Masirah Islands - 2 /3 days trip from Muscat

2009 New Year’s Eve at Masirah Islands

The drive through the plain terrain can be very straightforward and boring. But drive carefully as God forbid, over-speeding drivers (anywhere between 140 – 200kms) on these roads can run into your lane inadvertently. Keep your vehicles filled with fuel and staff at these points can give you directions for your next land mark.

Planning to celebrate the New Year’s Eve differently, say by watching the first sunrise of 2009 from the eastern most part of Oman, we took a 3days trip to the Masirah Islands. We are a family of 3 members Sridhar, Sangeetha (Author) and Aswath (Award winning photographer).

This trip was planned in just 3hrs thanks to Mr. Senthilkumar for his guidance it turned both comfortable and entertaining. Masirah can be hot and windy in summer, but it cool and calm in winter.

Here is a simple blog to record our experience and serve as a guide to other visitors to Masirah. Starting on 31st Dec 2008, we reached Masirah by the evening and after a good night’s sleep, the next early morning drive began at 5.30am. After the entire island tour on the 1st Jan 2009, we boarded the ferry back to Muscat at 2pm, drove the same evening reaching Muscat by 9.00pm. In essence it’s a two-day trip with one-night stay at Masirah but it could've been more comfortable to do it in 3days.

Quick Facts

· Largest island of Oman and located in the Al Wusta region, Central Oman
· Apart from town area it is mostly a desert island with a lovely coastline around
· Length - 65kms, width – ranges between 6kms and 18kms
· Shaped like a peanut with the ferry barge in the northern most part
· Located about 15 km from the coast , south of the Wahiba Sands and east of Bar Al Hikman
· Ferry ride enables you take your vehicle along with and four wheel drive is not a must (10 OMR for 4WD and 8 OMR for cars in Jan 2009)
· Distances: Clock tower roundabout – Shell petrol station at Mudaybah (110kms), Mudaybah - Sinaw (65kms), Sinaw – Al Maha petrol station at Al Mahoot (180kms), Al Shanna junction (turn right here and drive through salt plateau) – Ferry point (15kms)

Route plan

There are two routes – one through Sur route and the other through Izki route. We took the Izki route both onward and return. We clocked about 5-6hrs drive time (not counting pit-stop breaks) from Seeb to Shanna barge – ferry loading point.

Take the road from Muscat to Nizwa. When you reach Izki, take the road that turn towards Sinaw (the alternative Sur route road turning right at Bid-Bid also takes you to Sinaw). At Sinaw, turn right towards South at the Shell Petrol station roundabout towards Ad Duqm. From Sinaw, the next land mark is Mahoot (aka Mahawt), a dry drive of another 180-200kms.

At a roundabout in Mahoot, you take a turn towards Al Hayy (if you miss this you will head to Ad Duqm). There is Al Maha petrol station (Pic) here. Here you can fill fuel and check your tires before boarding onto the ferry. From this petrol station drive another 75kms to take a right turn at Bandar Al Hikman, drive through the ‘Sabkhas – Salt plateau’, to reach Al Shanna barge.

There are actually two barges: one for small ferries and another one beyond a long bridge for large barges. Just in case you unfortunately missed your ferry ride to seasonal tides or other unforeseen reasons, you may stay at the Al Shanna rest house.

Ferry ride

Taking pit-stop breaks to reflex your muscles and intake fluids is highly recommended and depending upon the drive time, the bright sun-light can dry your eyes quite soon. Wearing sun-glasses and using a wet-hand towels or tissue wipes helps greatly.

At the landing barge there are petrol stations and there are a few more inside the town. The fuel is slightly expensive here (140 Baiza / litre of Super petrol against 120 Baiza Muscat).

Fishing, Surfing and Diving

The military base at the northern side of the Island is a restricted area and a defunct BBC radio station is also located here. From the Al Hilf barge, turn right and all this area is open to tourists.

Driving on to the ferry supported by a few wooden logs can be a tricky drive for many. It can be worse if you have a vehicle closely in front but it certainly is manageable. Parking inside the ferry is pretty close in neat two/rows one behind the other. Waiting for a ferry or loading vehicles in to the ferry (large– about 40 and small about 20) can take quite a while. There were several Chinese employees manning the Al Sharqiyah ferry operations in which we travelled.

There are frequent trip across until the last one in the evening at about 8pm. Reaching the ferry point an hour before sunset gives you a lovely sunset view both at Shanna and in your ferry ride (which lasts about an hour).

For your return there is no need to reserve a ferry space. Ferry rides begin from two different points in the western coat North jetty and the South jetty, from as early as 7am. The trips are set about an hour apart in the morning and early evenings (this also depends on the crowd waiting to board the ferry).

Inside the ferry, the vehicles are packed very close to each other but the ride is very comfortable and stable. You can lock your vehicles and walk around the ferry and even climb a couple of stairs to go up to the flag pole for a lovely view of your ferry filled with vehicles (Pic).

You can also spot occasional small fishing boats whirring across the ferry at high speeds. (Pic)

People entertain themselves by playing games or even have some live ethnic music with simple instruments. Watch this music video taken during our trip. With the cold winds blowing across, having some snack food handy and sipping hot tea is a good idea.

Timing photography

Ideally it would perfect to start at 9-10am in the morning after a healthy breakfast and driving ahead at steady speed. Take breaks every 90mins and refresh before proceeding. In certain parts the terrain is plain deserted and there are no trees even to give any shade. Refer route map shown above.

Before reaching the ferry- jetty, you drive through a salt-plateau and during the evening sun-set; this entire salt bed shines in hues of sunset colours and is worth several good photographs. At the barge while waiting for the ferry one can click some lovely birds with the entire sea dyed in sunset hues. (Pic)

At Masirah the radar observation building is a spherical structure and sunset / sunrise views of this are worth a good photo. At Masirah, the sunset in west near the barge area and coastline has several picturesque views, and just in case you missed it, an early morning ride around the town and coastline can be very rewarding even though the east is located behind the town.

Packing gear

During Dec-Jan the weather is pretty cold and windy. Hence carrying enough warm wear is a must. Sleeping bags can be very handy and light even though you may stay indoors. Day time is scorching hot and hence light cotton shirts, a scarf / hat and sun glasses are highly recommended. If you plan to walk a lot on foot then wear comfortable shoes or water-proof sandals.

Do not forget to carry a torch and thermos flask to stock something warm to drink. There are way too many flies and it recommended to carry food items in closed containers or sealed envelopes. Packs of playing cards and books can also be very entertaining at night.

Masirah is full of buzzing flies of all sizes and this can be very frustrating. To ward away the flies the frankincense smoke is also good idea but only if you are allergic to this smoke.

Safety Notes

There is police patrolling in town but once you go away from the town, you hardly notice any vehicle movements and so prepare to be completely on your own. Pitch your camp in clear plain land or in the wind-shielded part of a mountain as you choose. People commonly try to camp near a beach so that they can take occasional swims and enjoy a barbeque as well.

As the beaches are frequented by turtleback tortoise visits, take care to put off camp fire completely and pour water over barbeque remains. Or else attracted by the light these tortoises may walk into hot fire/coal. Carry a minimal first-aid kit and all essential medications.

The island is so full of camels and some of them roam about freely on the town streets. Unusual photos of camels in beach can be captured here. (Pic) The entire island can be visited by driving through a tarmac road that runs along the coast with the sea visible almost always.

Although the local are very warm and friendly people take their permission is you wish to photograph them or their house or vehicles. The local people simply love to drive dashing around town showing off their vehicles. So while crossing the roads, expect these stunt-drivers from around the corners.

Hotels and camping

Apart from the Masirah hotel (Tel (968) 25504401 , Fax (968) 25504411), the Serabis hotel (Tel (+968) 25504442, Fax (+968) 25504449), and the Danat al-Khaleej hotel there are other new hotels coming up. You can also pre-book 1 / 2 bedroom villas entirely to accommodate an entire family. Check online at http://www.exploremasirah.com/.

Given prior notice there are single / double bed room apartments on per-day rentals (25-35 OMR depending on the season). Having a confirmed accommodation reduces anxiety as the hotel can be fully occupied during your holiday seasons. We also noticed a large 5 star hotel on the East coast almost completed and certainly wasn't operational yet.

Masirah can be enjoyed at its best camping outdoor. It is quite a safe place, it would be ideal to bring your own camping gear, pitch tents and stay in the open air. The entire island has good tarmac road and so having a four-wheel drive is not a must. Camping spots can be located close to the navigable roads. We also found shops that rent camping, diving and canoeing gear in the town.

Beyond the town, the rest of the area is completely deserted and there is no street lighting even. A drive down south takes you across small viallges and settlements some of which are completely abandoned. A certain stretches of black ophiolite and limestone landscape remind you of a Swiss snow field.

Food & Restaurants

With small super markets and utility shops around town, you can buy household items and provisions easily. So cooking in the camping area can be good fun provided you are ready for it. There are restaurants serving Parota, Doasa, Biryani rice, White rice along with meat and fish fries, vegetable gravies, eggs and salads at reasonable prices. Drive around the town to spot these yourself or ask for directions from any employee in a fuel station.

Fishing can be done all round the year around the rich coastline but the summer monsoon Khareef season brings excellent strong winds for surfing. Surfing and diving equipments can also be rented locally but are expensive and limited in stock.

It is advisable to bring your fishing gear or else you will have to rent them locally. Sometimes people here sell handmade fishing rods at all most nothing cost – a simple long sticks with fishing rope and hook. Still it can be fun to catch your very own fish and roast it over fire. Interestingly for several thousands of years, Masirah has survived mainly on income from fishing.

Masirah reportedly hosts a population of 30,000 loggerhead turtles nesting in its sandy beaches and so turtle watching along the beaches is another favourite pass time. Diving and snorkeling in certain parts is particularly more interesting.

Land of Rovers

Anyone visiting Masirah can’t miss the plethora of Land Rovers running around the town and so ‘Rovers are never to be Over here’ (estimates say about 300-400 exist here). The military base held here for hundreds of years is said to be the main reason.

A separate Flickr stream (Flickr-Masirah Land Rovers) has been created with the amazing old Land Rover photographs we managed to capture just in 24hrs. They have painted in all possible colours Black, White, Green, Blue and even Pink while some of sport fancy parts have been adapted from latest vehicle spares.

Talking to the owner of one Land Rover revealed that he is the proud owner of this 1983 model vehicle which he has managed maintain so very well .There are plenty of local car technicians who specialise in maintenance and repair of Land Rover exclusively.

History of Masirah

A good book on the history of this Island is 'Masirah, Tales from a Desert Island' written by Colin Richardson. Here are a few highlights:
· The British Royal Air Force set up a base here with an airstrip, fuel stocks and anchorage for seaplanes.
· A permanent RAF squadron 244 was set up here is 1942 and a transit railway was built.
· In 1967, a BBC world transmitter station (British Eastern Relay Station - BERS) was located here but has now moved to the mainland.
· In 1977, the airfield was handed over to Sultanate’s Air Force
· His Majesty relaxed a then existing ban and permitted Omanis from Masirah to visit mainland and trade fish.
· Masirah now has a Omani Jaguar fighter squadron and also serves as Oman’s air force training base and it still has many ex-RAF as staff.
· Since 1970s, there is a US military base and during the Afghan war in 2002 and the Iraq war in 2003, Masirah was very active.

. Azurite (blue) and Malachite (green) veins can still be spotted in the wadi al Ghab site.

Other references to Masirah

1. 'Masirah, Tales from a Desert Island' written by Colin Richardson, ISBN - 1 85821 801 2 with online references at http://www.dataxinfo.com/masirah/home.htm

2. Website with military personnel’s photographs from 1963 onwards at http://www.servicepals.com/index.cfm/pcms/site.gallery.view_tag/tag/masirah

3. A feature titled ‘Shipwrecks , satellites and skeletons’ written by Mooney, Sean and Johan Palsson in Oman Today, 2001

4. Website at http://www.exploremasirah.com/

5. Find current weather data for Masirah at http://www.findlocalweather.com/forecast.php?icao=OOMA

6. Lilian Jan Schreurs' website on Masirah with detailed history at http://home.hetnet.nl/~lilian_jan_schreurs/oman/Masirah.htm

7. Estimates of rental of sporting equipment at http://www.exploremasirah.com/Pricehire.htm

8. Geocaching Global GPS Site of Copper mine settlement at http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=14869

9. Cretaceous sedimentary rocks on the Masirah Ophiolite - a geological report at http://jgs.lyellcollection.org/cgi/content/abstract/153/4/539