Fodor's Expert Review Dhow Building Yard

As the last remaining dhow-building factory in a city famous for its carved wooden trading vessels, this workshop is well worth a visit. Nowdays the ships are mostly purchased by rich boating enthusiasts from other GCC countries as pieces of art rather than for maritime commerce. The laborers start cutting thick planks and stretching them across wooden frames around dawn; they typically take a break for the afternoon and continue their work in the early evening. The shop is open to the public, and there is a small visitor center with information on the history of dhow-making in Sur, as well as small replicas and other woodwork for sale.