A weekend dhow trip off the Omani coast might conjure up images of a calming cruise experience on an old Arabic vessel, where you’ll drop anchor and fish lazily over the side, before spending a night connecting with mother earth, camped out under the stars, and you’d be right – to a point. The fact is that most of these trips, if booked for a private group of 18, are essentially a 48-hour party and are rapidly becoming the new Friday brunch.
It’s true that the boats aren’t particularly new, but most of them are equipped with CD players and surprisingly reasonable sound systems. It means you can blast your ocean-dwelling neighbours with generic Euro-house for the duration of your trip, adding dancing to a list of dhow-based activities that spans snorkelling, fishing, swimming and scuba diving, depending on which company you set sail with.
On our maiden dhow trip with Sheesa Beach, we opt to book the entire boat for a private party of 18, and spend the full weekend on board. Many companies, including Sheesa, offer the option to camp on a secluded beach, or even island, overnight – but we’ve chosen to sleep on the dhow’s open deck.
After setting off from Dubai at 7am sharp, with the obligatory stop at the McDonalds service-station outlet near Sharjah Shooting Club, we arrive at Dibba Harbour for 9am (don’t forget your passport for the checkpoint) and scramble across a row of boats to our designated dhow, where we greet our captain, Mohammed. Juice, water and fizzy drinks have been provided by the truckload in giant cool boxes, though we’ve brought plenty of food and drinks along ourselves, including everything we’ll need for a barbecue on the beach later.
After sailing for a few hours, following the coast round from Dibba to Musandam, our captain drops anchor, and it’s time for a spot of fishing. Casting lines from some very basic – but effective enough – reels and using chunks of squid as bait, we dangle over the side of the wooden boat and hope for the best.
It’s not long before a number of our group haul in a small catch. A few hardy souls opt for some adrenaline-powered action and can soon be heard shouting at the top of their lungs as small inflatables career around over the waves, dragged by the captain’s little speedboat, which until now has been tethered to the back of the dhow.
As the sky grows dark, we head towards a cove on the smaller boat, where we light the barbecue and enjoy our earlier catch. After dinner, we board the dhow again for plenty of singing and dancing, until exhaustion sets in and sleeping bags are unfurled. Once the lights are turned off on deck, the lack of light pollution in the area allows the stars to shine astonishingly brightly against the blue-black sky. It’s the kind of sight we could gaze at for hours, prompting us to contemplate the boundlessness of space and – somewhat narcissistically – the relative insignificance of our existence. But when there’s a whole morning of snorkelling ahead tomorrow, we soon opt to close our eyes and let the dhow’s gentle bobbing rock us to sleep.
Overnight private charter of an open dhow from Dhs6,000 for up to 15 people, and Dhs125 per person thereafter. Shared day cruise Dhs200 per person including buffet lunch; private day cruise Dhs2,950 for
up to 15 people, Dhs100 per person thereafter. Sheesa Beach, Dibba, www.sheesabeach.com (02 638 6551).
Abu Dhabi dhows: cruises closer to home
Abu Dhabi Dhow Cruise
Enjoy the luxury of a buffet dinner on a traditional double-decker wooden dhow and take in the breathtaking sights of Abu Dhabi in all its glory while onboard. The traditional vessel glides up and down the Abu Dhabi Corniche, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the view. Contact the tour operators to enjoy a lovely evening and dinner onboard the Abu Dhabi dhow cruise.
(055 357 0011).
Private Shore Trips
This half-day tour is perfect for those who want an overview of the ‘Manhattan of the Middle East’. Enjoy photo stops as you pass Abu Dhabi’s skyline plus learn about the emirate’s past and future. One photostop is at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. As you sail back towards the city there will be another stop near the 5-star Emirates Palace Hotel.
(02 546 8066).
