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Khasab

Persian Gulf port

 

Harim Mountain Safari

Why Khasab is special

Although the port town of Khasab offers little of interest to travelers, it's a base for two interesting half-day shore excursions:

Dhow fjord cruise
Harim Mountain safari

Dhow fjord cruise

Dhow tour

From Khasab, you take a mini-cruise aboard a dhow, a traditional wooden boat. Your vessel is motorized and outfitted with colorful cushions and carpets.

You sail inside the vast and remote Kor Sham fjord-like arm of the sea. You are surrounded by awesomely rugged, dry, barren, tall, limestone mountain slopes. They drop sharply into the water.

Your dhow tour lasts about four hours and returns you to Khasab.

Dolphins

They frolic along side of your dhow, putting on a memorable performance. Note: Your chances of seeing the dolphins are high, but not guaranteed.

Swimming and snorkeling

The boat anchors for about an hour to let you enjoy the clear, calm fjord water.

Telegraph Island

This isle once served as a 19th-century relay station for an underwater communication cable linking England with the Indian sub-continent. The lonely, isolated setting famously drove some workers insane. Today only building foundations remain.

Tip

Think twice about going on a dhow trip if you have back problems. Seat backs are floor-level cushions.

Harim Mountain safari

4-wheel drive vehicle

A good-conditioned SUV picks you up dockside in Khasab. It winds its way up to the summit of skyscraping Harim Mountain in the Musandam Peninsula's austere interior. Your driver makes several viewpoint stops along the way to let you enjoy and photograph the scenic terrain. At one stop, you'll see fossils embedded in rocks.

Tips

Most tours sit one passenger in the first row, three in the second. Sit in the first-row seat (next to the driver) for the best view of the soaring mountain landscape. The middle second-row seat has the worst sightlines.

1 Dubai

2 Abu Dhabi

3 Muscat

4 Khasa

> About 6 other ports

Persian Gulf cruises

Insights you should know

Call it "Persian" or "Arabian" Gulf ?

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