Turtle Beach | Informal Campsite

Such a missed and misused opportunity. Not worthy of the title "reserve". Firstly we arrived didn't get a welcome nor got any info. They just wanted our payment. Then we went on a 5 minute ride on a super polluting bus without any explanation. For this short distance we could have walked or they could have used electric busses. Not much eco or environmental thinking up to this point.

Then we arrived at the first beach where there were no turtles after 10 minutes of searching by the guide. Then we went to the next beach and got to see a turtle for 2 minutes while it made its way back to the ocean. If they would have just posted two guards/guides on both beaches 15 minutes before the start of the tour, we could have seen the whole process of nesting instead of just 2 minutes of the turtle making its way back to the ocean. The organisation side and environmental side of this "reserve" is far below par.

On top of that, the guide didn't provide us with any info during the entire tour. Also he didn't explain any rules which we should keep in mind. Just nothing. We could have basically run up to the turtle and sit on top of it and he wouldn't have cared the slightest.

Also loads of trash, fishing nets, cars, and boats on the beach. There is plenty of money being spent here by tourist so they could make an arrangement with the fishermen to stay away from these nesting beaches (boats apparently can nog be here during high season), but again, no one seems to care.

Just a giant misuse of nature's beauty just for their wallets.

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We slept with our rooftop tent outside on a big parking/gravel below the mountain and did the turtle tour. Staff very unfriendly and charged whatever possible but it was nice to have a toilet and washing room and see a turtle.

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It's a Visitor Center including a museum/exhibition (tickets OR 2), cafeteria, rooms, restrooms and prayer room. A few words in their defense maybe:
Turtle watching tours are OR 8 p.p., charged only when turtles are actually coming ashore that night (they have someone keeping an eye out before allowing the tourist groups). Tours start depending on the season, but at the time of my visit it was either 8:20 p.m. or 5 am. Either way, you are on standby then until they spot a turtle. Groups are up to 25 people each, and up to eight tours at the same time. That said, they make sure the turtle has begun her process of laying eggs before 'visiting' her. Thus they make sure no turtle returns to sea because she's scared off. Yes, it's a lot of people, but my guide (Nasser) was well informed and trained and made sure the turtle never saw any white (bit only dimmed red) light. She seemed undeterred, but then, she's past the point of no return by that time anyway. I was shown a big turtle laying eggs (front and rear), one covering the nest by shoveling the sand, plus amazing flourescent plancton (which can be seen anywhere in the area, but here it was the best). Took about 75 minutes. From 11 pm to 5am they leave the beach alone, no tourists allowed. The visitor center building is not emitting any light towards the beach, and when hatchlings are there, no source of light should be visible on any turtle beach - not a flashlight, not a cellphone, definitely no flash photo camera or car headlights (or even just car indoor lights). That's why the rule to stay 500m away from the beach at night does in fact make some sense.

I just thought I'd write that because I didn't perceive it as an ignorant tourist trap. Given that a well trained guy shows you something you wouldn't otherwise (or shouldn't without great consideration independently) see for yourself, and tells you lots about it, the 8 bucks seem less of a ripoff than some might say. Just my two cents.
Dammit, now it was three. ;-)

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Really unfriendly staff.
8 OMR pp for there „reserve“ (see post below) is more than to much. So sad to see this. Really disappointing!
We left and just slept in town without an turtle experience.

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Ok for a shower / toilet but that's all. We added spots with turtles watching around if you want.
The center called "reserve" is actually a makeup hotel that welcomes tourists for one night and give them a guided tour by 5 groups of 20 people (or more), to watch the turtles lay eggs at night 👎 It's sure that turtles should LOVE this!
The center offers information on turtles (like any good center), but you have to pay to access it! (Just like access to the beach).
In addition to offering room bungalows, the beach is full of fishermen and the water filled with nets 😳🤯
Fishing nets on a turtle breeding beach in full spawning season ???
In short, this center is not a reserve but a tourist attraction, no connection with the protection of turtles.
The protection would have been to allow access to the beach the day but close the evening with no access and not organize paid tours.
And of course ban all fishing on this beach!
We even saw traces of baby turtles go to the mountains (wrong direction), probably because attracted by car lights or fishermen torches.
Finally ... We saw a dead adult turtle ... I imagine that she could have been saved if the center had been like Dekamer in Turkey. Here nothing for the protection of turtles, everything for the tourist.

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You can sleep in a tent just outside the gate. Safe and quiet at night.

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Parking at "Turtle Beach". Ablutuions next to prayer room in visitor center.

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