Oman
Oman has never been on our list but when we found out about Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve
https://www.rasaljinz-turtlereserve.com/en/
and we read all info online we decided to go there, see the turtles (or not) but also check what’s going on in Oman regarding conservation of the animals and their environment.
We booked the visit through Booking.com as they had the best price. They offer cheap option – rooms in the main building and tents in a luxury tent village:
You can check also this hotel Turtle Guest House – it’s quite close to the reserve, half price of the reserve hotel. It might be cheaper for a single traveller (only 1 turtles vist fee), an option to stay longer in the area.
Since Oman is not so popular as a tourist destination and I found a lot of information that turned out to be wrong, completly unture or misleading I’m adding some information and tips at the end
The route below is the most efficient version to visit the places we visited. It all depends on the time of arrival in Muscat. Main points to keep in mind:
The Grand Mosque is open only Mon – Fri 8am – 10am
Sinkhole – is nice as a break but not worth to go when you have a limited time in Oman.
Wadi Ash Shab – May – September – the best time to get there is 7am, later it is simply unberable hot
Bimmah Sinkhole / Hawiyyat Najm Park
It was nice to get to the cool water, feel the small fish all over our feet.
The place was almost empty when we arrived around midday.
The sinkhole is in the Hawiyyat Najm Park (look for the sign on the road) very close to the motorway. There is a car park and toilets by the entrance. It’s a nice place to make a stop on the way, to rest and take a break from your journey, but not really a destination in itself — unless you have plenty of time to spare.
Beaches along the coast:
These are rocky beaches; we didn’t see anyone swimming there — only fishing boats. Swimming shoes are recommended.
Wadi Ash Shab
From the parking lot, take a boat to cross the wadi. Boats operate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and charge a small fee for a return ticket.
The first part of the path is easy to follow and leads through plantations.
There are no signs, and the path disappears in a few places. I’ve marked the route on the second Google screenshot: in the first part of the wadi, the path is on the right side; later, you’ll need to follow a trail on the left side of the wadi.
Places to stay around Wadi Ash Shab: The cheapest stay close to the Wadi (use booking.com map to search other properties)
Sur
The turtle reserve
The beach
Desert
Bidiyah
Bidiyah - Nizwa
Nizwa
We were looking for a place to stay with a car parking – it is very difficult to find one near the old part of the town. We booked Nima guest house Deluxe King Suite – very clean and cmfortable room, with a huge double bed, good AC with many options, (+ a huge fan above the bed if you don’t like AC). Simple but nice, clean bathroom. There is a shared kitchen upstairs the property – excellent to make a coffe/tea, to eat a breakfast.
Nizwa souk
Birkat Al Mouz
old town
Quantab Heights
Al Bustan
The Grand Mosque
It looks like a tourist can not enter the grounds out off the tourist visit hours (Mon – Fri 8am – 10am). You can still enter the parking, use the toilets and walk around the mosque.
Main roads in Oman
Oman is an Arab country, quite conservative. So unless you're unaware or indifferent, be warned: swimming in long shorts and a loose T-shirt in 46°C heat is far from pleasant or relaxing.
I should add that we visited during the low tourist season. In fact, for most of the time, we were the only white, non-Muslims wherever we went. Of course, you’ll meet kind and even funny people — like the guys from Europcar at the airport, or the young man who ran across the parking lot in the heat just to help me figure out why I couldn’t reverse the car. But generally, people were quite reserved. They spoke mostly to my partner (man) and often looked at me (woman) in a strange way.
The good thing is that you can feel very safe in Oman. You can park your car in the middle of nowhere and sleep in it (Omani men do this all the time, and tourists do the same). There’s none of that pressure you might experience in places like Egypt or Morocco: no aggressive selling, no unpleasant haggling, taking more money than agreed etc.
