As the holy month of Ramadan begins here in Saudi. I am taking some time to reflect on a year that will be remembered as life-changing for many. In the past 13 months, I have been unable to make it home to Ireland to see my family and friends; so instead, I set about making a second home here in Saudi. I have moved eighty percent of my life online and I have embraced the concept of WFH. I had my first vaccine jab and am eagerly waiting for my second.
When I reflect on 2020, I remember it started with so much promise. It was expected to be an auspicious year for us all, but the reality was so much different. Now as we commence a second Ramadan shrouded by Covid and I think we all must give thanks for all the small things that have brought us joy in the past year. The small things include the kindness of friends and colleagues who have offered their time and support to those of us feeling somewhat trapped and intimidated due to Covid.
While I did not cross the borders of Saudi, I set about discovering as much as I could about this interesting country. I created a plan that took me from the east coast to the west coast. I have been to the Mountains of Al Souda, I toured Yanbu and Umluj and I found wildflowers inexplicable growing untended way out in the middle of the desert. I have found fossils in the dry wadi beds and met artisans who quietly work away at keeping local traditions alive. From a travel perspective, Saudi is the gift that keeps on giving.
Beginning on the Saudi National Day holidays in 2020, the first order of business was to jump into a 4×4 with some friends and set off to explore Al Hofuf in the Eastern Province. You can pretty much drive anywhere in Saudi. The roads are good and its wide-open spaces all the way, plus a bonus is you don’t have to contend with huge amounts of traffic.
The original idea for our first trip was to camp on Uqair Beach along the Arabian Gulf. However, at the last minute, we turned our camping trip into a sort of glamping trip and choose to stay at an Istraha instead. An Istraha is an authentic local Arabic farm stay. This marvelous discovery offers all the convenience of a campsite, with loos, showers, and cooking facilities. You can still put your tent up in the garden area and since the property is managed you are unlikely to be bothered by the local wildlife, for example, snakes and scorpions. Saudi is home to a number of venomous snakes who mostly belong to the viper family, but so far I haven’t seen one in its natural habitat.
To complete the glamping experience, we brought all our barbie supplies and bedding. An Istraha can accommodate as many as 15 people. It’s important to note, there are no bedrooms in an Istraha, it is usually the place where male members of the family gather to discuss politics, resolve family disputes, or plan a business deal. So as they say in Australia, find a spot and just roll out your swag!
Some months later I took a trip to the east coastline to the absolute highlight of all my 2021 trips. Umluj is a small fishing village with a big future. It is situated around a bay and looks out onto some of the most pristine waters I have seen in this part of the world. Umluj is renowned for its natural beauty and sits quietly waiting for the world to discover it on the Red Sea Coastline.
On this trip, I flew into Yanbu. I had a rather romantic notion of taking a boat and sailing up the Red Sea coast but that will be another trip for another time. However, on this occasion, I found a driver and we drove 176 kilometers north to Umluj. It was easy to find a small speed boat at the port, there are a few lined up and ready for guests. It is reasonably cheap for a 2/3 hours trip and the boast can take up to 6 people at a time. You will need to bring all your own snorkeling or diving gear, food & drinks. Food supplies need to be sourced back in Yanbu or maybe your hotel can pack a picnic for you.
The 3 small islands I went to just off the coast of Umluj are protected for birds and turtles. The sea life in that area is truly special. The water is shallow, crystal-clear, and reflects every shade of blue you can imagine and there is a lot of curious fish.
A little to the south of Queen Mother Islands is a small shallow shelve, about 3 meters deep where the boats pull over for their guests to get out and snorkel. The locals call this area the swimming pool in the sea, the ultimate infinity pool.
The purpose of my next trip was to photography the Milky Way and other aspects of the Arabian night sky. The location of this overnight desert adventure is west of the village of Ar Rayn on Route 30, in an area known as Al-Quwaiyah which is about two and half hours from Riyadh. Our campsite was situated one hour inland along an easy off-road drive. The night sky was jet black, free from light population, and perfect for photographing the galaxies.
After the success of the first trip came other trips and many more discoveries followed. My next target is Jazan which is close to the Yemen border. I want to see the Farasahn Islands and check out the wildlife in that region which included birdlife, veiled chameleons and lizards, and marine life such as turtles, dolphins, and zebra sharks. In the Jazan region, there are also coffee plantations and farms that grow abundant fruit and agricultural produce. I think it will be a great story for my family when I call home. And hopefully, I can take some wonderful photos for my bulging Saudi photo album.