AIULA
So, when AlUla was first recommended to me, I initially hesitated, saying, “I live in red rock country.” The travel agent took an extra day but insisted we needed to see it. I am so glad she did. I finally had the freedom to use my camera (if only I remembered to charge my batteries—more about that later), and the area was breathtaking. I can’t wait to go back! We flew from Riyadh to AlUla in about two hours. We arrived early in the afternoon, but unfortunately late, so our afternoon schedule had to be condensed.
Left AlUla Airport
I liked seeing the Arrivals written in two languages.
Our first stop was at Daimumah Western Hub for lunch. Daimumah is a derivative of an Arabic word meaning sustainability. The area combined traditional farming Our first stop was at Daimumah Western Hub for lunch. Daimumah is derived from an Arabic word meaning sustainability. The area combines traditional farming with modern techniques to grow a variety of crops. We first had a presentation on how water was extracted from the earth to irrigate the surrounding date palm orchards and farms. All very interesting. The lunch at Daimumah was one of the best meals we had while in Saudi Arabia. with modern techiques to grow a diveristy of crops. We first had a presentation on how water was extracted from the earth to irrigate the surrounding date palm orchards and farms. All very interesting. The lunch at Daimumah was one of the best meals we had while in Saudi Arabia.
The first stop on our afternoon tour was Hegra, also known as Mada in Salih or Al-Hijr. We took a golf cart out into the desert to visit these ancient sites. Sadly, I left my camera bag with spare batteries in the SUV that had dropped us off, and my camera on my phone also ran out of battery power. Hegra’s ruins date from the Nabataean Kingdom, the 1st century AD. The site is the second-largest city and the southernmost, after Petra, the Nabataean Kingdom’s capital, which we visited several years earlier. The site has more than a hundred well-preserved tombs carved into the sandstone.Mada in Salih was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, Saudi Arabia’s first.
Image below: Qasr al-Farid meaning The Lonely Castle The Lonely Castle
After visiting Hegra, we headed to Harrat Viewpoint for dinner and to celebrate Hugh’s 75th birthday! Next time, we should sit in the cushioned areas carved into the mountainside.
Saudi Restaurants Okto is listed here
Lisa at Luxury Travel arranged both Saudi Arabia and India; see the link above to connect with her information.Saudi Arabia and India were both arranged by Lisa at Luxury Travel, see link above to connect to her information.