Saudi Arabia is pretty much like a fantasy book, where each chapter, nay, each page, takes you from one world to another and this is what a visit to the country, that is aptly called the ‘Heart of Arabia’, can feel like.

With a sharp and yet widespread juxtaposition of epochs that are separated by hundreds, if not thousands of years, a visit to Saudi Arabia is pretty much like turning the pages of such a book.

India Outbound was recently invited by Saudi Tourism Authority to join a media fam trip to explore Saudi Arabia, from witnessing neolithic era in AlUla and Hegra to the 21st century in Riyadh and Jeddah.

We begin our exploration of the country in Jeddah, the Red Sea port city that has long been the commercial capital of the country. Founded in the 7th century, Jeddah lies on a historic trading route connecting the Indian Ocean with the Arabian Peninsula and beyond and since the advent of Islam, it has also acted as the gateway to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest sites for Islam.

From Jeddah airport, we head straight to our abode in the city, Shangri-La Jeddah where a grand lobby gives us a preview of what awaits us on this trip.

The spacious room is equipped with all that a tourist may need, and then some more and also comes with its own balcony. But right now, there is little time to enjoy the luxuries of the hotel as adventures await us outside.

Al Rahmah Mosque  is a structure that has been built on elevated pillars which make it look as if the mosque were literally floating on water

We begin to fall in love with the destination precisely at this moment, as just when we are about to leave, stepping on the balcony, we get to relish a magnificent sunset as the large flaming orange ball descends gently into the Red Sea.

On our exploration of Jeddah, our first stop is the waterfront, Jeddah Corniche, where we see the floating mosque, or Al Rahmah Mosque, a structure that has been built on elevated pillars which make it look as if the mosque were literally floating on water.

Inside the mosque, as one would expect, an atmosphere of peace and tranquility prevails and the symmetry of the architecture in bright white mosque seems to blend perfectly well with the serene ambience here.

The museum is very similar to those found in traditional Indian homes, with beautiful designs carved on the wood

Leaving the floating mosque, we head to the waterfront and we can’t miss the giant Jeddah Fountain that rises out of the sea, sending jets of water as high as 260 m in the air. In many ways, the shape and size of the fountain and its location in a massive waterbody reminds one of the Geneva Fountain, an icon of the Swiss city.

Driving past the fountain, we head to Saudi Feast Food Festival, where locals and visitors have gathered to relish various Saudi delicacies. We are fortunate as within hours of our arrival in the country, we get to experience different aspects of Saudi culture, cuisine and society as the festival offers not only some mouth-watering food, but also has numerous boutiques selling a variety of Saudi handicrafts and other goods and the all-pervasive music adds to the festive spirit. At various spots, we come across small groups of local performers singing songs in Arabic.

Having built our appetite at the feast food festival, we head back to the Shangri-La to enjoy our own little feast at the Shang Palace, the famed Chinese restaurant at the hotel which takes gourmands on a journey through Sichuan, Yunnan and Cantonese cuisines, but with unique local twists that pay homage to the Red Sea.

After a sumptuous meal, it is time for some sound sleep and we head back to our rooms and lose no time in going into a deep slumber, aided by the luxurious comforts of the room.

Next morning debuts early with a lavish breakfast spread at the Waterfront Kitchen, another iconic restaurant at Shangri-La Jeddah where we take our fill of elements of breakfast from around the world.

After the breakfast, the first item on the agenda for Day 2 is a visit to Al Tayebat Museum to witness Jeddah’s 2,500-year history. As you enter the building, you can see some excellent craftsmanship in the structure which displays traditional Hijazi architecture of historical Jeddah, with its landmark bay windows overlaid with intricate wooden lattice work and ornate coral masonry.

The wooden doors interconnecting various parts of the museum are very similar to those found in traditional Indian homes, with beautiful designs carved on the wood. The museum is replete with objects and models of various forts and monuments and also has a collection of colourful paintings highlighting the contemporary art scene in the country.

Al Balad: A walk down the history

Next on the agenda is Al Balad, or historical district of Jeddah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we see in real life many of the things that we had observed earlier in the museum.

Most of the houses in Al Balad are historical and classified as heritage monuments

Almost every house here has been decorated with the same bay windows with intricate lattice work as we had seen in Al Tayebat Museum. While most of the houses in Al Balad are historical and classified as heritage monuments, but at some places, the centuries-old homes stand cheek-by-jowl with modern buildings. Remarkably, though, even the new constructions have similar bay windows, providing a design uniformity to the entire locality.

The windows and houses come in various colours, mainly pastels, making it similar to an art gallery. A stroll here could be time travel as we witness how locals have kept their traditions intact and alive through the millennia.

If observing evolution of Saudi culture over the centuries was interesting, our hosts, Saudi Tourism Authority, had reserved the best for the evening, with an immersive experience.

We were received very warmly by Abir Abusulayman, Saudi Arabia’s first female tour guide, at her home for a typical Saudi dinner with her family for a ‘high home experience’.

Making the visit even more memorable, Abir cast away formalities and asked us to help in the kitchen for cooking a traditional dinner. As we cooked, or helped to cook, a large spread of diverse dishes, over the course of the meal we began feeling like Michelin-star chefs!

After a sumptuous meal over which Abir educated us more about Saudi culture and heritage, we bid a fond goodbye to Abir and her family.

AlUla: Master sculptor at work

The next morning, we take a flight to Tabuk, about 1,000 km northwest of Jeddah, to head to our next destination, the World Heritage Site of AlUla, that is about 300 km, a four-hour drive from Tabuk.

That we have landed in the midst of the Great Arabian Desert was evident from the aircraft, but little were we prepared for a drive lasting four hours where we had the entire highway to ourselves, with nary a soul in sight.

Nonetheless the drive was gripping as we could witness the desert in all its shapes and forms, from endless sandy stretches to rocky outcrops. The landscape was so different, it almost looked as if we had landed on the Mars!

It could also have been the canyon country in the United States where millions of year-old mountains have been eroded by wind and water into various shapes and sizes. The raw display of nature’s artistry is so beautiful that for a long while we lose ourselves in it, unaware of our surroundings and transported somewhere else. As we approach our destination, the formations begin becoming larger, dominating the landscape.

The night market in Al Balad

Soon, we spot signs of life as we drive past small plantations and a few trees begin to appear on a ground that has so far been bereft of any sign of life.

After a drive which could have been a great practical lesson in geology, we arrive at Shaden Resort, a luxury resort belonging to Accor Group, the world’s second-largest hospitality chain.

Designed in perfect harmony with the surroundings, Shaden Resort seems to have been planted there as it is right in the middle of large rocky outcrops that could very well have risen from underneath.

As I enter my room, I am awestruck by its size and subtle furnishings that lend a sense of understated luxury to the room. I am also glad to see a welcome pack of desserts, nuts and fruits that awaits me in the room.

But it is when I open the balcony door that I am absolutely excited. A large, private seating area serves as a private balcony or terrace, that lies cheek-by-jowl with large rocky hills that surround the resort on all sides. A tiled pathway goes all around the resort connecting every room to the common areas, notably the reception.

Soon, it is time to take the road again and head to one of the biggest attractions on the visit, AlUla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In a matter of couple of years, AlUla has become a household name across the world thanks to its natural wonders and adept marketing by Saudi Tourism.

AlUla is best known for its Elephant Rock, a giant rock over 52 m high, that nature has sculpted perfectly into the shape of an elephant, complete with its trunk and rest of the body. The jawdropping resemblance of the rock to an elephant leaves us and hundreds of other visitors awe-struck.

We discover the natural marvel from all angles and even engage in a contest to see who amongst us can try to jump higher than its 52 m hulk!

While the Elephant Rock is a marvel at any time of the day, it is towards the sunset and in the night that it becomes captivating. As we wait for the sun to dip below the horizon, we enjoy some Saudi desserts in a seating area just in front of the rock, allowing us to monitor the sun’s progress every second.

AlUla is best known for its Elephant Rock a giant rock over 52 m high that nature has sculpted perfectly

Just before dusk, the entire area is lit up with some very subtle, but aesthetic lighting, with Elephant Rock at the centre. Adding to the beauty of the ambience here in the evening was some soft, melodious music being played here as visitors, both tourists and locals, kept on arriving at the Elephant Rock.

All around us, there are small tented kiosks selling some snacks and beverages, notably Saudi qahwa.

An afternoon full of prancing around the Elephant Rock has built up our appetites collectively and hence no one complains when we are pulled away from here to head to Banyan Tree for dinner.

The dinner is at Saffron, an awardwinning restaurant that offers delectable Thai cuisine, where we relish every morsel of the Thai delicacies served.

After relishing the meal, we take a stroll to explore the Old Town of AlUla which has some traditional homes and a number of restaurants and cafés. The streets with its modern illumination and traditional architecture makes for an ideal post-dinner photo opportunity.

A Bird’s Eye View

In more than one sense, Day 4 is a highpoint for all of us on this visit. We start our day even before the sun has begun its day!

Having enjoyed the sights of AlUla and its surroundings from the ground, now it is time to broaden our perspective and take in the same view from an altitude of 1200 m in a hot-air balloon!

After a safety briefing, we head to the spot where the balloons lie lifeless, waiting to be filled up. In a matter of seconds, the high-pressure air being pumped starts to inject some life in the huge balloons which begin to take their shape and slowly become vertical.

At this point the burner is lit up in order to keep hot air inside the balloon and to keep it inflated. Even though we see the size of the balloons, we wait impatiently to mount in the basket and begin our exciting journey.

As the balloon rises, so does our adrenaline and we climb graciously to our cruising altitude of 1200 m.

Almost in tandem with us, we see the sun also rising in the horizon and by the time we reach 1200 m up in the air, the sun has fully risen, casting a bright orange glow on our faces as well as upon the clouds below. The view from this altitude is mesmerising as below us we see dozens of large rocks in all kinds of shapes and hues.

It feels as if nature has challenged us to spot the Elephant Rock from up here. We convert the challenge into a competition between ourselves to see who can crack the mystery first and hence it is with shrill cry that one of us points at the rock below. Once spotted, it becomes evident to everyone that even from up here, the sight of the Elephant Rock is unbelievably realistic and captivating.

After staying in the balloon for over an hour, during which we covered about 9 km, it was time to get our feet on the ground once again. We take in some more views of AlUla from Harrat view point which gives a remarkable perspective on the incredible rock formations that stretch far into horizon, interspersed with deep canyons and some lush green oases.

The sight of the Elephant Rock is unbelievably realistic and captivating

Hegra: Man’s creativity meets nature’s artworks

Leaving AlUla we are headed to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra, where man has collaborated with nature to create some more masterpieces out of sheer rocks.

Dating back to the Nabatean civilisation in the period from 6th century BCE to 1st Century CE, the Nabatean kingdom dominated the Arabian Peninsula. Standing in Hegra, one of their many settlements in the region, it is easy to understand their power.

With basic tools, Nabatean artisans sculpted these massive rocks into works of art and created some amazing tombs as well as gathering spaces. Looking carefully one can see where nature stopped and humans began their artistry.

Maraya is a site of a modern architectural wonder the world’s largest mirrored building

One of the most outstanding sights, entirely the work of nature, is a huge rock that has been eroded into an extremely realistic carving of a human face, complete with forehead, eyes, nose, lips and the jawline. In many ways, the rock reminds us of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the United States where faces of four Presidents of the US have been carved into the mountain.

With hundreds of structures spread all over, a visit to Hegra can take well over a day, but unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of time and leave for our next visit.

Driving through similar landscape of rocks of all shapes and sizes, we reach Maraya, about 20 km away.

Like Hegra, here again, man and nature meet, but in different epochs as Maraya is site of a modern architectural wonder, the world’s largest mirrored building.

A cuboid that stretches 26 m high and is 100 m in length and width, the exteriors of Maraya are covered with 9,740 sqm of mirrors, that lend a magical feel to the nature’s artistry.

The huge mirrored walls, spotlessly clean, reflect the rocky formations all around. No wonder, it has rapidly emerged as one of the key selfie spots in Saudi Arabia.

Dark Sky Reserve: Let a million stars shine

With no pollution of any kind, air, noise or light, the sky is as clear

After watching the man-made wonder, soon it is dusk and we head to another memorable experience, stargazing in the midst of the desert.

With no pollution of any kind, air, noise or light, the sky is as clear as it can be and yes, the billions of stars that are out there, cover the entire sky, from horizon to horizon. One can easily see a few moving dots, most likely satellites or the occasional aircraft, flying high above, preserving the peace and sanctity of the moment.

Having watched and perhaps counted more stars in those few hours than in our entire lives, we head back to our hotel.

Royal Riyadh

After breakfast, we head to AlUla Airport to take a flight to our next destination, Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

After about 100 minutes, as the aircraft approaches Riyadh, one can see the changes in the view below, where rocks and desert make way to roads and buildings.

We head to Najd Village restaurant for sampling yet another authentic Saudi meal, complete with Kabsa, Mogalgal, Margoog, Jreesh, Gursan and explore the traditional authentic Saudi Najd flavours.

The highlight of the excursion in Diriyah is Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage site, also served as the first capital of Saudi Arabia

Our bellies replete with a variety of dishes, we check-in at Voco Riyadh, a premium business hotel in the city centre. In the evening, we head for an early dinner at Ruhi, an Indian restaurant specialising in authentic dishes from western India. And after dinner, we conclude our day which had begun early in the morning.

The next morning, after our breakfast, we had to discover diverse sites in Riyadh.

We start our exploration at the Al-Masmak Fortress, one of the most prominent national monuments still standing to this day as it was there that King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, had won the battle to restore Riyadh almost 100 years ago.

Our guide tells us that the gate of the Al-Masmak Fortress still preserves some traces of that battle, particularly Bin Jalawi’s spearhead mark.

From the fortress, we head to the souk, one of the oldest traditional markets in Riyadh, which carries 100 years of history within its alleyways, spread over a vast area of 38,000 sqm. At the souq, we try our hand at making the Agal, the rope that is used to tie the Saudi headgear for men.

From here we head to the National Museum to explore centuries of Arabian prehistory, history, culture, and art at the kingdom’s biggest and most entertaining museum.

Next on the agenda is an exploration by the palate over lunch at Somewhere Restaurant in Diriyah, another historic quarter in Riyadh. After the meal, we set out to discover Diriyah, which is known for its traditional mudbrick architecture. The highlight of the excursion in Diriyah is Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage site, also served as the first capital of Saudi Arabia. It is home to revitalised Al Bujairi, a pedestrianised maze of winding alleyways with cafes and craft shops.

From the heritage site of Turaif, we head to the 21st century shopping area of Riyadh, the Riyadh Boulevard, which, with its large video display panels, resembles the iconic Times Square in New York.

The sharp contrast between the two spots, which are within the same city, makes me think of all the moments on this trip where we have time-travelled and jumped between different eras, with the same ease as it would be in a fairy tale or a fantasy!