Tailor made tours of Oman

COUNTRY:
Oman
DEPARTURES:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary
PRICE:
From US $1999 (8 days) excluding flights
MORE INFO:
Price includes transfers, accommodation, tours and meals where indicated. Prices vary according to standard of accommodation & season & are per person based on 2 people sharing on bed & breakfast basis.
LATE AVAIL:
We are still able to organise last minute trips up to May, contact us for more details!
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Tailor made tours of Oman
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Tailor made tours of Oman

Tailor made vacation

We offer a complete tailor made service allowing you to decide when you go, where to stay and what to do, to create a unique vacation for your individual requirements by our travel experts. We would be happy to telephone you to discuss your requirements and options. Our staff have intimate knowledge of this destination, so do please include your telephone number when you complete the inquiry form.

How this vacation makes a difference

Environment

This tour visits the Ras Al Junayz beach, one of the largest nesting areas for green turtles in the Indian Ocean. An average of 30,000 turtles nest at this beach. The Ras Al-Junayz Turtle and Nature Reserve was established in 1996 to better protect Oman’s Sea turtles and their natural environment. Clients are encouraged to donate to the research centre.

The total protected area is 120km with a 45km of coastline, extending for 1km into the sea. The Ras Al –Junayz Scientific and Visitors Centre offers a unique Ecotourism experience – an unparalleled encounter with sea turtles. It also houses a research library and research facilities for marine biology and archaeology promoting social responsibility and sound environmental practices.

The Ras Al-Jinz scientific visitors centre offers a unique eco-tourism experience, an unparallel encounter with sea turtles, and promotes social responsibility. Access to the beach is controlled by the authorities to protect the turtles.

Community

This trip visits several local communities in the Wahiba Sands Desert allowing clients to purchase handicrafts made by the locals. Any money from the sale of the handicrafts helps the local Bedouins to support their families.
Local Bedouin guides are hired to explain their way of life to clients on parts of this tour. This enables them to earn a regular living from the visiting tourists.

The Wahiba desert camp, 1000 Nights Camp, is locally owned and employs local people to help run the camp, provide local food and traditional entertainment supporting the local community.

There is no electricity at the camp with no light pollution or sound pollution as the camp uses natural resources to blend in with the environment. All waste from the campsites is taken away and recycled. There is no evidence left of any travelers staying in the desert.

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Story of the vacation provider

When she was 23, Edinburgh-born Liz bought a Ł10 boat ticket to Africa; she wanted to see the world and has subsequently lived over half of her life overseas. When she returned from Arabia with her family in the 80s she set up a tailor made tour operators that was the first to sell trips to Oman. She has a strong sense of social responsibility and has seen first-hand how tourism can increase local people’s quality of life. The company is now a closely-knit three-woman team who share their expert knowledge and experiences to ensure your vacations have a real personal touch.

Vacation provider no: 1304

Tailor made tours of Oman

Tailor made tours of Oman

Reviewed 04 Feb 2012 by Peta Constable4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


Driving down to Wadi Bani Awf. Awesome. Also the night in the desert where the operator found us a camp where we were completely alone, 8 km through the dunes from the main camp, itself small and remoter than the bigger camps.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


Insist that the guide takes some snacks from Nizwa to eat on the way, or a picnic lunch it's a long way to the next eating place. We did this trip in four days. Five would be more relaxed. There is a lovely but very basic alternative to sleeping in Nizwa and that is a local initiative in the village of Misfah. This is for those who want to support local initiative and avoid big hotel chains. Spotlessly clean, proper shared showers and toilets but mattresses on floor in rooms. Stunning rooftop terrace. OM 25 for half board.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Up to a point. I was shocked at the way the turtle viewing is carried out. It is a circus. However, it does seem that turtle numbers are increasing so swings and roundabouts.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


About 8 on 10 at least. Excellent Omani guide. Jen from the operator went more than the extra mile to make sure we got what we wanted.

Read the operator's response here:

Thank you for the wonderful feedback on your recent vacation to Oman. I was however concerned to see that you were unhappy with the turtle watching experience and we have passed your comments onto the Raz Al Jinz Centre. I have personally visited the beach at Raz Al Jinz and found it to be a very well organised turtle watching experience, if a little busy. We will be following up very closely to ensure that the local guides and staff at the Centre are aware of the environmental impact and that they do not disturb the egg laying process in any way. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Reviewed 13 Jan 2012 by Elizabeth Hansen4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


I loved the night in the desert. The Bedouin tent style accommodation was charming while still comfortable with our own bathroom (open to the skies). The dinner was excellent and the place was very well run. We watched the sun set from the top of a dune well away from anyone else and all we could see was a sea of soft, silky sand. Magic. Later we gazed at the stars from the top of the dune without any light pollution at all. As my son's girlfriend is an astrophysicist she helped us identify all the constellations.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


Oman is a very well run, sensible, welcoming country with some interesting things to see and amazing scenery. The beaches stretch for miles and are good and clean but not outstandingly beautiful like some Asian beaches. The weather over Christmas and New Year was perfect with blues skies and sun - hot but not too hot. Not 'cheap and cheerful' so not so good for families or backpackers.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


I think that tourism provides an important source of revenue for Oman so in that sense yes. But in a direct sense, probably not.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


The operator did an excellent job in organising everything. I can thoroughly recommend them.

Reviewed 19 Apr 2011 by Lisa Whiteley4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


Desert camp and seeing the turtles were amazing

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


Have a few days on either side to relax and really enjoy the place

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Absolutely.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


A fantastic family adventure with great contrasts.
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Vacation Reviews

We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!

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Tailor made tours of Oman
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