), qui fait partie de la chaine allemande Extra Divers, a ouvert début 2005, et a été repris depuis octobre 2006 par Tom Adriaens, un Belge multilingue très sympa. Il est assisté par un anglais, Jeff, et par un un jeune habitant de Khasab, Badr. Le club dispose d’un bateau conçu pour la plongée et très bien motorisé, ce qui lui permet de visiter des sites relativement distants (50 km et plus). Le matériel de location (que je n’ai pas utilisé) est de bonne qualité et en excellent état. Les blocks sont (malheureusement) en alu, avec des robinets DIN. Les locaux comprennent une salle ombrée, aérée et fermée à clef pour le rincage et le séchage du matériel. Un “pick-up” assure le transport des plongeurs et du matériel entre le centre et le port (environ 2 km). Aucun reproche à faire du côté sécurité, si ce n’est que les briefings avant les plongées sont un peu sommaires. J’ai beaucoup apprécié le fait qu’une fois le niveau réel des plongeurs a été établi, les accompagnants laissent beaucoup de liberté à ceux qui savent la gérer.
Les sites de plongée sont nombreux, et en constante augmentation au fur et à mesure que Tom et Jeff en testent de nouveaux. La topographie, la faune et la flore présentent assez de variété pour que l’on n’ait pas l’impression de répéter la même plongée à chaque fois. En fait, la diversité des espèces rencontrées est impressionante, aussi bien au niveau des coraux, anémones et éponges qu’à celui des poissons et crustacés. Certaines espèces atteignent aussi des tailles rarement vues (p.ex. des murènes réticulées énormes, des barracudas impressionants, etc). Il y a des requins (surtout des gris de récif) mais on ne les voit pas beaucoup. J’ai vu des dauphins depuis l’hôtel, mais pas en plongée. Les tortues sont abondantes, et on peut en voir pendant pratiquement chaque plongée. Les plongées sont plutôt faciles dans l’ensemble, avec des profondeurs dépassant rarement 30 m et des sites bien protégés de la houle et des courants. Pour les amateurs, on peut aussi faire des dérivantes assez sportives en repérant les courants liés aux marées. Jeff et moi avons été happés par un méchant courant descendant à la fin d’une plongée, qui nous a amenés de 5 à 20 m en moins de 30 secondes… Deux petits bémols cependant: la visibilité (env. 10 m) n’est pas comparable à la mer Rouge ou même à la Méditerranée, et en hiver l’eau n’est pas aussi chaude que l’on ne pourrait le croire (24-25 C en décembre). Les trajets en bateau peuvent aussi sembler longs quand l’air est à moins de 20 C, il y a du vent, et l’on est constamment aspergé à cause de la houle.
Pour l’hébergement, l’hôtel Golden Tulip est très bien, mais plutôt cher: 160 euros par nuit pour une chambre double. Les restaurants de l’hôtel sont aussi hors de prix, et pendant les Fêtes il peut être difficile de trouvenr une chambre. Le club offre depuis peu des belles chambres d’hôte avec petit déjeuner dans une villa au centre de Khasab, à 60 euros la nuit. Si nous l’avions su à l’avance, il n’y avait pas photo. Il y a aussi quelques restaurants tout à fait corrects en ville, à des prix très abordables (5-8 euros par personne pour un excellent repas avec boissons). Si vous voulez des boissons alcoolisées, alors l’hôtel est votre seul choix, à moins d’amener de l’alcool de contrebande depuis les Emirats.
En résumé, une très belle destination, qui reste pour l’instant en dehors des circuits touristiques et des usines à bulles. Hautement recommandé.

Les Plus : - Variété des sites de plongée et de la faune
- Absence totale de tourisme de masse (un seul club dans la région)
- Prix très corrects des prestations
- Paysages extraordinaires
- Club sympa et très professionel

Les Moins : - Visibilité pas terrible, mais autrement aucun reproche.

Well it took a while but finally the Photo gallery is updated. Many thanks to Greg Foster and Ludger Schoeppner to let me use there photos. If there is anybody out there who still has some good shots that would you would like to present on this website just let know.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Tom