Al-Ula
Visit of Hegra
11th October - 14th October | 2023
The next day we went for breakfast to Ashwaq. I would have never found the place as it didn't look like a place serving food from the outside. However, it was a delicious, simple breakfast. I could go into the kitchen to see how they bake the traditional bread. The oven is wood burning and into the ground, so the bread is put onto the heated wall.
Before we went back to the farm, Hamoud had to take some pictures of one of the camping hotels for promotional purposes. Back at the farm, it was time for some delicious Arabic Cafe. Later in the afternoon, I went with Hamoud for a little walk where he showed me some old wells to provide water to the animals around.
In the evening his brother-in-law, Maher, visited us and cooked some delicious chicken with rice for us. He was supposed to bring that delicious smoothie from Signature, but he forgot …
I tried to eat it with my right hand, learning the technique to roll the rice in my hand to make it like a ball that fits perfectly in my mouth. Well, I need more practice, but hopefully, I'll get there. Eating with only one of your hands feels unusual, as you have been differently educated since childhood.
After dinner, Maher drove back to Duba and we had our walk to the village. It is so nice spending time with Hamoud as you can ask him all sorts of things you want to know about living in Saudi, but also you can talk with him so much about all sorts of things in the world as he travels so much.
The next day, after breakfast, it was time for me to work a bit and prepare for my next step of travel, to Al-Ula. For lunch, we went to Ashwaq again, but this time to a different restaurant. We also bought some Coke, which is rare to get here on this side of Saudi Arabia; it is Pepsi country. As we still had the jeep we went into another valley close by. It was another scenic place, so more pictures were taken. Such a beautiful area around Wadi Disah!
Back at the farm I still finished a bit more work on the computer and started to sort out some packing as I am planning to leave finally tomorrow. Then we went for our walk to the fuel station. I cannot believe it is already my last night here! It was such a great time. I really enjoyed Hamoud’s company as we had such great conversations.
The next morning I got up early and after breakfast it was about packing up the bike. By 10am I was on the bike heading towards Al-Ula and opted for a bit of a back road. This road took me even up to 1600m above sea level, wow, amazing! Most of the time I drove to rocky, mountainous terrain, but also some desert areas. Everything was so vast!
The first thing in Al-Ula was getting fuel, which was again not easy as some fuel stations didn't exist anymore. Al-Ula is well looked after as it is a very touristic place. So also the prices for hotels are a bit elevated. However, first I need to get my ticket for tomorrow for the UNESCO heritage site of Hegra. The ticket you get at the Winter Park. As it is still out of peak season, it was no problem to get a ticket for tomorrow morning at 9h30 leaving from there by bus.
Now I can focus on the hotel hunt and finding a supermarket, also as it is now after 16h00, meaning shops will be open again. I finally found a hotel, close by Elephant Rock that made me a good deal for two nights. It seems to be handy, to be off-season to get some discounts!
The next morning I was on time to leave my biking gear with the Tourist office at Winter Park in Al Ula. The bus left on time to Hegra. There we got a warm welcome with an Arabic Cafe and some sweet dates. Then we got on another bus together with our tour guide, the storyteller.
The bus tour around the tombs of the old Nabataean city (same tribe as in Petra, Jordan) was very interesting and informative. At each stop, our tour guide gave us the essential information and then we could have a stroll around the area. Yet not everything is discovered and unfortunately, the place only has been protected and been fenced in about 6 years ago. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage, the first in Saudi Arabia, yet.
Back at Winter Park, when I picked up my riding gear, I asked about a visit to Maraya Concert Hall. I only wanted to take a picture of it. The staff at the tourist centre was very helpful and ensured that the security knew my number plate. They told me, to whom I should speak.
Well, by the time I sat on my bike driving there, I already had forgotten the name of the place and the contact person. So I will have to wing it at the gate. Of course, at the security gate, they didn’t know anything, but I persisted and said I had come so far to see Maraya. Finally, they opened the gate and I could drive in.
Following the road, once you come over a little hill, you get the breathtaking view of Maraya, which blends perfectly into the landscape. All with the help of over 9700 mirroring panels. This classified it as the world's largest mirrored building. It was just amazing.
Once some pictures were taken I went to Al-Ula for some (fast) food. Finally, it was then after 16h00 to visit the Old Town of Al Ula. As still early, there was not much open or to see, all very touristic, and probably very great to visit at night time when all the illumination is on. However, my hotel is a bit out of town, and once I am out of my gear, I am not getting motivated to come here again.
On my way back to the hotel, I stopped at Elephant Rock for some more pictures at sunset - perfect timing! Once the sun was gone I went back to the hotel.
I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I enjoyed being there. In the next blog, we will visit the city of Medina. Whilst you wait for the next blog, enjoy a sweet mint tea.
Places | Cities:
Wadi Disah, Al-Ula, Hegra.
Driven km | Trip:
Total | Steffi: 24495 km
Information Border Crossings:
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Maintenance | Breakdown:
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Health issues:
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Special thanks to:
Hamoud for making my stay unforgettable.
Hegra to be so stunning and not yet as popular as Petra, Jordan.