club telegraph

Unicorns & rainbows can't even compare. It's the stuff of legends.

Off the coast of the Musandam peninsula in Oman lies a hidden gem. Telegraph Island.

a 360 view from Telegraph Island

This remote inlet is surrounded by massive rocky mountains, crystal turquoise water & amazing marine life. I'm talking dolphins, sharks & nemo-like fish.

view from our campsite

Back in the day, Telegraph Island was used by the British to send telegraphic messages along the Persian Gulf. 

Today all that exists is the crumbling ruins of the station, an ideal camping locale. 

The adventure commenced by flying from Doha to Dubai, driving through the UAE desert across the Omani border & then navigating the serpentine curves of the mountains till we reached the sleepy fishing village of Khasab.

traveling through almost deserted emirates of the UAE

no electricity=lots of firewood

making our way to the UAE-Omani border

break for cattle

flanked by the sea & mountains as we drove through Oman

Khasab, Oman, capital of the Musandam peninsula. popular with Iranian smugglers

our method of transport to the island

Dropped off on the island by two friendly Omani men we met in Khasab, we were cut off from everything, surrounded only by mountains & water. We climbed the rocky steps to the top & set up camp as the men drove away in their traditional dhow boat. We were truly stranded.

our navigator

not a good photo, but behold, the first dolphin sighting!

enjoying the ride to Telegraph

upon arrival

view from atop the ruins

campers hard at work

ruins of what used to be the station

Cooking dinner over the fire & sharing whiskey induced stories made up our night. The only way to end such a perfect day was with a midnight swim in the phosphorescence water, all of us glowing & giddy with delight, we looked straight out of a scene from Avatar.

celebrating our successful adventure

The following day was spent, stand up paddle boarding around the island, peering deep below into the clear water for sightings of aquatic life. We we're collected by our Omani friends once again who kindly took us to their secret spots & coves throughout the day. Stopping off to float in the water, snorkel & collect shells from the white sandy beaches, it was the definition of paradise.

not a bad view to wake up to

K & I paddleboarding the morning away

soaking up the sun

aboard the dhow boat

kigus even made a repeat appearance

happy campers

new friend & Budweiser enthusiast

a piece of paradise

We've been plotting our return since we left last Saturday. Here's to hoping that Club Telegraph remains our little secret.

xx