This pass, high up on Jebel Harim, connects the east coast of Musandam with the west coast, across the neck of the peninsula. Rawdah Bowl lies at the bottom of the eastern ridge while the western flank is accessed from Khasab. It’s worth unravelling the helter-skelter of road for a few kilometres on either side of the pass: the views of improbable homesteads, clinging to the crescent-shaped canyons, with terraces in various states of livid green or grey abandonment, are spectacular.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
17.35 MILES
This beautiful inlet is interesting for its stone fishing villages, accessible only by boat, and for Telegraph Island, which dots the middle of the bay…
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16.2 MILES
With its command of the bay sadly diminished since Lulu Hypermarket was built on reclaimed land opposite, Khasab Fort nonetheless cuts quite a dash with…
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10.89 MILES
Located 24.5km southeast of Khasab, Khor Al Najd is the only khor (inlet) accessible by vehicle (preferably 4WD). You can camp on the rim of this wild bay…
3.35 MILES
The highest peak in the UAE at 1934m, Jebel Jais is even occasionally dusted with snow. A switchback road snakes up the mountainside delivering vistas of…
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7.86 MILES
An interesting feature of Jebel Harim is the type of local stone-built house known as bait al qifl or ‘house of locks’. So called on account of their…
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20.45 MILES
This modest mosque dating to the late 19th century has recently been painstakingly restored using the traditional building method of plaster layered over…
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28.44 MILES
Set on an isolated khor (inlet) at the northern edge of the peninsula, the surprisingly modern town of Kumzar is accessible only by boat. The villagers…
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6 MILES
As observation decks go, it doesn't get much posher than this. Opened in early 2018, the landscaped and manicured viewing terraces here at 1250m have…
Nearby attractions
1.1 MILES
This tiny natural plain surrounded by jagged limestone peaks has been farmed for centuries and is a beautiful sight in the winter when the plain is bright…
3.35 MILES
The highest peak in the UAE at 1934m, Jebel Jais is even occasionally dusted with snow. A switchback road snakes up the mountainside delivering vistas of…
3. Jebel Jais Viewing Deck Park
6 MILES
As observation decks go, it doesn't get much posher than this. Opened in early 2018, the landscaped and manicured viewing terraces here at 1250m have…
7.07 MILES
A set of ancient inscribed gravestones marks the junction between Rawdah Bowl and the Omani portion of Wadi Bih. Fashioned either from luminous yellow…
7.86 MILES
An interesting feature of Jebel Harim is the type of local stone-built house known as bait al qifl or ‘house of locks’. So called on account of their…
8.33 MILES
Beneath Jebel Harim, a gap in the mountains leads to an almost circular plateau known as the Rawdah Bowl. A beautiful depression of mature acacia and ghaf…
10.62 MILES
From the base of the track to Khor Al Najd, a road leads to the village of Sal Alaa and Al Khalidiyah, an inland bowl full of magnificent mature trees…
10.89 MILES
Located 24.5km southeast of Khasab, Khor Al Najd is the only khor (inlet) accessible by vehicle (preferably 4WD). You can camp on the rim of this wild bay…