Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GOING ROUND THE BEND
Ever wondered about the term 'going round the bend'? If you take a trip to Khor ash-Sham, you'll learn first-
hand what the saying means.
In the middle of the
khor
(inlet), a tiny island, not much bigger than a postcard and considerably less attractive,
was home to a British telegraphic relay station in the 19th century. The utter isolation of the island, tucked around
the bend of this remote inlet, with no diversions other than sleeping and swimming, drove many of the workers
stationed there to madness. The saying 'going round the bend' persists to this day…and so perhaps does the asso-
ciated implication of being 'driven round the bend'.
From time to time, the military set up camp on the rocks and see how long it takes to run out of things to do.
Personnel stationed there run straw polls estimating the number of days endurable at a stretch. One volunteered
the improvement of their fishing skills, and Captain Ahmed Saif said, 'We get very good at counting cormorants.'
Khor an-Najd
At 24.5km southeast of Khasab, this is the only
khor
accessible by vehicle (preferably
4WD). You can camp on the rim of this wild bay although it's often too shallow and
muddy for a good swim. The
viewpoint
at the top of the graded road, however, is stunning
and worth the visit for its own sake. This is the view that is most often chosen in tourist
literature to promote Musandam.
To reach the
khor
from Khasab, head inland past the airport for 15km and follow the
sign for 'Khor an-Najd 10km'. After 5.6km turn left and head for the graded road that
winds up the mountain. After 2.3km you come to the pass, from where a steep 2.8km des-
cent brings you to the water's edge.
From the base of the track, a road leads to Sal Ala'a and
Al-Khaldiyah
, an inland bowl
full of mature trees that makes for a pleasant and rare shaded picnic spot.
Kumzar
26
Set on an isolated
khor
at the northern edge of the peninsula, the surprisingly modern
town of Kumzar is accessible only by boat. The villagers speak their own language,
known as Kumzari - a combination of Farsi, Hindi, English, Portuguese and Arabic.
There is nowhere to stay in Kumzar, and there are no sights of special interest in the
town. It is nonetheless fascinating to wander around the
old stone houses
and the
souq
area to
see how this outpost has developed its own unique character.
Water taxis travel between Khasab and Kumzar, charging a rather outrageous OR120
(and in excess of OR200 at weekends) for the harrowing trip in a speedboat with no seats
and a maximum clearance between deck and gunwale of 15cm. It's much better to organ-
