A day in the Daymaniyat Islands

If you are coming to Oman an absolute must do would be spending a day in the Daymaniyat islands. From the bluest water to the whitest sand, including many sea turtles, the Daymaniyat islands have everything you can dream of !

The Daymaniyat Islands are a group of small rocky islands located off the coast of the Sultanate of Oman in the Arabian Sea. The islands are known for their natural beauty and are popular among tourists and divers.

They are part of a protected marine reserve, which makes them a great place to observe a wide variety of marine life, including turtles, dolphins, and colorful tropical fish. The islands are also home to several bird species, including cormorants, terns, and gulls.

The water surrounding the Daymaniyat Islands is crystal clear, with visibility of up to 20 meters, making it an ideal location for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Due to their unique natural beauty and ecological significance, the Daymaniyat Islands have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Note that the beaches of Daymaniyat islands are closed from the 1st of May until the 1st of November as it is nesting season.

There are a ton of travel companies offering a boat excursion to the islands (you can find them at Al Mouj Marina on Google Maps), and the booking process is really simple !

We chose to go with Daymaniat Shells, there were really kind and helpful on the phone, plus they accepted our last minute booking.

Here are their contact infos if you want to make a reservation :

Or you can reach them on their website or via email : [email protected]

The price is 30 OMR (73€) per adult and 18 OMR (44€) per kid below 12 years old. You can pay cash or by card, payments are at the end of the excursion. The final group is approximately 10 persons.

On the boat, they provide all the snorkeling gear, water, fruits, sandwiches and chips. Our captain had a GoPro and if asked kindly you can use it to take videos underwater (they will send them to you afterwards) !

You will need to bring your swimsuit, sunscreen, towel, a pair of sunglasses and a hat or a cap.

The boat leaves at 8 a.m at Al Mouj Marina in Muscat and you are back around 2 p.m. It is early but because they were the first boat to leave the marina, we were alone at every stop along the way !

You reach the islands after a 30-minute boat ride and start with a snorkeling spot, then you have a stop on an island, you can explore around, paddle (they have one on the boat), sunbath and swim. After that, you make another 2-3 snorkeling stops before heading back.

When snorkeling, you can expect to see a lot of green sea turtles, colourful fish, amazing corals and seabed. If you are lucky, you’ll even see some sharks !

The landscapes when sea crossing are breathtaking, the turquoise and translucent water, the whitest sand, the small fisherman boats, it really is worth it as much as for the underwater scenery.

Booking a boat trip to he Daymaniyat islands was truly a highlight in our trip and I would 100% recommend it !

If you need other Oman travel ideas, you can check out this article about the best hikes to do there, or this one detailing a full week itinerary in Oman.