Day 4 – Oman: The Wonders of Turtle Nesting

A marvelous and exciting itinerary awaited me on the 4th day (8 June) of my Omani adventure. One of the highlights was a night trip to observe the nesting and egg-laying process of mother green turtles. It was such an amazing experience to see a mother turtle lay their eggs.

Nizwa Castle & Fort

After breakfast, we were ready to hit the road. Our first stop was to a local suoq (market) in Nizwa – a famous destination and typically busy on Thursdays and Fridays.  The suoq has distinct features as compared to the other traditional markets that I have been to. Here you will find a goat market and different halls for various foodstuffs, like fruit and vegetables, fish and meat, and a separate section for the dates. The food section is the most impressive part of the suoq – it was spotlessly clean. Next to the souk is the widest tower in the country, the Nizwa Fort. It measures 40 metres high and about 50 metres wide. The top of the tower featured the finest panoramic view of the whole town.

Bidiyah Village

While in Oman, never miss to visit the traditional Bedouin homes, built of palm fronds and mud, in Bidiyah. These houses are locally known as ‘barasti’. This should be combined with a trip to the sand dunes.  There are few locations with sand dunes in Oman and I highly recommend seeing the amazing dunes when the season is more bearable.  We did a quick drive through the dunes. The sand was spectacular. Just imagine driving through miles of honey coloured sands. And as the sun beams through the sand it changes its colour to shades of gold.

The inviting main pool of Wadi Bani Khalid

Part of my day itinerary as planned was to have an elaborate picnic lunch. However, we opted for a ‘quick n easy’ picnic style.  We spotted a shade before entering the Wadi Bani Khalid and laid our mats and enjoyed nibbling a variety of combined healthy and junk foods composed of cheese and pita bread, chips, cans of sodas, a can of  ‘hummus,’ cups of ice cream, bananas and grapes (all together only cost 1.5 OMR). It was a relaxing picnic style. From where we were seating, we had a view of the oasis pool, with a well-maintained clear blue-green regular stream of water. We saw several locals having a picnic and swimming.

A swim at the Wadi Bani Khalid was an introduction to more exciting things that this place can offer you. The natural pools were amazing and definitely another highlights of the day trip.  We walked about 15 minutes before reaching the natural pool. It was so awesome to feel the clear fresh water. And on a hot day the feel of the water was celestial. Kids were everywhere happily wading in the main pool area and diving in back flips off the bridge whilst the mothers, in their traditional Oman attires, patiently watched them with no intention for a dip. We spent a good hour to relax and enjoy the experience.

Suleiman and I ventured for a nice dip further away from the main pool where the water was more enticing and hidden between all shapes of sandstones cuts.  As I took a dip, I felt and certainly enjoyed the tiny little fish nibbling at my feet and toes, taking advantage of my dead skin. It was such a hilariously tingling experience!  I continually moved my feet to keep the fish away.  In the main pool, you must take note that appropriate swimming clothing for women is required – a short and t-shirt.

Charming Al Ayjah village

At 4 pm our road tour continued and headed down to Sur, which was an hour and 5 minutes trip.  We stopped by at the Al Ayjah village, a coastal town of Sur, famous for its traditional dhow building yards. We observed on how local craftsmen build dhows in the traditional way without the aid of drawings.

We stayed the night at Ras Al Jinz Resort, a B&B lodging style. The hotel is part of the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Centre.  Rooms are in reasonable size, equipped with mini fridge and LCD TV. A guided Green Turtle Excursion is complimentary when staying at the Centre. The beach is only open to the public up to 5pm to protect the turtle species.  At 9 pm, we were all gathered in the dark behind the hotel to be briefed about certain regulations to follow as we walk towards the shore.  It took us 10 minutes to walk and reach the shore with the aid of a flashlight while Saud, our tour guide, continued talking and providing us the instructions.

It was an exciting moment for everyone, especially when Saud finally found the turtle-nesting site. We quietly observed the huge mother turtle laying her eggs. It was an absolutely amazing experience to witness the eggs dropping into the sand like a stream of water flowing. Though turtles come pretty much all year round, I was even luckier since the best time of the year to witness them happens between June and October. According to Saud, mother turtles would return at the exact birth location to lay 100 to 125 eggs each time. That’s a lot of eggs!  Those were all good memories instilled, as no picture taking was allowed. I managed though to take a snapshot when one of the mother turtles was going back to the water.

Tomorrow’s article is my last full day in Oman and the ultimate highlight of the visit.

I am delighted to feature Sultanate of Oman Tourism who fully sponsored my visit to Oman. Visit tourismoman.com.auto view list of major wholesalers in Australia as well as New Zealand.

© 2012 by Michelle Riel, retains sole copyright to her contributions to all the contents of this site.