From On Board: Celestyal Journey in Oman

#expeditioncruising .

For a long time, travelling colleagues have been telling me about the wonders of Oman. They extol the lovely people, the fabulous scenery, history and the generally 'chill' nature of the destination compared to elsewhere in the Middle East.

Consequently, I had harboured a plan to get here by any means possible and when an invitation arose to cruise here with Celestyal Cruises, I jumped at it. This plan may have taken well over a decade to realise, and the 1300-passenger ship Celestyal Journey certainly did not conform to the common definition of an expedition cruise ship.

Clearly, there is some appeal for the region as our itinerary overlaps with that of Ponant's Le Bougainville, MSC Euribia and Mein Schiff 4, which dock alongside us at various ports.

Notwithstanding, the destination was worth the effort, even though my visit was fleeting and somewhat superficial.

Ships and ferries line up at the Port of Khasab (R Eime)

My excursion was a short cruise from the Port of Khasab into the sheltered waters around the Musandam Peninsula, located at the very northernmost tip of Oman and a mere 20kms from neighbouring Iran across the Straits of Hormuz. Described by the brochure writers as "The Norway of the Middle East", I can see what they are getting at, but it's a bit of a long shot.

With sheer, naked cliffs plummeting down to the waterline, sometimes with tiny isolated villages at the foot, the comparison to the Scandinavian fjords takes a bit of imagination. However, these tortured geological landforms still have their own distinct characteristics. 

The pronounced wavy patterns within the sedimentary rocks have more than a passing similarity to the various sandstone formations in our Kimberley, particularly around Talbot Bay. Clearly, some immense tectonic forces have been at work here, but much more recently than our own, by some 500 million years. 

Our little dhows chug cheerfully past these enormous cliffs, which could also be compared to those around Kotor in Montenegro. These remote villages with just a few dozen people exist on fishing, and few, if any, have access to schools or hospitals, a tradition they have carried on for centuries. The electricity wires and poles are the only hint of their connection to the outside world. 

At the end of the "fjord" we anchor for a while so a few intrepid soles can splash and snorkel in the crisp, clear waters. On our return journey, we are escorted briefly by a family of dolphins, much to our passengers' delight. 

Back at the port, we hurry past the various trinket merchants onto the lifeboat tenders and back to Celestyal Journey. We sail for the UAE tomorrow. 

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