An Iconic Saudi Arabia Road Trip: Rijal Almaa, Abha, Soudah & Faifa Mountains, Habala Hanging Village & Wadi Lajab

Introduction to Asir & Jizan Provinces

Saudi Arabia is an astounding country of contrasts and diverse landscapes and is a truly wondrous and eye-opening location to visit. In this post you’ll discover how to independently drive to some of the most iconic sites in Asir (Aseer) and Jizan (Jazan) provinces of Saudi’s south west. You’ll see incredible landmarks such as the monumental Rijal Almaa heritage village and the breathtaking Habala Hanging Village which is accessed by a clifftop cable car. Furthermore, you’ll explore the lush Wadi Lajab by foot and ascend to great heights in the Faifa Mountain villages!

A Note on Climate

Note that the majority of sea-level Saudi is virtually impossible to visit during the summer months (especially July and August) due to the extreme heat and humidity. However, with these mountainous regions reaching 2500 – 3000 metres above sea level, they sustain much cooler environments. Many locals will thus escape the scorching summer and retreat to their homes elevated in the mountains.

This is the perfect Saudi road trip to do during the summer, since you’ll be at altitude in the cooler mountainous climate!

What Other Amazing Places Can I Visit In Saudi Arabia?

After having visited numerous other places in this fascinating country, I couldn’t wait to discover more. If you’re interested in reading about (and visiting) other locations within Saudi Arabia, then check out my write ups on ‘The Edge of The World’, Diriyah UNESCO site, Al Ula and its festivals, Wadi Al Disah and the Eastern Province. There’s also some helpful tips on culture, dressing for females and incorrect stereotypes if you click here.

Conscious Traveller Tip
Saudi Arabia is not necessarily an 'easy' destination to travel within. This has much less to do with the stereotypes surrounding the country and more to do with its lack of tourism resources. The tourism sector is only a recent investment for the country, with tourist visas only accessible since the end of 2019. This means that many towns and villages do not have the same resources as you might expect in other countries. With a little patience and a positive attitude, you'll have a wonderful time in kingdom. The larger cities will have hotels, restaurants and many standard food franchises. However, be prepared to 'rough it' in the rural towns and villages. You won't find a Starbucks but if you search hard enough, you'll find a smiling local preparing a takeaway coffee from a small booth next to the petrol station.

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Where are Asir & Jizan Provinces within Saudi Arabia?

Asir and Jizan lie in the south-east of Saudi Arabia, close to the border with Yemen and near the Red Sea.

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Itinerary

Day 1 – Asir Province

Arrive Abha International Airport & collect rental car
Soudah Mountains
Rijal Almaa Heritage Village
Rijal Almaa Heritage Museum
Green Mountain, Abha
The Art Street, Abha
Hanging Village, Habala
Overnight at Al Habala Resort
Dinner in Khamis Mushait

Day 2 – Jizan Province

Al Jahamah Heritage Village
Wadi Lajab
Faifa Mountains
Jizan Airport

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Day 1

Arrive Abha International Airport & collect rental car

Airport Connections

Abha Airport has few international connections but predominantly serves as a regional airport. Therefore, for most, you’ll first fly into one of the major cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam and connect to Abha. We flew in on a Friday night to Riyadh, stayed overnight at the nearby Riyadh Marriott Airport Hotel and then caught the red-eye flight from Riyadh to Abha at 06.30am on Saturday morning. It pays to stay close to the airport because today is full of incredible activities and you’ll need all the sleep you can muster!

Rental Cars at Abha Airport

After collecting your bags at Abha Airport, exit the terminal building and turn to your right. About 100 metres up the path is the hire car building. You’ll find providers such as Yelo, Alamo and Enterprise. We rented a Hyundai Tucson SUV for 2 days for 750 Saudi Riyals (SAR) through Enterprise. The car yards were full of SUVs and we had not pre-booked, despite the websites saying there was no availability! If following this route, then you’ll also need to request drop off at a different location (Jizan Airport).

However to prebook your vehicle for peace of mind, click below.

Do I Have To Drive?

No, there are locally based tour operators who can drive you. However, note that tour times will be longer. Additionally, you’ll most likely need to plan day 1 and day 2 of these itineraries through different operators; departing from Abha for Rijal Almaa and departing Jizan for Habala and Wadi Lajab. To book a tour, click here.

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Soudah Mountains

Be prepared for jaw-dropping beauty! At 3,015 metres above sea level, the area is known for its dense juniper tree covered mountains. After picking up drinking water and a few snacks for the car it’s time to depart Abha. You’ll pass through the glorious Soudah mountains en route to Rijal Almaa. Note that the mountain roads are incredibly steep and winding, so employ full concentration! Along the way there are various divinely beautiful scenic viewpoints to stop at. In the valley beneath, you can see the village of Rijal Almaa.

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Rijal Almaa Heritage Village

The striking facade of the ancient village of Rijal Almaa greets all visitors with its traditional aesthetic of white painted window frames on solid stone, mud and wood buildings. At 900 years old, it’s steeped in history. The village was a natural corridor linking those coming from Yemen and the Levant to the Muslim religious sites of Makkah and Madinah which makes it an important regional commercial centre. The homes were known as forts and palaces, of which about 60 are existing today. Some of them reach 8 storeys high but they appear much higher due to their graduated bases on the mountain slope.

On careful inspection inside the rooms, visitors can see inscriptions known as ‘Al Qatt art’. This is a collection of harmonious shapes and colours usually placed by village women.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities has commenced a rehabilitation project for the village. For 20 SAR per adult, guests can climb up many of the steps and ramps between forts. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes! There is a refreshments area and shop at its base. Here you’ll find icecreams, drinks, souvenirs, clothes, pottery and even burning frankincense on show!

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Rijal Almaa Heritage Museum

Within the village is a heritage museum that occupies the rooms of a previous fort. You’ll need a stooped posture to navigate down the bright green painted stairways due to the low rooves. The museum is called the ‘Men of the Brightest Heritage Museum” and resides within the Al Al-wan Palace. Its construction dates back to more than four centuries!

The museum displays the village’s unique heritage and there are more than 2000 antiquities on display, including manuscripts, tools, weapons, art and jewellery.

Return to Abha

The return drive to Abha takes you back up through the Soudah mountains and past some ravenous baboons. Don’t get too close because they’re extraordinarily cheeky and unafraid of humans.

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Green Mountain, Abha

Locally known as Jabal Thera, this tourist attraction in Abha is a literal naming. It is in fact, a mountain wrapped in green lighting! It is most spectacular at night whereby tourists can ascend via cable car to eat at one of the many restaurants atop. Sadly this itinerary leaves little time to visit it but if you do plan on stopping by, note that it opens from 2pm.

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The Art Street, Abha

We pass briefly through the beautiful Art Street lined with vibrant purple jacarandas en route to Habala but for those with more time, it’s worth a stop in its own right. The famous Art Street in Abha is home to around 10 art galleries, a theatre that hosts shows and parties, as well as many restaurants and cafes. It’s a lovely location for a relaxing stroll amongst some natural greenery and is located just off King Khalid Road in the Al Muftah Village of Abha.

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Hanging Village, Habala

Driving on to Habala, you’ll find yourself at the precipice of a huge cliff! The locals absolutely LOVE this area and countless groups will surely be out picnicking or camping along the plateau. At the very edge is the Habala Cable Car, taking guests down to the iconic Hanging Village. Sadly the cable car was closed on the day we visited due to heavy storms, thunder and lightning! This was most incongruous with my expectations of a hot, arid Saudi Arabia! However the cliff ledge was still a buzz of activity with people outside enjoying the rain.

The village was established during the Ottoman empire when the locals tried to flee the Turks. Originally the village could only be reached by a hanging rope, thus the name Habala (Habal = rope in Arabic). The cable car was added during the 1990s to promote tourism to the region. It’s only a 5 minute journey but I’m informed that the views are extraordinary!

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Check in to Al Habala Resort

Situated on the adjacent cliff ledge to the cable car, is Al Habala Resort. We chose it due to its close proximity to our final activity for the day, as well as shaving off about 45 minutes en route to Wadi Lajab the next morning (compared to a hotel in Abha). For a detailed walk through of the villa interior, see my YouTube video here.

To make a hotel booking at Al Habala Resort, click below.

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Dinner in Khamis Mushait

In another Saudi Arabian tourism discovery, we found out that Al Habala Resort did not have an onsite cafe or restaurant (or vending machine!) and so we ventured back out to find an evening meal. The resort is more akin to a self serviced apartment, so for guests heading there, I’d highly recommend buying ready-to-eat meals or your own food to cook.

If you have a die-hard spirit of adventure however, a 45 minute drive will see you on the outskirts of Khamis Mushait. Here we had an authentic Saudi Arabian style meal at ‘Diamond Restaurant‘. We were seated on a carpeted booth floor with an gigantic meal of herbed spiced chicken and flavoursome red rice set before us! I’m personally so thrilled we enjoyed this experience but after a full day of sight-seeing, you may prefer to relax in your own abode (no judgements!).

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Day 2

Al Jahamah Heritage Village

It’s another early start today and I’d recommend hitting the road by no later than 7am. Our first stop is Al Jahamah Heritage Village in Asir Province, after which we head on to Jizan. (Note that if you are entering this in Google Maps, you’ll have to search ‘Al-Jahamah Historical Village’).

Al Jahamah is a set of ruins at the end of a dirt road and is not developed as a tourist destination. Be careful exploring the village as there are no apparent occupational health and safety warnings or precautions taken on your behalf! However, its deep orange-red stone and mud appearance is a striking contrast to the low green shrubland surrounding it which renders it worth a quick stop for a photo.

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Wadi Lajab

Driving To Wadi Lajab

It is now time to exit Asir and enter Jizan Province. We will reach a point that is just 10 km from the Yemeni border! Along the way are breathtaking scenes from the highway which has been developed into the side of the mountain. We felt as if we were floating above the clouds and couldn’t help but stop along the way to take it all in. Semicircular tunnels are dotted along the highway and provide a point of interest along the way.

We follow the mountainous ridge all the way through to Wadi Lajab, past spectacular scenery and some interesting animals crossing the road!

Entrance to Wadi Lajab

The entrance to Wadi Lajab is easy to miss but you’ll soon enough see a road sign and others heading in the same direction. Again, it’s another very popular local hangout! A 4WD is recommended to traverse the rough stony wadi floor until you reach a point where vehicles can no longer pass. I’d recommend leaving all but the essentials in your vehicle.

Inside Wadi Lajab

Wadi Lajab is a stunning natural masterpiece with variable sized pockets of water at the base of the cavern. Wadi means valley or ravine in Arabic. The rock face is steep and you’ll have a ball negotiating your way under and over rocks, through water and even up a ladder! The end of the hike for many is a long rope ladder up the side of a huge boulder. On the other side is a waterhole for swimming enthusiasts. If you are going to stick to this itinerary, it would be a push to fit it in (and possibly perilously unsafe!). The local Saudi people are extremely friendly and will be curious to know your name and where you are from!

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Faifa Mountains

Next we drive through more steep winding roads to the gorgeous Faifa Mountains: which I nicknamed the Amalfi Coast of Saudi Arabia! This is probably a slightly grandiose description but you’ll be amazed by this remarkable ‘city in the sky’. It really is beautiful and unlike any mountain village I’d seen before, with buildings perched on seemingly endless rows of manicured green terraces.

Head straight for the Faifa Hotel, which undoubtedly has the best views in the region and a lovely rooftop restaurant with private booths overlooking the scenery. Stop here for a quick coffee before heading on to Jizan Airport for your flight home. If you’re not strict on time, stay overnight at Faifa Hotel and watch as the lights come on across the mountain at dusk. Pure magic!

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Jizan Airport

As we wind down the road and leave the unrivalled beauty of the Faifa Mountains behind us, it’s onwards to a slightly lacklustre drive back to Jizan Airport. However, it’s still a marvellous opportunity to observe local Saudi life and watch as town folk go about their evening business.

You’ll need to return the rental car at the airport and then it’s one last farewell to Saudi Arabia before heading home!