Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve

Our stay at the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve was a mixed experience, and we found the value for money (around 350 EUR per night) to be very poor. The tents are described as luxurious, and while they may have been once, they are now clearly aged and show significant wear and tear. They were equipped but not comfortable enough to justify the price. We experienced a complete lack of hot water in our shower, and many of the zippers on the ventilation windows and the main entrance were very difficult to operate. The evening turtle viewing tour, which is a main attraction, was extremely disappointing. It was overcrowded with far too many people on the beach, making it feel very commercialized and unpleasant. As it was off-season, there were very few turtles to see. The guide provided no instructions on how to behave around the turtles, which contributed to the chaotic and hectic atmosphere. In contrast, the morning turtle tour was a much better experience. The group was significantly smaller, consisting only of hotel guests, and the guide (Hisham) was excellent. He provided clear instructions on how to behave, actively managed the group's conduct, and generally made the experience much more pleasant and respectful. Breakfast was solid and met expectations. In summary, while the morning tour and some aspects were okay, the overall experience, especially the condition of the accommodation and the poorly managed evening tour, does not justify the high cost. The hotel needs significant improvements in maintenance and crowd management for its evening activities.

We paid 100€ for 1 night to stay here, our main reason to have chosen this place to sleep was to be able to join the turtle reserve tours which are quite late at night (8.30pm and 5am). The room itself it’s pretty average but we were already expecting that according to reviews. Bring earplugs as you can hear a lot from the surroundings and reception. The turtle tours were a mix of emotions… seeing the turtles hatching, laying eggs and baby turtles running to the sea is a unique experience. However both tour groups were incredibly full (over 30 people for 1 guide!). It makes no sense to have that many people in the same group. Not everyone could hear the guide in the 1st tour. Both tours started late because the guides did not arrive on time. Then on the 2nd tour (5am one) our guide never spoke.. he left us next to the bus to go look for turtles showed us one (to the group over 30 people) and then went back to the car. Me and my partner ended up just walking back to the hotel instead of staying in the tour. My ask to the hotel is that this could be an extraordinary experience but you have to invest in having more guides.

An unforgettable experience at Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve 🌊🐢 The atmosphere is calm and refreshing, with cool, pleasant air — especially at night. Watching the giant turtles laying their eggs and the tiny baby turtles making their way to the sea was truly magical ❤️ The guides provide fascinating information about the world of turtles, their life cycles, and migration patterns, making the visit both educational and inspiring. Highly recommended for anyone who loves nature and wants to experience the beauty of Oman's wildlife 🌿🌊🐢

It was the right decision to choose to stay at the Reserve! Everything was very well arranged and all the staff are very nice. We would like to thank the restaurant staff for their exceptional service during our stay! Especially Kishanlal - he’s the nicest waiter we’ve ever met. We really appreciate his true warm hospitality! Thank you!

Reserve with average equipped eco tents, great idea but quite aged (don’t take one above 30 or below 23, very noisy when cars depart at 5 for a 100m down the hill instead walking). Dinner and breakfast at max average too. Likewise the turtle view at night / very early am - very dependent on the right season if you want to a “turtle beach” instead of “a turtle on the beach”.

I concur with many of the prior review about the accommodation. It is basic BUT come here for the preferential entrance to the turtles. The rooms are clean and basic. Breakfast is good and there is a buffet evening meal before night visit. There are no other restaurants we could find within 15 minute drive.||The turtle visit and being the first group of 30 in a total probably in excess of 300 made the stay in the hotel totally worth it. The turtle guide quickly found the entire life cycle for us to respectfully look at. They were very knowledgeable and helpful (as were hotel staff)

We booked this stay solely because of the turtle watching tours. We knew the establishment is not top tier but decided to overlook it as a secondary issue. First and foremost I need to say the turtle watching was incredible. Our guide was great, kept us informed, told us all kinds of information.. The reception staff was polite and helpful. However the room was (despite low expectations) underwhelming. The floor was sweeped but not clean, the bedding was stained. The ceiling and window in the bathroom were held together by tape, the toilet seat was dirty (and impossible to clean), the pressure was not enough to flush toilet paper, there was a rusty stain running from under the sink all the way to the floor and to top it all off the whole bathroom smelled of sewage. The bathroom door could not be left open so we had to wedge a chair inbetween the door and the sink to let some air through.. The room door has to be slammed shut otherwise it won’t close. There is only one window and the bug net has a 10x10 hole in it so you have to decide between musty air and mosquitoes. To make it all even better we shared the stay with an international school. The 3rd graders were housed right above us (even though I asked in advance and was assured their rooms are nowhere near ours). Needless to say we struggled to pull 4 hours of sleep. Breakfast was very mediocre. I definitely recommend booking the tour separately and staying elsewhere. This was not worth the money.

The place is beautiful and wonderful, but I wouldn’t recommend staying in the tents for people who suffer from allergies or asthma. Staying in the rooms might be a better option. And also, I was have a license from Serb to fly a drone and I was in the green zone and they didn’t let me to flight. They asked me to pay 50 riyal for the daytime or 75 riyal for the nighttime how to get a letter from Authority Environment.