Travel Guide

Madain Saleh  is the best known and most spectacular archaeological site in Saudi Arabia. Believed to have been occupied as long ago as 3000 years, it was the Nabateans that carved the tombs out of the rock, a mere 2000 years ago, for which it is now famous.  Their empire stretched from Damascus t Read More

The Hejaz Railway was built between 1900-1908, on the orders of the last Caliph of Turkey and Ruler of Western Arabia as it was part of the Ottoman Empire.  The line’s route from Damascus to Madinah was ostensibly to transport pilgrims, but its main purpose was to facilitate troop movements a Read More

Moon Mountain If the above trips seem too much like hard work, then try Moon Mountain.  It is deceptively high but simple to climb and worth the effort for the view.  Take some shade and a picnic or barbecue to reward yourself after your exertions.  It is only 45 minutes drive from Read More

The Wahba Crater The Wahba Crater is an enormous pre-historic hole in the ground!  A fancier attempt at describing the 2km wide and 260m deep crater would be a waste of superlatives – you have to see it and have your breath taken away – first, by the sheer size of it and secondly by the Read More

Old Jeddah When you first arrive in Jeddah it can be difficult to get your bearings, physically and mentally.  If you live on a compound then you are sheltered from the city, living your daily life within the confines of a Westernised micro-society.  You’re likely to live in the Read More

For hundreds of years, Jeddah has been a trading post for goods from east and west, north and south and this tradition continues today in full measure.  Originally brought by camel train or dhow, now it is great cargo ships, lorries and airplanes that bring in the myriad of goods to cater t Read More

Dining Out in jeddah restaurants Equal to their passion for shopping, the people of Jeddah like to dine out.  The time was when eating outside the home in Jeddah was more experimental and a test of one’s constitution than any gastronomic extravaganza, but today nothing could be further from Read More

Wadi Hanifa We have never seen Saudi Arabia  so green  with a flowing river !  This is the Wadi Hanifa and the Riyadh River. Well, this was the place picked for a camping weekend which started one clear Thursday. As usual we met at Burger King, Farm 5 and headed towards Riyadh.  Our first stop w Read More

Diriyah This ruined walled city, just west of Riyadh (11 mi/18 km), was the capital of the First Saudi Empire, the forerunner of modern Saudi Arabia. The First Empire collapsed in 1818 when the Ottoman Turks captured Dir’iyah and razed the city. The city remains pretty much as the Turks left it on Read More

Janadriya Cultural Festival This an annual cultural festival which is held at Janadriya. It is organized by the National Guard and takes place at a special  permanently built site some 45km outside Riyadh (near the Airport). It includes traditional dancing, camel races, lectures and poetry readings Read More