Khor Angar

Khor Angar is a fishing village on Djibouti's northern coast, the last settlement of any size before the Ras Siyyan headland, with a sheltered inlet, boats on the shore and a few dozen families living on what the sea gives. The Seven Brothers islands lie offshore and boats to them leave from here. The country behind is bare volcanic desert. The village sits close to where the Red Sea narrows into the strait, which is why the water offshore carries such heavy shipping traffic. Fishing here is done with lines and small nets from open boats rather than anything mechanised.

Background

Khôr Angar is a town in the north of Djibouti's Obock Region, on the western shore of the Bab el Mandeb Strait, 298 kilometres by road from Djibouti City. A desert airstrip, Herkale Airport, lies 7 kilometres to the northwest and serves the town. Nearby towns and villages include Moulhoule, 27 km away, Rahayta at 48 km and Obock at 59 km. July is the warmest month, with an average temperature of 34.9 °C, and January the coolest, at 26.3 °C. Rainfall differs by only 9 mm between the driest and the wettest month.

Source: Wikipedia, "Khôr ʽAngar"

What to look for

• The inlet - the sheltered water the village is built around.
• The fishing boats - the craft worked off the shore.
• The last settlement - the final village before the northern tip.
• The island access - boats to the Seven Brothers leaving from here.

When to go

November to March is the cool season. Summer heat is extreme. Boats offshore depend entirely on the wind.

Before you go

There is almost nothing in the village and no facilities for visitors. Summer heat here is dangerous. The road up from Obock is rough in stretches.

Nearby

Ras Siyyan is north, and Godoria is southwest.

Key facts