Sports holiday in the Arab Emirates, for kitesurf lovers here is the ideal indication to take a nice holiday in Oman, near Muscat, we are talking here about Masirah Island.
More and more fans of the kitesurf, the extreme sport that makes the world go around looking for the best situation to be able to practice it. Yes, because kitesurfing needs wind.
An island increasingly popular and targeted by kitelovers is Masirah, located 6 hours from Muscat, the capital ofOman and reachable in 2 hours with a ferry that leaves from the southeastern coast of the Sultanate.
In summer, i.e. from May to September, the winds of kharef blow on the shoreline, thus allowing you to practice sport during this time. Some kitesurfing schools move from the capital, Muscat, where they can take the license to rent the equipment and take the first steps only in the presence of wind and decide to colonize the island making it a nerve center for kitesurfing.
On the island there are from 20 to 45 knots of wind by day and by night, blowing from the south, huge flat lagoons on the west coast and Indian Ocean waves on the east coast, so a kitesurfing paradise.
Even if we are in the summer the monsoons keep the temperatures low and, even if the Oman it also gets to 50°C, on the island there are 24 to 38 ° C even in summer.
For some years there has been a kitesurfing center that rent equipment and organizes courses. A camp of Bedouin tents was also built, to accommodate sportsmen in more basic accommodation, a 20-minute drive from the kite areas. For information you can contact directly the Majali Beach Camp.
- instructors they are of different nationalities: Europeans and Omani. In this regard, there is a very young boy, Issa Salim Al Aamri, the first Omani to be able to practice this sport at the highest levels, being also sponsored by Red Bull which allows him to travel the world to participate in international competitions.
The areas suggested for kiting are in the southern part of the island, where there are beaches of fine white sand. Sur Masirah, Ghab and Gshar Sheikh are the names of the most famous areas, professionals love Amq, Khasit and Maglah. Still being unspoiled, Masirah delivers beautiful and unique landscapes from a naturalistic point of view, such as beaches and hills.
Due to its natural isolation, the area is also used by migratory birds (including flamingos and pelicans) who are spied on by bird watchers. If you walk on the shoreline it is easy to come across the shell of turtles, which inhabit the island, such as the hawksbill, the olive and the green and the caretta caretta. Ad hoc visits can be organized from the same kite center in al Jazir, Bar al Hickman or at the beach of Aseelah.
The island's main business is fishing and many enthusiasts even come from Qatar to practice it in these waters. Fresh fish can be bought in the center of the island's capital, Ras Hilf, and it's fun to haggle the price both in the souq, the main market, and in the smaller ones, called bazaars.
Some practical information:
There are no airports on site but only ferries, as mentioned above, they can reach this corner of Omani paradise. You cannot exchange money in the local currency, OMR, on the island but only withdraw cash. Ras Hilf is the only center equipped with a pharmacy, a small hospital and supermarkets for basic necessities. Book flights considering that the ferries do not always have set times and that, due to the sea conditions, there could be problems.
