The historic villages and mountains of Al Baha and the Old Town of Jeddah!
Introduction
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains largely undiscovered by tourists, unless you happen to be an expatriate worker there. However, the untouched beauty and mystery has drawn me back for my fourth trip! In this journey, I’m going to show you how to reach the spectacular historic village of Dhee Ayn in the Sarawat Mountains of Al Baha, the sharp-peaked soaring monoliths of Shada Mountain Reserve and explore Old Town Jeddah.
All of my trips to Saudi Arabia have been manageable within 2-5 days and you can click on the links below to check out some other scintillating options for visits to this land of contrasts and surprises. In these links you’ll find my thoughts on travelling there as a female, what time of year is best to visit and how to get around its huge landmass.
Itinerary
Arrival Evening
Fly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Day 1
Morning flight from Jeddah to Al Baha, Saudi Arabia
Sarawat Mountain Range
Dhee Ayn Historic Village during the day
Caves of Shada Mountains
Dhee Ayn Historic Village Museum & Self-Guided Tour
Dhee Ayn at sunset
Dinner in Al Baha
Day 2
Morning flight from Al Baha to Jeddah (alternative option: drive)
Jeddah Old Town (Al Balad)
Other Incredible Saudi Arabian Adventures to Consider!
Where in Saudi Arabia is Jeddah? Where is Al Baha?
Jeddah
Jeddah is a port city on the Red Sea, in western Saudi Arabia. It is the prime gateway for pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Al Baha
Al Baha is located in the Hijaz area of western Saudi Arabia. At 11 km², it is the smallest province in the Kingdom. It is a picturesque mountainous region, surrounded by over 50 forests!
Day 1
Morning flight from Jeddah to Al Baha
The most convenient flight from Jeddah to Al Baha was with Saudia Airlines from 09.00 – 10.00 am. Jeddah Airport is conveniently set out, with International and Domestic Terminals an easy walk from each other. Note that Al Baha is a domestic airport and guests can travel there via Flynas Airlines from Abha, Dammam and Riyadh or via Saudia Airlines from Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah.
Alternatively, you can drive from Jeddah to Al Baha, although this will take approximately 5 hours. However, there are some fantastic shipwrecks along the Red Sea to view.
Car Rental
You’ll need to hire a car and brave the Saudi roads in this road trip adventure. We went with a Nissan Fortuner, which negotiated the steep zigzag roads and highways quite well, albeit with a few tyre screeches around the acute angles.
Sarawat Mountain Range
Al Bahah is a lush, green, mountainous province and the Sarawat Mountains cut through it in spectacular style. Also known as the Sarat, these mountains are part of the Hijaz region of the Arabian Peninsula and run parallel to the Red Sea. They also encompass the mountains of Faifa, Aseer and Taif.
As you travel from Al Baha Airport to your destination of the Dhee Ayn Historic Village, you’ll pass through these striking mountains. You’ll also see forests, wildlife areas, valleys and archaeological sites dotted along the way. For much of the way, the road hugs a steep cliff and the views are soaring!
Dhee Ayn Historic Village during the day
Dhee Ayn is one of the most important historic village in KSA, known affectionately as the Marble Village. One look at it in the sunshine and you’ll see why! The white marble mountain it sits atop shines almost blindingly in the midday sun. When the sun goes behind a cloud, the village looks vastly different! You’ll find this 400 year old village at the end of a long zigzag winding road from Al Baha. It sits proudly and majestically on a rocky outcrop, above an oasis of dense vegetation, banana plantations, palm trees and native flora. This is a welcome sight amongst the barren mountains and is all thanks to a fresh water spring at the base of the hill! In fact the name Dhee Ayn means ‘of spring’ in Arabic.
Dhee Ayn is famous for its abundant agricultural wealth and a freshwater spring that has been spurting for hundreds of years.
We arrived at 1pm on a Friday, which was a big mistake. This is the holy day in Saudi Arabia and so everything closes. This includes petrol stations and shops… and entry to Dhee Ayn! Life tends to kick back into gear around 3pm so we decided to head on to the Shada Mountain Reserve and come back to Dhee Ayn later on at dusk. It’s worth seeing Dhee Ayn during the daytime however, as it looks remarkably different in the evening.
The local area surrounding Dhee Ayn also has some interesting markets, houses and alleyways to explore.
Caves of Shada Mountains
The Shada Mountains are famous for their cave formations and cave homes. The protected reserve is 68.62 km² and has an altitude up to 2,222 metres above sea level. The granite rocks which have formed large open caves within one of the hardest mountains in Saudi Arabia, were inhabited thousands of years ago. This can be seen in the Thamudic and Sabaean drawings and inscriptions in the caves of the mountain.
Animals of the Shada Mountain Reserve
Don’t wander too far however because this reserve is home to the endangered Arabian leopard! There’s also the opportunity to spot the Arabian wolf, caracal, rock fox, striped hyena and genet. To be fair, I am quite relieved to only learn of these dangerous animal inhabitants after leaving the region!
There are less than 200 Arabian leopards remaining in the wild. However, you have the chance of spotting one in the Shada Mountains!
A Moment of Peace Being “Off-The-Grid”!
These mountains are sharp and dramatic with pointed peaks and visitors can expect to see some truly wondrous geology. It’s so much fun to wind your way in and out of caves and of course to take a moment of peaceful reflection, while looking out at the soaring plains and valleys below. There are few other people who venture here and there’s a sense that you’re in a completely off-the-grid location.
Dhee Ayn Historic Village Museum & Village Self-Guided Tour
After our fair share of photos and general enjoyment of being in the Shada Mountains, we descended once more to head back to Dhee Ayn. The site closes at 6pm and we arrived nigh on 5pm. I’d recommend 2 hours to see the site: 30 minutes for the museum and 90 minutes for the village, althought one hour in the heat was plenty. The museum is a walk-through style building with information plaques and artefacts to view.
Get ready to pump those leg muscles! The village is a wandering maze of unique ornate doors, multi-storied houses built of stone… and lots of steps. The panoramas of the dramatic mountainous escarpment and oasis below are breathtaking.
Aromatic plants are a feature of Dhee Ayn and guests will be greeted by the pleasant fragrant scents of kadi and basil. In fact, we had a local man trying to give us some! Unfortunately these are not appreciated in luggage at check-in.
Dhee Ayn at sunset
The flexibility of having a rental car and not being tied to strict timelines can not be overrated! We decided to stay and watch the sun set at around 6pm, behind the mountains adjacent Dhee Ayn. The changing light cast across the village was glorious and I’d highly recommend staying for this. Check out the pictures below!
Dinner in Al Baha
At around 8pm we headed back to Al Baha and to our surprise, the city was completely alive and kicking! The difference between Saudi Arabian activity levels during the day time during summer (we travelled in September) and the evening, is monumental. There were multiple restaurants open with an energetic vibe and even a fairground in full swing!
We found a buzzing place called Soul Restaurant, which had a wide variety of cuisines: international, Arabic and Indian. Its traditional architecture and second level outdoor open terrace with soothing evening breeze was just the ticket after spending a day in the summer sun! After enjoying some grilled tikka prawns and salmon with mash potato, it was time to head back to the hotel for a rest.
A note on accommodation in rural KSA
Accommodation in rural KSA is quite basic so it’s best taken with a grain of salt. For example, we stayed in a place called Patto Suites, at which no towels, toilet paper or basic amenities were provided. The included breakfast was also not readily available the following morning.
Day 2
Morning flight from Al Baha to Jeddah
We caught the Saudia Airlines flight from Al Baha to Jeddah, departing 10:40am and arriving 11:35am. Ideally it would be best to depart earlier but we couldn’t face a red-eye flight after the previous day of travel! It is a perfect time to return your car rental however, being within the 24 hour limit of a one-day charge.
Luggage Storage
On arrival to Jeddah Airport, there’s an extremely useful luggage storage facility which is manned 24 hours by reception staff. For a fee based on the size of the luggage, you can leave it there safely in order to explore the city sans baggage. This process was extremely quick and painless, as was the collection later in the day.
Jeddah Old Town (Al Balad)
Getting to Al Balad
On arrival to Jeddah, I’d recommend getting a taxi or uber from the airport from the designated zone. The green taxis are perfectly safe and authentic, however many men will bequest whether you need their taxi services as you exit the terminal. Go straight to the taxi zone!
From here, you’ll drive 20-30 minutes to the outskirts of Old Town (Al Balad). No cars are allowed within Al Balad, except for the small golf buggies which transport goods (and occasionally struggling humans).
Al Balad – History
The historic district of Al Balad dates back to the 7th century: a winding maze of traditional homes built from coral! Centuries ago, this UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site was the vibrant centre of Jeddah, albeit these days is a tapestry of crumbling buildings, cobbled streets and colourful artworks.
Al Balad was formed as an ancient trading port and acted as the primary gateway to Makkah. Today, it is famous for its traditional buildings and intricate latticed windows.
Al Balad – Take A Map!
It’s well worth taking a map or downloading Google maps as you wander around, as there is a definite propensity to get lost in the rabbit warren of streets. Every street looks similar and you’ll swear that you’d been down the same one 4 or 5 times (and maybe you have!)
The area has a fascinating history and its old world nature will draw you in. However, patience is required to navigate the dusty streets with its copious litter and swarming street-cat situation, cigarette buts and open bins throughout.
Al Balad – Important Features
Certainly one of the most famous and important houses is that of Bait Nassif, at the top of old pilgrimage road. This is where King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, stayed for three years when he was in Jeddah. This towering building is one of the best preserved in the district and is currently undergoing further renovations. It is guarded by police which surround the site and it is planned to be reopened as a museum.
Visitors will see artworks dotted around Bait Nassif, which are the creation of Saudi artist Ahmad Angawi. His pieces allow visitors to view traditional style Saudi Arabian art with a modern twist.
Al Balad – Timing of Visit
Finally, if you have the time to visit Al Balad in the evening, you’ll find the region much more alive, especially in the summer months.
For more ideas on Saudi Arabian travel, click here!
