A narrow band of date palms and tamarisk trees runs along the edge of Khamlia, fed by subsurface water that the dunes somehow channel toward the village. It is small enough to walk through in half an hour and easy enough to miss if you head straight for the dunes — which would be a small shame. The shade is welcome in summer, and the contrast between the soft green of the palms and the orange wall of sand behind them is one of those desert sights that photographs can only approximate.
The groves are also where village life spills out in the cooler hours of the morning and late afternoon. Children play here after school, and older residents tend small plots of vegetables in the shadow of the trees. There is nothing organised to see; the point is simply to slow down and notice the texture of the place before the dunes take over.