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Humpback dolphins can be easily spotted in the aquamarine waters of the fjordlike bays. Several tour companies, including Dolphin Travel and Tourism (www.dolphintourism.net), located at the Khasab Hotel, take customers in wooden dhows to swim and snorkel (20 rials a person for a full day, or about $53 at $2.64 to the rial). Another outfit, Extra Divers; (www.musandam-diving.com ), in the Golden Tulip Resort, offers scuba trips to coral reefs where yellowfin tuna and schools of barracuda circle.
Inland, the cliffs beckon. Dolphin Travel offers half-day trips up a steep track to the region’s highest point, the 6,800-foot Jebel Harim. Or you can rent your own four-wheel drive from small outfitters in town like Al Jerez al Fedhi Rent a Car for around 20 rials a day. Climb past dry waterfalls and boulder-strewn hillsides to reach oases like Rawdah Bowl, where clover blooms in winter under a canopy of acacia trees. On the way back, catch stunning sunset views of the sea from the switchbacks of Khor al-Najd.
Lodging in the cooler months can be tight, so book ahead. The Golden Tulip Resort Khasab (www.goldentulipkhasab.com), a few miles outside town, is the nicest of the lot, with double rooms starting at around 90 rials. The boxy Khasab Hotel (www.khasabhotel.net) offers a more affordable option, with no-frills double rooms starting at 35 rials.
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