I had visited Dubai, some eight years ago, in the summer of 2011. We were staying in Abu Dhabi but well, every other day, we drove to Dubai. It was a comparatively much shorter trip of nine days. And this year, I stayed in Dubai for a month. I wanted to do everything apart from the things I had already done eight years back. I wanted to go to the country’s natural milieu, so whether it is the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah or the Omani peninsula Musandam Dibba, I wanted to do something apart from the tall buildings and shopping. 

While researching, I came across this beautiful piece of shore – Musandam Dibba – and on a further reconnaissance, I learnt we required a one day Omani visa to visit it. This was not much of a deal as the clever travel agents in Dubai take care of all the things. I just uttered this name to my dad and immediately, within no time, he gathered enough information on this peninsular paradise. We chose a weekend (which we should not have) to go on a one day trip to Oman that was exclusively for Musandam. 

APPLYING FOR A ONE-DAY OMAN VISA

It is best to venture to Oman through travel agents as crossing the international border and ensuring you return to UAE within the time allowed could be slightly risky. When you contact an agent, he/she should guide you with all the documentation required to apply for a one-day Oman visa. You are supposed to mail the agent the scanned copies of your passport and UAE visa.

ATTENTION! Please note that people holding a UAE Residence Visa should apply 48 hours prior. Those with UAE Visit Visas can relax down. 

Once you mail the required documents, just wait until you get a confirmation from the travel agent. The travel agents shall hand you the visa most likely on the day of travel after you pay the trip amount of 200 AED (Rs 4000 approx.)

MUSANDAM DIBBA TOUR

My dad, his colleague, and the colleague’s wife were supposed to come along, but since they all hold residence visas and required much longer to finalise the plan, they could not attain the Oman visa on time. Because of this, only my cousin Pratik and I had to go on this one day tour to Musandam Dibba. I was looking forward to having a larger company, especially wanted my dad alongside, but alas, it was too late to apply for the Omani visa.

Our pickup time was 7:00 am and if you’re too lucky, the pick up would be right below your building. Along with us, at the pickup, there were four more people: two extremely aged South Indian couples. Looking at them, and after entering our minibus, we concluded that our company today could spoil the trip. The only young passengers in the bus apart from us were a group of Filipinos, and oh boy, were they funny! 

After picking up everyone from Dubai, we left for Oman in the same bus. After two hours, the driver stopped at a local tea and snack shop in Fujairah. The place looked shabby so we avoided ordering any breakfast. We thought of waiting until we reached the dhow cruise as the breakfast was complimentary on it. But being Indians, we surely did order two cups of Karak Chai. 

After two more hours, we reached the border of Oman. Just a few metres away, our bus driver stopped the bus and someone from the travel company approached. He had a serious look on his face and I just hoped things turn out to be okay and that we receive our Omani visas without a hassle. 

The man distributed the visas and gave some strict instructions such as refraining from clicking photographs and presenting the visas to the Omani officers whenever they demand. We nodded and confirmed the details on our visas. The bus approached towards the border and I kept my camera inside. I could not, therefore, vlog any of this entering Oman part. Gosh! Sometimes all these military and international rules can really scare you off! 

Like the tour agent had guided, we stopped before entering the border and a young smoking-hot military officer with aviator sunglasses entered our bus to check the visas. We were allowed to enter Oman. 

We crossed the border and I took my camera out only when I was too sure to be safe. Within a few minutes, we reached the dock. The bus driver bade goodbye while handing his passengers to another guy from Oman. This guy was our tour instructor along with a couple of more. We followed him by jumping from one cruise to another to finally reach our dhow cruise. The lower deck was full of people and they were either Indians or Sri Lankans as they appeared Dravidians by their facial features.

Seeing the overly crowded lower deck, we climbed the stairs for the upper deck to reach a gorgeous setting. The upper deck was outlined by pretty crimson mattresses with matching pillows. They were meant for sitting as you overlook the deep blue sea. A few voyagers even slept on those and I wondered why not? 

Our company on the upper deck included four Omani men, a group of young South Indians (one of the couples had a baby girl), a Bengali family, a Chinese American old couple (yes the typical ‘things to do before dying’ couple), and a few more South Indians. We ignored the company but seldom made faces looking at the baby girl who was tottering around from one uncle to another. The breakfast was served downstairs and before we could reach, it was already over! We had tea, glucose biscuits, and grabbed a few fruit drinks. We also enquired about changing room and the impending activities as choosing the upper deck had turned us blind and deaf to the things happening below. 

Taking the opportunity, we quickly changed into swimwear before the single room attracted a queue. Seeing us, others started changing their clothes too. Our first activity was a banana boat ride, that too, on the deeper part of the Arabian Sea. There was no shore seen around, just us and a few more dhow cruises. We were given life jackets and it was the mandate to wear them regardless of how excellent a swimmer you are. We went second with the old Chinese Americans as our companions. 

Initially, they brought the banana boat – which was attached to a speed boat – near our cruise. We were then asked to step on the banana boat’s handle and place ourselves on it. Once the boat was full (meaning, about three to four people were seated), the speed boat took off. And then, when we were enjoying the thrill, out of nowhere, the speed boat took a rapid turn, tripping the banana boat over! All of us fell in the water and then after popping on the sea level, we immediately were asked to swim back to the cruise. We wished we could swim a little longer, however, swimming was prohibited in that area. And you can’t blame the Omani government either as you can clearly spot jellyfishes in a proximate part of the sea!

The banana boat ride was a thrilling experience, especially if you have never done it before! I was glad to check this off my bucket list. After all the willing voyagers completed their rides, we furthered to Musandam Dibba peninsula. It took another half-hour to reach. Once we spotted the shore, we were transferred to the speed boat and sent to the land. 

The shore was overpopulated and that’s when we realised we could have skipped the weekend. I could hardly spot any westerner, however, soon, a speed boat arrived with a bunch of westerners dressed in bikinis and bermudas. The water was fairly clear here and while everyone was enjoying amongst themselves, we swam a few laps here and there. We were more excited for snorkelling as this was yet another water sports I had never tried before. The tour operators picked us up on the speed boat and took us to another part of the sea to snorkel. 

The water level was higher than usual and therefore the original caves where people snorkelled and hunted pearls had gone underwater. I was imagining a snorkelling outfit and an oxygen cylinder with the mask and the tube, however, it was nothing like that sort. Instead, we were just given the goggles that were attached to the tube that covered our nose. Oh boy, it was difficult to breathe with that gear! They stopped the boat near the caves and asked us to jump one after another. I don’t know how to dive so I just jumped in the water. I tried swimming and approached near the caves. I even tried going underwater but somehow the gear did not let me.  

After some time, breathing seemed beyond possible and I hurriedly took off the gear from my face as I could not grab enough oxygen. I swam back to the speed boat and asked my cousin to lend his hand. My cousin then dived in and his gear came off while doing so! 

We tried snorkelling and though failed at it, the experience was worth remembering. They then took us back to the cruise for lunch. After changing to a dry set of clothes, we rushed down for lunch. The non-vegetarians seemed happy looking at the chicken curry. Apart from the curry, there was pasta, rice, and salad. The meal, though cold, tasted scrumptious. 

Post lunch, we were taken to the Limestone Caves. They transferred us on the speed boat and the company this time was a hilarious one. We had the Omanis and the Filipinos. Both of these groups were sarcastically funny! This speed boat journey was the highlight of this trip for me. 

The limestone caves are more like curved walls than actual caves. So when we were nearing one of these caves, a Filipino lady jokingly exclaimed, “Are these caves? They look more like the 'entrance' of a cave.” And we starting giggling along with the Filipino group. Later, when we approached the second cave, which again appeared like a curved wall, one of the Omani men extended the joke by saying, “This also is the entrance.” Both Filipino and the Omani were so comic that the way they said really blasted us out! We were laughing so hard, my stomach started to ache! This speed boat ride truly cemented the emotions of the Omanis and Filipinos with that of the Indians'. 

The voyage from the cruise to the limestone cave was not bad after all. The speed boat was rushing and in return splashing water on us. It was eventide then and the sun was setting with only cold winds blowing. We were laughing and enjoying the surprise splashes of water. 

The last part of the Musandam Dibba package included angling. Though I don’t eat seafood, angling did capture my attention. We were quite relaxed by now as the day’s activities had tired us. We were just sitting, counting every breeze that touched our faces when we realised we should go downstairs to try angling. We were the last ones from the cruise to try it. 

We did not catch any fish but the jellyfishes on the other side of the cruise delighted us. Imagine, one slip in the sea, and you would be stunk by a group of jellyfishes! 

After the last activity, we went to the upper deck and continued counting the number of breezes. The sun was setting and I was humming the song ‘Fly On’ by Coldplay as I watched the silent silhouettes of birds fly. At this very moment, I had completely forgotten the world. It was a magical experience. I was surrounded by many people but I was still enjoying my solace and my own moment of peace. It was just me, the song lyrics, the gentle wind, and the spectacular sunset in front. 

The sunset marked the end. We soon reached the dock and greeted our bus driver. At the international border, our visas were checked again and relieved, we were allowed to enter the United Arab Emirates without any problem. It was 9:00 pm when the driver dropped us back below our building in Bur Dubai and we couldn’t wait to tell the stories to my dad who was waiting for us at home. 

MUSANDAM DIBBA TOUR PACKAGE FROM DUBAI

Well, I have kept it a secret on this platform but I’ve been on many long duration bike trips for reasons beyond your understanding. I have travelled from Mumbai to Karnataka via the western coastline on a bike where we covered Konkan, Goa, and Gokarna. I have been on a Chandigarh to Himachal Pradesh journey where we covered Dharampur, Rampur Bushahr, Reckong Peo, Jibhi, Mandi, Chail. I have explored around Shimla in 2-degree Celsius. Apart from these ten-day trips, I have been on several short-distance and short duration trips to Lonavala, Igatpuri, and many such proximate places. 

Having been travelled on a bike (of course as a pillion), I have quite an experience and a knowledge sufficient to help you prep for your first long duration, long distance bike ride. 

Pack as light as possible

This holds true especially if you’re an over-packer. When on a bike trip, it’s obvious that you will be carrying a backpack and not a suitcase which you can simply drag. The weight of the backpack can ruin your shoulders and add unnecessary weight to the bike. Though it can be beneficial while you’re going downhill, it is certainly a headache when you’re moving uphill and the slope is too steep. We had had a tough time during our Jalori Pass journey, where the uphill was a crazy 45-degree angle! 

Pack quick-dry clothing and accessories

So whether it is your clothes, your towel, your pair of socks, or shoes, try packing stuff that is quick-dry. You don’t necessarily need to buy quick-drying clothes that are in the market but you can look out in your own closet. Anything which is jersey-material or swimming pool approved is quick to dry and you can pack it. I had carried my workout clothes and workout leggings which were polyester material. 

Cut down your toiletries into travel-size bottles

If you think those travel-size containers are all a commercial gimmick then you’re wrong. These tiny bottles are highly practical especially if you’re backpacking because the lesser the quantity of liquids and creams, the lighter your luggage. Fill these tiny containers with your toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, face wash, etc. If you get a sachet of your shampoo, then carry those instead. Cut down everything you can.

I recommend carrying two backpacks. One would be around 50 to 70 litres with your clothing, accessories, toiletries, etc. And the other, much smaller, say around 20 litres to keep your valuables like cell phone, laptop, cash, card, keys, camera, etc. This enables you to quickly grab your small bag for meals. You can keep your larger bag attached to the bike and enjoy your break worry-free.

WHAT TO PACK FOR A BIKE RIDE | BIKE RIDE ESSENTIALS

Jacket

The rider’s jacket can be a good investment for someone who wishes to go on several bike rides in future. However, if you don’t want to spend about 4 grand a jacket yet, then you can borrow it from a friend or simply rent it out. Buying a second-hand jacket also is a wise option. For pillion riders, well, same goes for you. Either buy/borrow/rent or simply wear a regular jacket. I usually wear a windcheater, leather jacket or bomber jacket. 

Which kind of rider’s jacket should you buy? A rider’s jacket ranges from Rs 3000 to well, there's no limit. However, I personally would recommend a jacket with a detachable thermal lining and the one that is waterproof. 

Helmet

You must not go anywhere without having two helmets with you – one for the rider and one for the pillion. Helmets play a super crucial role in protecting your skull and there are many videos on YouTube stating why. Even if you’re going to Lonavala from Mumbai, both the riders should wear a fitting helmet. 

Ankle length shoes/riding boots (or sports shoes)

I recommend ankle-length shoes or riding boots because they protect the ankles from probable twists. God forbid but imagine your bike skids and you use your feet to straighten the bike and the speed is so vehement that it twists your ankle. Your whole trip is ruined! Again, you can rent ankle length shoes or borrow from a friend. I had personally borrowed from my friend’s friend and they were as good as brand new then! 

Other protective bike gear

Well, apart from the above protective gear, you can wear elbow pads, knee pads, and gloves. Depending on what level of protection you need and where you’re headed to, go for these accessories. Some people do not get satisfactory control using gloves so they avoid wearing gloves even though it is freezing outside!

Bike papers, license, identity proof, authorisation letter if you’re borrowing your friend’s bike

This goes without saying. Whenever you take out your bike on a long road trip, ensure you are carrying its documents along with your license and identity proof. For pillion riders, carry your identity proof to avoid a hassle. (And anyway, you will be requiring identity proof for booking hotel stays.) 

IMPORTANT: If you’re borrowing your friend’s bike, there are a few more documents you need to carry such as authorization letter from whosoever's name the bike is registered. Also, ensure there are no pending cases against the owner like an accident case or a loan instalment due. 

Cans to store extra petrol (or buy them when a need arises)

We had done this during our bike trip to Spiti. We knew the route ahead did not have a petrol pump for many kilometres, so we bought two empty cans and filled those with petrol. We were absolutely tension free throughout our journey as we had petrol no matter where we ventured. You can either carry cans from your home or buy on the spot if the need occurs. 

Powerbank

All the GPS and photographs and roaming would gulp up your cell phone's battery like anything. A fully charged power bank is an absolute must!

Bike tool kit

I have little knowledge about what one should have in their bike tool kit. But, carry your basic tool kit like chain lube/cleaner, spare clutch cable, a few fuses, accelerator cable, etc. Rest depends on your bike. You know your bike the best.

First-aid kit and medicines

The first-aid kit is the first thing you should pack. It’s never too many items. You can carry bandaids, bandages, soframycin, pain killers, pain relief balm or spray, antiseptic liquid, clean cotton, safety pins, knife, a pair of scissors, multi-tool kit, and any other first-aid essentials you think. Apart from it, pack your regular medicines.

An electronic air motor is a tyre inflator which helps you fix punctures. You can use your bike's battery to fill the air in the tyres using this device. People usually carry a physical pump, but on high altitudes, you'll be exhausted sooner because there's less oxygen supply in the air.



Bungee cords
Bungee cords are stretchable ropes/wires with hooks that let you fix your luggage to the carrier of the bike. You get them in any bike shop and I recommend carrying at least four of these.

SIM cards
If you have multiple SIM cards belonging to different network providers then nothing like it. Carry all these different cards as you never know when you'll be stuck in an emergency. If network A does not have a signal, then network B might.

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR BIKE RIDERS

About half of the time you won't have a network due to the terrains. Sometimes it would be cloudy, sometimes mountainous, sometimes you would be in a remote area, and sometimes amidst forests. Network weakens and without maps, it's quite difficult to navigate. So it is highly advisable to download the offline map of the route you're travelling beforehand when the network is strong.

When in doubt, fill the air in tyres
You can't risk having a flat tyre on a bumpy, rocky road. As soon as you sense some flatness in the tyres, go to the nearest petrol pump and fill the air. We often ignore these signs when we're driving in the city as we get mechanics almost every few kilometres. However, that's not the case when you're riding on highways in a remote area.

Do not hurt the sentiments of locals; it’s okay to chew your ego

Your egoistic personality won't work when you're on the bike. You're quite vulnerable and open to dangers beyond your capacity. Worry not, as nothing is really frightening and all the areas are amiable. Locals are friendly and welcome you with a smile. They're surprised to find people all geared up with GoPro on their helmets. However, it is advisable to be in their good books. Do not start a fight. Just let things be.

You can transport your bike via train instead of riding all the way to the destination
This is a classic trick to follow if you have fewer holidays but want to ride far. What you can do is, simply transport your bike from your home railway station to the nearest station to where you want to travel. And then, you can ride your heart out without wasting any day. There are two ways to transport your bike via Indian railways: 1) Parcel method – You send your bike as a parcel/courier beforehand 2) Luggage method – The bike travels on the same train with you. I recommend the second method for sure. (You would require a total of approx. Rs 4,000 one way to transport Royal Enfield 350 classic from Mumbai to Chandigarh.)

Read: How to Transport Bike via Indian Railways

Try riding with the gloves on a simple road before hitting a risky road

As mentioned above, gloves do not let you have direct contact with the bike. Because of this, you might find it hard to control the direction, the accelerator, break, etc. So before you drive on a dangerous curvy road, try riding on a smoother straight road to practice the movements.

Avoid riding at night, especially if you're alone or with one pillion rider only

For safety purposes, especially if you are a girl or with a girl, and it’s just the two of you, please conclude your day’s itinerary and book a hotel before it is completely dark. I don’t mean to say people around are bad but if you’re on a highway and your bike stops functioning, you will not have anywhere to go. It is advisable to go to a safe haven, dump your bags in the hotel, freshen up, and then explore the nearing areas on the bike. At least you have the contact number of the hotel reception in case of emergency!

The temperature is colder when you’re on the bike 

If the weather forecast reads 2 degrees, always prepare to feel much colder than 2 degrees. When you’re on a bike, the cool winds drop down the temperature around you making it much cooler than what it actually is. When you’re in a car or are walking, you’re much warmer as you’re indoors or not facing harsh winds. However, riding a bike in winter, especially for a rider, can be extremely freezing! I remember on our trip to Shimla, it was 4 degrees and we were freezing! My friend’s hands were numb, his face was numb, and no matter how many layers of clothing he wore, it was not sufficient.


If the maps say you'll reach in 3 hours, always add 2 hours to it
Now Google Maps have updated their app and you can get an estimate of how many hours you'll take to reach a destination via bike, however, the app only tells you the time according to the distance. If you consider the condition of the road and weather, then you'll take much more than what the maps tell you. Always keep a buffer time of two hours when planning the day's itinerary. For instance, if today you leave from Mumbai to Konkan and the time to reach Konkan according to maps is 13 hours, always add 2 extra hours to it.

Only riders understand the things that go in their minds when they're out on the road. The safety of themselves and the bike, the fear of accidents, the uncalled bike breakage, etc. Along with these thoughts running in their head, if they are dehydrated or famished, then they're going to feel too weak to ride. So always drink sufficient water, especially on those hot summer days.

Do you know? When you are chewing, the brain automatically interprets that you're eating and it doesn't let you doze off. So whenever you're feeling sleepy but you have to reach your destination no matter what, chew a gum. This comes from one of my friends who was with me on these bike trips.


Give rest to your bike every two hours (a five minutes break is sufficient)
Bike rides are all good until your bike's parts are heated up. Cooling your bike is necessary especially when you're travelling afar. Give about five minutes rest to your bike once every two hours. And, what can be better than stopping near a cliff to enjoy the valley view below?

Before leaving on your day's journey, check your bike for its gears, clutch, tyres, petrol, etc. Similarly, as soon as you reach your destination, or even if you're halfway, do a thorough check again.

Remember, there's nothing like too many bungee cords. You'll be needing them to tighten your luggage on the bike's carrier along with raincoats, small backpacks, petrol cans, and any other possible luggage you're carrying.



If today, you're going from destination A to B, research for a decent place where you can stop midway in case of an emergency. The place should have decent hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and medical, grocery stores around.

My family and I had not been together on a long duration trip since our trip to Dubai back in 2012. Though we had been on several weekend getaways, the happiness and satisfaction of staying together and travelling for ten days straight were lacking on those short trips. I was ecstatic. Having been travelling alone or with friends was not as cosy as travelling with family. We planned on visiting the two famous hill stations of Uttarakhand – Nainital and Mussoorie – along with Jim Corbett, Lansdowne (it's an absolute offbeat place), and Rishikesh.

➢ Mumbai to Delhi: The Mumbai to Delhi GoAir flight departs at 9:50 am. For the same, we had booked tickets five months ago thereby getting a one-way ticket for less than Rs 3000 per person.