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[publixteacher]

I am going to Jeddah in August. I wanted to hear about travel experiences from the States to KSA. Luggage stories, length of time, and other interesting tidbits. I want to be prepared for anything. Good and bad stories welcome.
I also would like to hear about travel "for fun" while living in country. What trips are feasable, to where, and ease or difficulty of doing so.

Thanks!

[Bebsi]

Hi, Publixteacher,

There are many things to do in KSA, especially in the western part.

"It is a fascinating place, it must be said, and I don't at all subscribe to the school of thought that says all 'westpats' should just stay in their houses/compounds and never take the remotest interest in the Kingdom. I have spent a few years in the Kingdom (hoping to return again soon) and have traveled extensively.

[Word of warning: With the current security situation, I would be very wary of going alone to remore places, and certainly, I would take the usual precautions such as making sure there was mobile phone coverage, and telling people where I was going. That being said, I have never encountered any problems travelling around, and found people to be far less hostile than some might expect. Indeed, I have always found the Bedu to be very helpful and friendly.]

The Kingdom has many places well worth the trip, and among these I would include:

- Madain Saleh, the Nabatean ruins in the Hejaz region, northwest of Madinah. You need Ministry of Antiquities permission to go there but this is a formality, and if you stay at the hotel in Al Ula, the nearby town, they can arrange everything for you in advance. I don't have their details, as I camped, but do a search. Best time Oct. - April.

- The antiquities at Dumat Al Jandal, near al Jouf. Anytime except June - Sept. MOA permission also required, but the Al Nusah Hotel in Sakaka can arrange all that.

- The Asir Mountains. As the poster asked, are they worth it? The towns of Abha or Albaha are not, in themselves, spectacular, but the scenery around them is incredible. WATCH THE DRIVERS, though!!!! The road from Jeddah to Taif is amazing but dangerous for the unwary/unskilled driver, and from Taif I would go south through Misan to Al Baha. From there, down the narrow escarpment road, to Numrah, go south along the plains of Tihama and then climb again to Abha. Truly spectacular! By return to Jeddah, I would take the direct, more inland road from Abha to Taif, and maybe make a detour through Bishah and Rania, if you want to see some really authentic desert scenery. [That last trip would ultimately bring you out on the Riyadh road about 4 hours east of Taif.] Best time spring & autumn. Very busy in summer and verrrrrrrry foggy in winter.

- The Wahabah crater. This is north of the Taif-Riyadh road, you will need a map. Huge crater, blasted by a meteorite. Not necessary, but 4WD vehicle helps. Anytime, but try to avoid high summer.

- The town of Taima, in the northwest, on the road from Madinah to Tabuk. 18th century Turkish fort, and an ancient well in the centre of town. Be careful, it's manky dirty, you really DO NOT want to fall in!!!! The Taima museum has some interesting antiquities, but the Taima Tablets are now in, I believe, the Louvre. There is an old city buried under the desert to the north, and legend has it that it became the 'new Babylon' after the old one fell.

There are many other places worth a trip. There's a great little set of books, Desert trips from Jeddah, ditto Riyadh, by two separate authors whose names I have forgotten (both westerners, if I recall correctly). If you are in Jeddah especially, there are many trips that you can take in a day or a weekend.

If you are in the Eastern Province, the choice isn't as varied. However, there is the Al Ahsa Oasis and also some pleasant places up the coast from jubail. And of course, there is always Bahrain, if you have a multi-visa

While I find the Kingdom fascinating, I must admit to not spending extended holidays there. You certainly wouldn't spend your whole KFUPM hols in KSA...I certainly didn't...but for something like a Ramadan or a Hajj break, when you have a week or ten days, and foreign travel isn't worth it, there ARE plenty places to visit in Saudi. There is certainly no need to sit moping in a compound moaning about nothing to do."



I have taken the above from my earlier posting under the topic, Summer Hols In KSA, which you might like to check out generally (DO ignore the negative posting from people who say there is nothing to do however).

Jeddah is a huge, multi-cultural and cosmopolitan city of well over two million. It has a great selection of shopping malls, restaurants and various other facilities. There is Obhur Creek to the north of the city, which is an excellent centre for watersports. Near it there are many private beaches almost exclusively frequented by westerners.

All along the Red Sea coast there is fabulous diving and fishing, comparable to the Great Barrier Reef.

Closer to Taif, there is ample opportunity in the surrounding mountains for hiking/trekking, helped by the benign climate. In Taif itself, the old souk is always worth a stroll of an evening.

Other places worth a day trip from Taif...assuming you have a car, of course...are the old Birqats (wells), the old dam at Saad Samallagi and the old ghost-town of Khyber, north of Madina.

I am pretty knowledgeable on the interesting sights of KSA, so if you PM me I can be of considerable help to you.

[ummkhadija]

Well, I wanted to bring the post back up and ask about travel maps. I know we won't be traveling too much in the beginning, however I am curious are there any good road maps available for travel in Saudi Arabia?

Anyone have a particular one they used and found to be very helpful for traveling within the SA? When I was in UAE I never saw any maps of the city/emirate I was in, so I usually just got out and around with friends who were from the emirate. I am not sure how well that would work in SA.

Thanks !

UmmKhadija

[scot47]

SAPTCO buses are a good way to get around - at least between major towns and cities.. And cheap. But then you have the problem of how to get around at your destination. Car rental is an option with cheap car rental avaibale in most places.

[007]

[ummkhadija]

Hello: Scot47 & 007

Thanks for the information

UmmKhadija

[scot47]

Oh feisty feline, this canine is a loner and moves about without his family or fellows. I will leave it to you cats to move around as a herd |!