Daymaniyat Islands SnorkelingDaymaniyat Snorkeling Trip with BBQ-Style Lunch
Almost every Daymaniyat listing promises lunch and delivers sandwiches. This Daymaniyat Islands snorkeling trip with BBQ lunch actually cooks: grilled chicken and kebabs, with falafel, hummus and cut vegetables for people who do not eat meat, served on board between two snorkel sites. It is the most expensive trip in this comparison at $99, run by MolaMola Diving Center out of Al Mouj Marina, and it is the only listing here marked wheelchair accessible.
About This BBQ Snorkeling Trip
4.5 to 5 hours from check-in at the dive centre
$99 per adult, permits and lunch included
4.6 from 773 reviews on GetYourGuide
MolaMola Diving Center, English and Arabic
Grilled chicken and kebabs; falafel, hummus and vegetables for non-meat eaters
Toilets, showers and changing rooms at the centre; shaded boat with toilets
Listing at a Glance
The same fields on every tour page here, read from the operator's listing in August 2026. Prices and availability are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
- Tour name Muscat: Daymaniyat Islands Snorkeling Trip + BBQ-style Lunch
- Operator MolaMola Diving Center
- Booking platform GetYourGuide
- Product ID 600678
- Starting price $99 USD per adult
- Price last checked August 2026
- Rating 4.6 out of 5
- Review count 773 reviews
- Review source GetYourGuide verified bookings
- Duration 4.5 to 5 hours
- Time at the islands Two snorkel stops with lunch between them
- Departure point MolaMola Diving Center, visible from the main Al Mouj Marina area
- Crossing time About 45 minutes each way
- Expected return 4.5 to 5 hours after check-in
- Transport Shaded boat with toilets on board
- Group size Shared boat; size not stated
- Guide language English, Arabic
- Reserve permit (OMR 3) Included
- Snorkel gear Included, with life vests and a life ring
- Lunch BBQ-style, vegetarian option stated
- Drinks Juices and water throughout the trip
- Towels Bring your own
- Hotel pickup Not included
- Cancellation deadline 24 hours before the start time
- Reserve now, pay later Available
- Minimum age Children welcome in calm conditions; diving barred under 10
- Physical difficulty Easy; life vests and a life ring provided
- Wheelchair accessibility Listed as wheelchair accessible
- Pregnancy Not advised in the first trimester; medical clearance from five months
- Snorkeling time Two sessions, either side of lunch
- Ethical notes Island landing 1 November to 30 April only
- Weather limitations Sites chosen daily for visibility and calm; flying barred 12 to 18 hours after any dive
- Alternative tour Same operator's catamaran at /catamaran-bbq-trip/
Check Dates and Availability
Live prices and departure dates from the booking platform. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time.
Quick answer
MolaMola's BBQ trip costs $99 per adult and runs 4.5 to 5 hours from its dive centre at Al Mouj Marina. Two snorkel sites are chosen on the morning's conditions, a cooked BBQ lunch with a vegetarian option is served on board between them, and the reserve permits are inside the price. The boat has shade and toilets, and the centre has showers and changing rooms.
Key takeaways
- The dearest trip here at $99 — and the only one that grills lunch on the water
- Permits included, so no OMR 3 to settle separately
- Toilets, showers and changing rooms before you board at Al Mouj
- The only listing in the catalogue marked wheelchair accessible
- Clearest pregnancy guidance of the nine; diving barred under 10
- 4.6 from 773 reviews; see how the nine Daymaniyat Islands snorkeling trips compare
What the Extra Money Buys
Lunch, properly
The single most common complaint about Daymaniyat trips is that "lunch" turns out to be a sandwich. Two boats in this comparison answer that, and both are MolaMola's. Here the description is specific: a light BBQ-style lunch prepared on board — grilled chicken, kebabs, falafel, hummus and fresh vegetables — plus snacks and refreshments served through the day.
Reviewers back it up rather than politely ignoring it. Alice from Italy, June 2026: "The lunch served on board was also excellent." Baudouin from France in March: "The food was good and welcome." On a listing where the platform's own summary still notes some travellers wanting a more substantial lunch, that is the honest split — it is a cooked meal on a boat, not a restaurant.
The dive centre, not just the boat
Check-in happens at MolaMola's centre, which is visible from the main Al Mouj Marina area — look for two blue containers with marine decorations. Toilets, showers and changing rooms are there, and the boat itself has shade and toilets on board.
For a five-hour trip in Omani heat that is more useful than it sounds, particularly if you are going somewhere afterwards rather than straight back to a hotel. The beach and snorkel day from the same marina publishes shower taps on board; the smaller Seeb speedboats generally do not say either way.
Accessibility and the medical small print
This listing is the only one of the nine marked wheelchair accessible, and it is also the most explicit about who should not board. Boat travel is not recommended during the first trimester of pregnancy; guests five months or more can join in calm conditions with medical clearance from their doctor. Children are welcome under direct supervision when the sea is safe. Diving — the optional try-dive sold alongside — is barred for pregnant guests and children under 10.
One detail worth reading if you are flying onward: the listing asks anyone who has done any scuba dive, including a try-dive, to avoid flying for 12 to 18 hours afterwards. That is standard decompression advice, but it catches people who booked a dive on their last day.
How the Day Runs
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Check-in
MolaMola centre, Al Mouj Marina
Two blue containers with marine decorations; head to the main office for check-in and the briefing. Showers and changing rooms are here.
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+45 min
Crossing to the reserve
About forty-five minutes to the islands on a shaded boat with toilets on board.
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+1 h 30
First snorkel site
One of two sites chosen that morning for visibility and calm water. Life vests and a life ring are carried for anyone who wants support.
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+2 h 30
BBQ lunch on board
Grilled chicken and kebabs, falafel and hummus for non-meat eaters, juices and water, eaten at anchor between the sites.
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+3 h 15
Second snorkel site
The second stop, with turtles, reef fish and blue-spotted rays all reported by recent guests.
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+4 h 30
Back at Al Mouj
Alongside four and a half to five hours after check-in. Showers at the centre before you leave.
Who This Trip Suits
Book it if
Lunch matters, facilities matter, or someone in your group needs the accessibility and medical clarity that the other listings do not provide. It is also the most convenient departure if you are staying in the Al Mouj or Qurum end of Muscat rather than out towards Seeb.
- You want a cooked meal rather than a sandwich
- You want showers and changing rooms at both ends
- You are staying near Al Mouj Marina
- You need clear guidance on pregnancy, children or accessibility
Book something else if
Price is the deciding factor: at $99 this is $39 more than the Seeb Marina morning trip for the same islands and the same turtles. If you want the food but not the price, the same operator's catamaran trip grills the same lunch for $63 with a longer published swim schedule — the trade is that it has only ten reviews so far.
Questions About This Trip
What is the BBQ lunch on the Daymaniyat trip?
Grilled chicken and kebabs cooked on board, with falafel, hummus and cut vegetables for non-meat eaters, plus snacks, juices and water through the day. It is the fullest meal of the nine trips compared here; most of the others serve sandwiches and fruit.
Is the reserve permit included in the $99?
Yes. "Permits to visit Daymaniyat Islands" appear in the inclusions along with gear, the guide, lunch and the boat, so the OMR 3 (about $7.80) per-adult day permit is already covered. What the Environment Authority charges
Where does the trip leave from?
The MolaMola Diving Center, visible from the main Al Mouj Marina area — look for two blue containers with marine decorations, then the main office. The crossing to the islands takes about 45 minutes, longer than the Seeb departures. Both marinas explained
Is this trip suitable during pregnancy?
The operator advises against boat travel in the first trimester. Guests five months pregnant or more may join when sea conditions are calm and with medical clearance from their doctor. Diving is not permitted during pregnancy at all. It is the most explicit listing of the nine on this question.
Is hotel pickup included?
No — hotel pickup and drop-off are in the excluded list. Al Mouj Marina sits inside the Muscat city stretch, so taxis are straightforward, and the listing gives a Google Maps link for the meeting point.
Is it worth $99 when other boats charge $60?
Only if the lunch and the facilities are worth $39 to you: the islands, the turtles and the snorkel sites are the same. If they are not, the $60 Seeb Marina morning trip publishes more time inside the reserve, and the same operator's catamaran cooks the same food for $63. Full price comparison
What Travellers Said
The entire team were very friendly, helpful and welcoming throughout the day. We were taken to 2 different snorkeling spots and there was so much sea life to see, including turtles and blue spotted rays. Jumping off the roof of the boat was definitely a highlight too.
The locations chosen for diving were beautiful, with an abundance of marine life and crystal-clear waters. The lunch served on board was also excellent.
Very good. Suitable for children. Excellent guide and crew. The food was good and welcome.
Verified reviews for this listing as published on the booking platform.
Page last reviewed August 2026. Price, rating and review count read from the listing on August 2026. Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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