Khasab

The fjords narrow until the cliffs are close enough to touch from the dhow deck. Dolphins surface ahead, riding the bow wave through water so deep it turns black. Khasab sits where the Musandam Peninsula meets the Strait of Hormuz — a harbour town shaped by centuries of maritime trade between Arabia and Iran.

Khasab is the main town of the Musandam Peninsula, Oman's dramatic northern exclave. The town serves as the launch point for dhow cruises through the khor system — deep fjord-like inlets carved into the Hajar Mountains. The Portuguese-era fort in the centre of town dates from the 17th century, built during a period when European powers competed for control of the Strait of Hormuz's shipping lanes. Telegraph Island, accessible by dhow cruise, marks where a 19th-century undersea telegraph cable to India was operated — the isolation of the posting is said to have inspired the phrase 'going round the bend.' The proximity to Iran — just fifty kilometres across the strait — has shaped Khasab's culture for centuries, from its Iranian-influenced cuisine to its bustling harbour trade. Khasab combines strategic history, living maritime culture, and access to one of Arabia's most dramatic coastal landscapes.