You’ve probably heard us mention just a few times how much we love the Musandam Peninsular of Oman! Nestled in an enclave at the very tip of the Arabian peninsula beyond the UAE, jutting into the Strait of Hormuz and almost touching Iran, it is one of the most dramatic and beautiful places to visit in the Middle East.
When it comes to where to stay in Musandam, however, the choices are a little limited unless you’re willing to stretch your imagination and comfort levels (or possibly your budget) to experience something new and unique – we promise you no matter how much you love your mod-cons you want be disappointed with your Musandam experience!
We will take you through luxury resort and hotel accommodation options through to camping, all depending on how luxurious or rugged you like your family adventures!!
Don’t forget to also check out:
- Best things to do in Musandam (coming soon)
- How to get from Dubai to Musandam – details on how to tackle the Oman border crossing process
- How to get from Muscat to Musandam, domestic routes to the peninsula (coming soon)
Things to note booking an Oman hotel in Musandam
- You will need your passport to check-in (don’t worry, you should have this for border crossing too!)
- You are in Oman so expect to be paying in OMR at the hotel, including any taxes or charges for extra bedding, food and drink bills
- Taxes of 17% are added to quoted prices
Luxury Resorts in Musandam
This is a short section as there is just one 5-star extravaganza! But what an amazing one and should be on everyone’s Middle East luxury treat bucket list:
Six Senses Zighy Bay
What to expect: Based on the east coast of Musandam facing the Gulf of Oman, this is sheer opulent luxury at it’s best with wellness and eco-consciousness at its heart and soul.
Offering private villas with plunge pools and a plethora of recreational activities, you’ve simply got to add this one to your must-try list!
Entry to the resort is what makes it ultra unique. So isolated, there is no straight forward road to the resort door. Passports are pre-checked and paperwork completed for you so you can parasail (yes!), take a speedboat or 4WD into the resort.
What will it cost: This is highly dependent on season and room type, but it won’t come cheap, especially in the winter you can expect to be paying in excess of $2000USD+ per night for a villa. Offpeak you can bag a bargain at around $600USD+ per night.
Check price and availability | Compare search prices on Hotels Combined
Hotels in Khasab
Khasab is the Musandam Governate’s regional capital, sitting as far as the road can take you north (2WD at least!), facing towards the Arabian Gulf. There is one small resort and a couple of hotel-style offerings for families we’d recommend:
Atana Musandam Resort
What to expect: This pretty Omani-village styled low rise resorts sits in the very heart of Khasab overlooking the Gulf and the busy nearby harbour. There’s a range of suites and villas in this beautifully presented 4-star offering.
As far as resort facilities go, it’s pretty limited with a pool and small bar serving non-alcoholic drinks, a small young children’s playground, gym and spa and a nice restaurant with pretty gardens. Location is unbeatable though, adjacent to the LuLu’s and Khasab Fort.
What will it cost: One night in a Superior King Room is $199USD+, maximum room capacity 3 people – larger families will need interconnecting rooms.
We had difficulty getting a price quote via Booking.com as it’s displaying as no children under 12 permitted but we have checked with management who assure us this is not the case – you should get 2 kids under 12 staying free. Our Editor has stayed here with young children and couches and cots are available.
Check price and availability | Compare search prices on Hotels Combined
Atana Khasab Hotel
What to expect: Described as a 3-star hotel rather than a resort, and sitting on the road into Khasab rather than in the city centre, this hotel more than adequately does the job. It does serve alcohol and tends to have more evening entertainment than it’s Atana counterpart, with a restaurant and darts bar.
Rooms overlook the luscious waterfront and there is a lovely outdoor pool and sundeck, as well as on-site diving lessons at Khasab Underwater Centre.
What will it cost: A single night in a mountain view room $150USD+ or a sea view $194USD+.
As above, we get error messages for no under 12’s via booking.com but this is not correct, families are welcome at the property with interconnecting rooms.
Check price and availability | Compare search prices on Hotels Combined
Diwan Al Amir
What to expect: A basic clean and comfortable 3-star offering with 55 rooms, an on-site swimming pool and restaurant. It’s on the road into Khasab, not far from the public beach and the ferry port, 1km from Lulu.
What will it cost: Standard rooms are around $65USD+ a night and sleep 2. A junior suite comes with a large bed and couch – you could potentially squeeze in 4 – costing around $78USD+/night or an Executive Suite with separate living room and sofa bed, small kitchenette $96USD++
Check price and availability | Compare search prices on Hotels Combined
Hotels in Dibba
On the east coast of Musandam, other than the very remote and exclusive Zighy Bay, there is one other resort offering in a more reasonable budget range for the family!
Dibba Beach Resort
What to expect: Newly reopened in 2019 (previously Golden Tulip), Dibba Beach Resort offers a large pool, tennis court, children’s playground and, of course, access on to the beautiful sandy beachfront of Dibba overlooking the Gulf of Oman.
What will it cost: Rooms start from a very reasonable $78USD+ per night, families can fit in a Luxury Suite Room with sea views
Check price and availability | Compare search prices on Hotels Combined
Camping in Musandam
Another great way to get the most out of Musandam is to pitch a tent – or even enjoy sleeping directly under the stars. There are quite a few options, both for those who have their own equipment and 4WD, or for those who would like to join an organised camp where all the gear and set up is done for you.
You can camp at the Khasab Musandam Campsite in pre-arranged tents with all the facilities ready for you (very much glamping end of the scale, the pricing here is as much as the resort – but a very different experience). Max 2 per tent so makes this one a little more challenging with young kids.
Alternatively looking to camp on your own, you could try:
Bassa Beach – in between Atana Khasab Hotel and the port there is a stretch of public beach – though you are quite exposed to the main road here, limited shared bathroom facilities available
Bukha Beach – on the UAE/Oman road before you get to Khasab on the west coast there are some sandy beach areas you can pull up a tent, though again you’re near to the main road.
Khor Najd Camping Area – Much more isolated, only 4WD will get you to this small bay area on the far north-eastern side of Musandam – yes, that famous dramatic view!
The other alternative is to head to the mountains. We haven’t had a chance to try this one yet but understand from friends in the know you ground can be quite hard so make sure you bring adequate ground mates for this type of camping! Try typing Wadi Sall Ala in your maps, also called Acacia Forest, a good base camp for hikers.
Further UAE & Oman resources and inspiration:
Check out these guides for more great ideas visiting both the UAE and Oman.
- Best family resorts in Ras al Khaimah
- Exciting things to do in Ras al Khaimah for all the Family
- The UAE’s Best Family Beach Resorts
- The UAE’s Best Luxury Desert Resorts
