#1. Khasab
The capital of the province is small but far from sleepy. Its souq resounds to a babble of different languages, including Kumzari (a compound language of Arabic, Farsi, English, Hindi and Portuguese), and its harbour bursts with activity, much of it involving semi-illicit trade with Iran.
The smugglers are distinguished by their souped-up fibreglass boats with outboard motors that line up along the creeks waiting for dusk to make the mad dash 55km across the strait to Iran. They bring money and character into town, so no one seems in a hurry to get rid of them; besides, piracy has been a tradition in these parts for well over 200 years and locals respect a good piece of tradition.
The new souq area, in the centre of town, north of the airport and south of the port, is home to banks (with ATM), the post office, pharmacies and random shops and coffeehouses.