OMAN – Masirah Island

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OMAN - Masirah Island

O… man what a place: A remote desert island with lunar landscapes battered by southern trade winds from May to September (guaranteed wind June to August, strong) side/on shore wind with waves in deep cold waters on the west coast (sea turtles breeding grounds!) and flat to choppy water with side/off shore wind on the east side which is a tidal lagoon. It basically has a bit of everything and there are seemingly no restrictions to where you can kite, just beware that rocks, stingrays, turtles, shells and crabs are plentiful especially in the lagoon on the east side and that coast guards are nowhere to be seen. Here are tips for a trip down there:

Getting there by road (personal case): From Dubai it’s a 900km one way road trip and there are very few signs along the way. Be also aware also that the spelling of places changes from sign to sign… Getting in and out of the UAE and Oman then back is a pain (use the Al Ain border post): Five controls at where they charge you some admin fees for processing (70dhms. per person) and you have to go and queue on both sides and fill little forms… 45 minutes to go through the border is an conservative estimate… do get the map of the roads at the Omani control building where you will have to queue to get your passport stamp, it’s a life saver.

Getting there by Plane + Road: It is perhaps best to go direct by plane to Muscat and rent from there a 4x4… Qatar Airways (in their special offers section) are running some very cheap tickets to Muscat all year long for 400£ return or less with stop over in Doha. You would just need to sort out some extra weight luggage as it is the standard 20kgs and I’m not sure if there are size limits. The coastal road from Muscat is meant to be beautiful and it may be kited from Asylah onwards.

Ferries: these operate daily from the ferry point and up to 5pm, there is no hotel at the ferry terminal on the continent and you would be stuck for the night if late. They may be running later but there is no guarantee. These operate all year long even during Ramadan and take 1h30mins. The Ferries only depart when full so expect to wait a bit. The loading and unloading is a fairly well organised mess and you will have to be a bit forceful to get in if busy… same thing to get out… Note that Omanis are really nice people, very welcoming but a bit impatient and a smile will be appreciated when you make your stand, they will understand.

Hotels: There are not many hotels (they tend to be expensive) and they are not cheap apart from one (Masirah hotel?) towards the airbase after the power station and in front of the shell station (on your left when disembarking from the ferry) and it cost about 25 Rials a night for a twin that is clean with a fridge. I do not know if they have a website or even an email but here is the number: 0096825504401 ask for Mr. Varghese or Mr. Ajesh make sure to confirm if you arrive late as you will be overbooked if coming late. Otherwise you can camp pretty much anywhere it seems but it’s wild camping.

Kite Camp: There is on one of the spots a kite camp that seemed pretty cool run by a german guy Alex where they had toilets, water and their own chef that runs during the windy season, they have a website: Oman Kite Camp They are located about 30 minutes away from the town going towards the right along the coastal road. That spot is offshore and really shallow, the tide retreats far so you may get a 6 hour window to kite there according to the prevalent tide. It might be a good idea to talk rescue rates with him, in case shit the wind is strong and blows you out in the lagoon. It is a good place to initiate the missy to learn kite too: flat, shallow and offshore, so minimum risk.

Food, Fx, other bits: There is no money changer on the island and no internet café that I could locate. Exchange rate can be summarized to: 1 Rial = 2£, there are plenty take aways where you can get small salads and shwarmas (donner kebab meat) or Pizzas. The Turkish one near by the hotel is cool and food is good, count on 3 Rials for a big meal. The supermarkets are basic so best bring your own luxury items with you if required (sun cream especially) make sure you always have plenty water. The weather was nice: it’s slightly colder than the continent but it still very warm. As for animation, well it’s a desert bring your own no much to see or do otherwise. Conditions vary but do expect strong winds: think one good kite for 15 knots upwards and a high wind kite, the wind tend to rise late afternoons.

All in all this a pretty unique place and the people are welcoming, we were invited for tea by some Omani guys on the beach who were camping. A truly unique experience for people who like deserted places with many different kiting conditions. We sadly decided to kite only on the “safe” eastern side but the wavy side seemed awesome! While we were there we met the Cabrinha French pro team who were there for a photo shoot with the French kitesurf magazine tagging along to write an article about Kitesurfing Oman in the next issue. I had an amazing time and wished we would have stayed more. Now back in Dubai and in two days: off to Kenya where I won’t kite but perhaps the wind on lake Victoria and then Zanzibar will be blowing and I will get a chance to kite.

Ben.

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