Jebel Harim, which translates to “the mountain of women,” is the highest peak in Musandam. The summit is home to a radar station, which monitors shipping way below in the Straits of Hormuz, and provides superb panoramic views back to Khasab and onwards toward Dibba. Many of rocks are studded with perserved fossils, offering a remarkable glimpse into ancient submarine creatures, including mollusks, fish, clams, and numerous trilobites.

Drive up into the mountains from Khasab, making stops at viewpoints along the way. The village of Sayah, a picturesque hamlet still occupied by desert-dwelling Bedouin people, will be paid a visit as well. The settlement is famous for its ancient petrographs, 3,000-year-old paintings splattered on the rock face.

En route, pass by a remarkable fossil wall, formed out of what was originally a chunk of sea bedrock and covered in a dense layer of fossilized impressions, among which the outlines of crabs, starfish, and shells can be clearly made out. Later on, drive up near the summit of Jebel Harim. Of course, the photo opportunities from these heights are spectacular; in particular the stunning Khawr Najid viewpoint provides an unmatched vista over the Indian Ocean.