Khasab stands at the edge of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, where rocky inlets carve into the land like desert fjords and earning it the nickname "Norway of Arabia." A short dhow ride uncovers soaring cliffs and narrow waterways, often mirrored by pods of dolphins gliding beside the wooden vessel. These traditional dhows, used for centuries by traders, now carry visitors into those coastal arms for snorkeling, swimming, and quiet reflection.

Around Khasab, landscapes shift from sea to mountain swiftly. One can combine a visit to Telegraph Island, a 19th-century telegraph station that once relayed messages between India and Britain, with a mountain safari up Jebel Harim. From these heights, fossils appear in the rocks, and panoramas stretch across ridges and valleys, drawing a map of both earth and time.