Those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Muscat should head to the coastal village of Yenkit. This small village is distinct due to ‘Khors’, which resembles a ‘bay’ with unique geological formations.
The ‘Khors’ in the Governorate of Muscat are unique, and the best way to visit them is by boat. It is better to avoid a visit during high tide as unique features are submerged due to water overflow from the sea.
A journey to the ‘Khor’ starts from the small harbour at the beach entrance. The boat crosses a vast sea ‘rift’ surrounded by higher grounds. On the banks of these higher surfaces, birds flock to relax after a trip in the warm waters of the creek.
Among the most important of these birds are sooty gulls, herons and many others. Crossing this marine phenomenon without watching the cormorants, their skill to catch fish and then returning to the steep rocky cliffs, is impossible.
The ‘Khors’ provide the opportunity to practice watersports and fishing of all kinds and sizes.
The Yenkit residents depend on fishing. However, in recent years the establishment of tourism companies run by Omanis from the village has flourished in this area. Throughout the day, these companies organise cruises and camping activities on the beaches near the exit of this ‘Khor’.
Many tourists are interested in hiking and prefer discovering this sea ‘rift’ from high places. The hiking trip takes about 54 minutes. Fans of this sport walk in the high plateaus until they reach the mountain peaks adjacent to this marine rift.
From the tops of these heights, tourists can see a beautiful panoramic view. Some hiking enthusiasts prefer to reach these peaks in the early morning hours, when the sun’s rays reflect on the mountains and waters of this region, turning into an impressive orange colour. During these moments, everyone rushes to photograph their extraordinary journey.
Most tourists spend their day on these mountain peaks, and some practice fishing after descending from the summit to the mountain beach below. Then return to complete the trip on the heights with the rest of the colleagues.
“This area constitutes a unique eco-tourism model in the Muscat Governorate. I can practice more than one hobby. Here I can enjoy the silence of nature, and this site is my favourite. For more than ten years, I have been visiting this site for several reasons, the first of which is its proximity to where I live. The second is the ease of practising my various hobbies,” A Filipino residing in Muscat told the Observer.
What concerns tourists is that this region will witness some changes soon due to some plans to construct resorts.
“We have noticed some plans to develop this area to boost tourism. We hope that the planners take into account the allocation of lanes for hiking and fishing enthusiasts,” he added.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY YAHYA AL SALMANI
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
