Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ras al-Jinz Turtle Reserve$$
HOTEL
( 96 550606;
www.rasaljinz-turtlereserve.com
; s/d OR65/85; )
Don't be put off by the ugly
facade of the visitors centre at the turtle reserve: the sea-facing part is in keeping with the
weather-eroded cliffs that flank the bay. The room rate (payment in cash only) includes
the cost of an evening and dawn guided tour of the turtle beach.
A restaurant serves international-style cuisine (the buffet costs OR9.500) and there is a
shop selling a range of Omani handicrafts. The reserve is soon to open a dozen tents in the
grounds; check the website for details.
Getting There & Around
Ras al-Jinz can be visited as an evening or dawn trip from Sur, organised through Sur
Hotel (
Click here
)
and Sur Plaza Hotel (
Click here
)
. The journey time is 40 minutes each
way. There is no public transport.
If you have your own vehicle, follow the signs to Ayjah and Ras al-Hadd. Ras al-Jinz
can also be reached from Al-Kamil, on the Muscat-Sur Hwy, via Al-Ashkarah (about an
hour's drive).
Ras al-Jinz airport is expected to open in 2014.
TURTLE-WATCHING ETIQUETTE
Watching labour and delivery on Oman's sandy beaches can be an awe-inspiring sight. Serene and patient, the fe-
male turtles that quietly lumber up the beach are sure to win the hearts of anyone lucky enough to see the spec-
tacle of egg-laying. Witnessing these gentle giants slip back into the darkness of the returning tide is one those
unforgettable wildlife experiences - at least, that is, if the turtles are permitted to make their exit
after
rather than
before
the job is done and without the disheartening spectacle of bullish tourists trying to take a photograph at
any cost.
Turtles are no land lovers, and they are very easily dissuaded from making the journey up the beach. In fact,
any disturbance during the turtle's approach to the shore will most probably result in a U-turn and it may be days
before the turtle plucks up the courage to try again. Once the digging of pits is over and the laying has begun,
however, the process cannot be interrupted. Nonetheless the following actions should be avoided:
»
touching or approaching a moving turtle
»
standing in front of a nesting turtle
»
riding or sitting on a turtle (it happens)
»
lighting a fire or using a torch near a turtle beach
»
taking photographs with a flash or a mobile phone (cameras are not permitted on the beach at Ras al-Jinz)
»
leaving litter - turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, a favourite food.
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