Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Go at new moon
Although full-moon nights make it easier to walk and to witness the spectacle, turtles prefer
dark nights so as not to attract the unwanted attentions of predators, which often dig up the eggs as soon as they
are laid.
Go at dawn
There is a tour at 4am perfect for seeing the last of the latecomers. At this time of day, there are few-
er visitors and you can set your own limits of discretion around the few remaining laying turtles.
Go regardless
If the turtles have already departed, then don't be too disappointed: at dawn the sandstone cliffs
are burnished rose-red by the rising sun, and the turtle tracks of last night's heavy traffic inscribe the sand like an-
cient calligraphy - a rare sight that few people get to enjoy.
Activities
Ras al-Jinz Turtle Reserve
ECOTOUR
(Visitors Centre;
96 550606; www.rasaljinz-turtlereserve.com; adult/child OR3/1; children under 5 yrs free;
9am-8pm)
Turtles do not approach the beach during the day so for the best chance of
seeing a turtle, you must join a night tour (from 9pm each evening) bookable in advance
online or by calling the reserve. If you turn up without a reservation, you may miss the op-
portunity as maximum visitor numbers are adhered to.
The beach is a 900m, 15-minute walk from the visitors centre across soft sand. Cars are
not permitted beyond the visitors centre: a shuttle bus is provided for the elderly and those
with special needs. Note that photography is not permitted during the night visit.
There is an excellent museum at the visitors centre (adult/child OR1/500 baisa) with a
video in English and German, a 3D cinema and an audio guide to displays and relics
charting the history of local interaction with turtles since ancient times.
Between 8am and 1.30pm you can enjoy the magical bay without an escort and it's of-
ten possible to spot turtles between the waves, waiting for nightfall before approaching
the beach.
Sleeping & Eating
Desert Discovery Tours$
DESERT CAMP
( 24 493232;
www.desert-discovery.com
; half board per person OR25, with shared bathroom OR20; )
Offer-
ing a number of
barasti
huts and portacabins with beds, A'Naseem Tourism Camp is 4km
outside the turtle reserve on the approach road to Ras al-Jinz - handy for a dawn visit to
the beach. Children between six and 12 years of age are accommodated at half price, and
children under six can stay free of charge.
