Thursday, June 14: Khasab, Musandam’s major town, sits at the far northern end of the peninsula in a narrow plain between two mountains. It’s one of the few flat pieces of land in all of Musandam. Khasab is home to just about all of Musandam’s accommodation and the choices are slim.
the Khasab Hotel
Entering the hotel grounds with the restaurant ahead
pretty fountain outside the door to the lobby
Since the Golden Tulip is expensive and cited by The Rough Guide to Oman as “beginning to look decidedly shabby and unloved, with peeling paint, dated decor and a moribund atmosphere,” we opt for the Khasab Hotel. We’re especially happy to find their double room rates, normally 47 rials ($122), are discounted for the summer (from June 1 to August 17) to 38 rials ($99). This includes all taxes and breakfast.
beautiful doors
The Khasab Hotel is pleasantly old-fashioned with low-lying building set around gardens and a pool. There is also an on-site restaurant. We didn’t eat in the restaurant except for breakfast, so I don’t know anything about the quality of the meals.
the hotel lobby
The hotel offers a full day dhow cruise, a half day dhow cruise, and a mountain safari, including refreshments and fruit. Upon arrival, we signed up for the half-day dhow cruise (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.), which normally cost 15 rials/person, for the following morning. Again, because we’re here during the off-season of summer (because of course it’s miserably hot and humid), we get a discount to 13 rials.
the bathtub-like pool
The hotel only accepts CASH payments.
the restaurant where breakfast is served
a double room
It’s a comfortable mid-range accommodation and we’re perfectly happy with it. The only drawback was that the pool was as warm as a bathtub, so not at all refreshing!
the dhow in front of the hotel
Nice review of the hotel, Cathy! If you don’t mind, I’m going to link to this review in my blogpost on Khasab Hotel so people can get a better idea of what to expect.
Thanks Andy! I don’t mind at all; thanks for the link!
Pingback: Khasab Hotel, Musandam | Andy in Oman
Sounds like fun, especially the dhow tour. I think if I visit my son while he’s in Muscat it’s going to have to be somewhere in December to February – I do not do well in heat.
The dhow cruise was lots of fun, though it was extremely hot. I will be writing a post on it soon; all my posts take so much time b/c the internet connection is so slow, it takes forever to upload each picture!! But you would love the dhow cruise. Definitely I recommend visiting Oman in the time frame you said, because it’s too hot any other time. My sons came to visit in January and that was perfect!!
this is really an amazing place to go with families.
Yes, I guess it is!
Even though there are a lot better places in Oman than Musandam, especially Jebel Akhdar. What could be better than that? 