Is Duqm worth it? Almost 600km of blank road seem a bit much for a collection of rocks lying in the sand, past a town known more for a future port project whose blueprints are now being hammered into the seafront.

But the rock garden is a revelation, so much so that many are calling for official endorsement to protect it from the development that will inevitably transform this wind-blown town over the next few years.For now, though, the rocks bask in anonymity, and the most Duqm can offer you is fried fish, lentils and flavoured rice at the restaurant just off its filling station. Such are the charms you will find buried six hours away; the time to experience them is now.

Pinaki Chakravarty
pinaki@apexstuff.com