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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Hello BHPians! We get to see a lot of travelogues from India, Europian Countries, Dubai, etc. in TBHP. This time, it is a bit different though! So here it is - I will be coming up with travelogues of my visits to tourist destinations of Saudi Arabia to TBHP if time and tide allow me to do so. To begin with, I will share about my Visit to Jabal Al-Qarah Mountains, Jawatha Park & Uqair Fort of Al-Hassa City from Saudi Arabia. Link to Jabal Al-Qarah Mountains. Jawatha Park. Uqair Fort & Beach. A warm welcome to all BHPians! ![]() ![]() Last edited by kamilharis : 23rd January 2021 at 01:41. |
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Even though my family have been in Saudi for the last 25+ years, and myself for around 15 years, we haven't explored much in Saudi. One reason being - on a country level, Saudi Arabia started pushing tourism in recent times only. Moving on, the pandemic has hit all of us, which halted all weekend get-togethers, local gatherings etc. By Nov-2020 things were getting normal and all tourist spots here were re-opened with necessary precautions. On one fine evening of last weekend of December-2020, we decided to kick off the year 2021 on a positive note. Hence decided to go for a small road trip which consisted of three families :
Since we were 12 members, we decided to go in two cars - My humble CHANGAN EADO and Uncle's behemoth CHEVROLET TAHOE. And yes, the date was confirmed - 1st January 2021. ![]() We had decided to leave around 9:30 AM, but as usual, the departure got delayed by almost an hour and it was around 10:30 AM, when we finally began the journey I live in Al-Khobar City of Saudi Arabia and the distance from my city to Jabal Al-Qarah was around 160km : ![]() Our plan was to visit Jawatha Park after covering Jabal Qarah, which was just 20 minutes away from there. ![]() Let the journey commence.. ![]() You can see the TAHOE in front. ![]() We reached the destination by 12:30 PM, almost 2 hours drive, which had 1 stop at a fuel pump. G-map was totally confused when we were nearing the spot, so we took the help of locals to reach the spot without much further fuss. The parking area was somewhat occupied on that day, maybe due to new year + weekend. The entry fee was 50 Saudi Riyals($13.33) per head for those who are 12+. I found that to be slightly on the higher side. We had to get 8 tickets in total which made us eligible for some sort of discount on ticket price. Finally we paid 35 Saudi Riyals ($9.33) per head for 8 members. The entire area was neatly maintained, washrooms included. We collected our tickets and entered the cave by 12.45 PM. Last edited by kamilharis : 23rd January 2021 at 00:54. |
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Jabal Al-Qarah Mountains / جبل القارةLet Wiki talk a bit first: Quote:
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() There were a few souvenir shops and coffee shops in the reception area. ![]() ![]() Before entering the cave, there is a small museum to brief out some of their history. They call it the Land Of Civilizations.. ![]() Ancient Arabic scripts ![]() From the photo gallery : ( I had taken very few pics ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Replicas of Thajj treasure- The unknown princes of Thajj Quote:
![]() Once the museum walkaround is completed, the exit door opens to this : ![]() Entrance to the mountains & caves: ![]() Quote:
![]() ![]() Mountains actually look taller than what you see in the pictures below. You can see people trying to reach the top. (It's slippery and risky!) ![]() Some craft items were displayed. ![]() ![]() Some vintage elements were 'created' it seems. ![]() ![]() Even though it wasn't a hot day, it was too sunny. Sunglasses recommended for all! ![]() As you continue walking, you reach the entrance of a tall cave. ![]() CCTV surveillance was everywhere, caves including. ![]() The cave is pretty narrow, at some places hardly one person can pass at a time. ![]() Some sunlight passes through these narrow openings. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Temperature was cool throughout the cave. It is said that it remains cool even during scorching summer! My visit was anyways during the winter season. ![]() We walked out of the Cave and decided to 'climb'. Moms did not join and isn't recommended either, as it was very slippery and the descend also was not smooth! Interpreting history on the way. ![]() Last edited by kamilharis : 23rd January 2021 at 01:09. | ||
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Climbing the Mountains.. They have organized trekking if you'd prefer that. But we did not have the time to join them as the next scheduled time would have delayed things for us. Hence we decided to climb ourselves. ![]() ![]() This view is just after climbing a bit, maybe the 1/4th of actual height. ![]() ![]() Some of the visitors were clicking pictures from the edge of the mountains. Later, the security personnel stopped them from doing this. ![]() We had to descend quickly as many were slipping while climbing, and security personnel began to pull down everyone from climbing at all. The surface is entirely different from the stone mountains, this doesn't give grip at all, whichever kind of shoes you wear! ![]() ![]() You take the exit and there are some rest places to sit. ![]() A small counter for perfumes, basically OUD. ![]() ![]() Dad happily taking some peanuts, supported by my EADO! We left for lunch then. All were hungry by that time. It was almost 02:45 PM then, which rounds up to around 2 hours to cover the mountains & caves. ![]() So we headed to hotel Romansiah as that was a known brand. Google maps performed poorly again! Reached there in 30 minutes or so. ![]() Ordered Spicy Chicken (Shawayah) ![]() And Mutton Mandi. ![]() Cousin took over the wheels thereafter. We headed to Qaisariah Souq (an un-planned destination). ![]() ![]() Roads in Al-Hassa city were truly a mixture of past days and modernity! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() We reached Qaisariyah Souq (again below-average performance by g-maps!!). Unfortunately, we couldn't find a parking lot even after taking a couple of rounds around the market. ![]() Headed to Jawatha Park then, which was part of our planned destinations. ![]() Quote:
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Jawatha Park - حديقة جواثاNow let Google speak a bit : Quote:
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![]() Source By the time we reached Jawatha, it was already dark, due to which I had to take some pics from google as added above. They have got a huge parking area, but still, almost 80% of the parking was occupied. The queue for entry ticket was L-O-N-G! The entry fee charged was 10 Saudi Riyals ($2.66) which is a fair amount. Social distancing was maintained, but for sure there was a B-U-Z-Z due to the crowd. It was a Friday weekend and this was expected. The crowd would be less on days excluding Fri & Sat. Entered inside after the security check and this " Selfie Bridge " welcomes you : ![]() Selfie bridge leads to a pathway which is nicely decorated. ![]() "Street Food" kind of arrangements on both the sides of it. (Took pics of very few shops only.) ![]() Some 50 varieties of tea was being sold in one shop, nicely arranged. ![]() My favorite food ![]() ![]() This electric train is for the visitors- they take you throughout the park, ![]() There is a small Zoo inside the park, strictly for kids, with an entry fee of 5 Saudi Riyals ($1.33). ![]() Some of them were well maintained. ![]() But I felt bad for the King Of The Jungle ![]() Plenty of normal pet animals were there. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() He was angry at me! ![]() She was sleepy. ![]() And they were in some kind of meeting. ![]() Am shy!! ![]() Ship of the Dessert looked tired. ![]() ![]() Sad for some reason, ![]() ![]() Good Night! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() They were in plenty. And we took the exit and continued the walk inside the Park (Not all the animals in Zoo were captured). ![]() Last edited by kamilharis : 23rd January 2021 at 01:06. | ||
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Some Food trucks and small cafes were there ![]() I liked the way they were named & designed. ![]() Loved this caption a lot! All foodies will!! ![]() ![]() There was a coffee shop in the middle of the lake. ![]() A closer look. ![]() This looked like a playground, it was well decorated with flowers on that particular day. The shape resembles the map of Kingdom with their palm tree emblem at the center. I wish I had a drone cam to capture it. ![]() For Reference : ![]() Some officials were "chilling" out there. ![]() Some program was going on for the kids. Apart from this, they had an area for rides - for both kids and adults such as Sky wheel, etc. (Missed to take pics.) ![]() Stood there for 10 minutes and continued the walk. ![]() This was a sealed house, just for the sake of decoring. ![]() They have a speed boat service if you would like to, but the one you see below is just for clicking photographs. ![]() You can get inside, click pics and come out. ![]() This was almost the end of the park. ![]() ![]() Something to conclude the walkaround. ![]() ![]() We sat there in the garden for around 15 minutes, had some snacks, and left the city. This concluded the New-year trip for us. ![]() Previously I had traveled to Al-Hassa to visit UQAIR FORT, I will share that briefly below. Last edited by kamilharis : 23rd January 2021 at 01:08. |
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Uqair - عقيرAbout Uqair : Quote:
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We went to Uqair on 28 December 2019 (Yes, pre-covid era.) Our plan was to visit Uqair Fort & Uqair beach. Both were unexplored spots then and not many were aware of those places. Later Uqair was included in Tourism and now they are being developed. We reached there around 12.30 PM and it was a sunny day, winter was just on the way. The Fort is in an isolated area and we couldn't even find a single shop or human being anywhere near the Fort, maybe nothing in the nearest 25 kilometers! We parked the car and walked to the fort entrance. There was no entry fee, heck no one was there at all!! We were the only visitors that day as per one caretaker who was there. Apart from us, they had some official visit that day by someone from the tourism department & a princess (as said by the caretaker). EADO parked. ![]() This was the widest angle I could get of a portion from the first floor of the fort. ![]() This small building (maybe an office then) consists of 3 rooms. ![]() The first wide-angle pic was taken from the first floor of this building. ![]() Most of the door entrances and windows get this arch shape. ![]() The windows & door entrances. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A closer look at the doors : ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A closer look at the staircase & finish of the wall : ![]() ![]() This was how the ceilings looked like. ![]() ![]() Most of the lamps were broken, I think this was done purposefully to make them look 'old'. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Exit from one of the doors takes you to this place. ![]() ![]() ![]() This was the main office for trading as per the caretaker. ![]() We were not allowed to enter this particular building, as the state of pillars were very weak. ![]() ![]() We were not allowed to cross this gate under the building as well, which leads to the sea shore. ![]() Last edited by kamilharis : 23rd January 2021 at 01:10. | ||
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() ![]() The other side of the gate looks like this Below Image Credits ![]() Everything looked old and rusted. ![]() At some areas, there is access to the silent sea shore. ![]() Crystal clear water with zero tides. ![]() We were about to leave, but as I mentioned above they had some official visit there and the event was organizer was an Indian lady. She invited us for lunch with them when she saw us, and yes, we never reject any invitations especially for food. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Some pictures of the cars that accompanied the officials who came in a luxurious SAPTCO bus. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() All the officials (ladies) were in this bus, the interior looked super luxurious like a caravan but sorry I couldn't sneak in my camera lens due to security concerns. ( SAPTCO - Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company ) ![]() After lunch, we headed to Uqair Beach which was 20 minutes drive from the Fort. ![]() Supported by G-maps (below par experience). ![]() Last edited by kamilharis : 23rd January 2021 at 01:12. |
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Reached Uqair beach with much of a fuss actually!(Courtesy - Gmaps ofcourse! ) ![]() Finally some snaps of my EADO. ![]() ![]() With cousin's Toyota Yaris. ![]() ![]() ![]() She was happy to see some greenery after those old age forts and rusted doors. ![]() I forgot to take pictures of the beach. Attaching a couple of pictures from the internet for those who would like to see. Image Credits. ![]() ![]() After taking some snacks and tea, we waited for sunset at Uqair beach. Post sunset we headed to Saihat for dinner. ![]() To a small shop known for their Kababs and Shish tawook ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Ordered them all! ![]() ![]() I don't go green normally, but I had to wait for the food to be served. ![]() ![]() And here they come. ![]() For me, A day well spent has to be wrapped up with good food. ![]() ![]() ![]() Thank You BHPians for reading! Your truly, ________Kamil Haris ![]() Last edited by kamilharis : 23rd January 2021 at 02:02. |
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Team-BHP Support ![]() | ![]() Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing! |
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Amazing travelogue ![]() This single thread gives you an introduction to the car scene in Saudi, the cuisines that you have there, as well as great tourist attractions, just how a travelogue should be. I also appreciate that you added the Wikipedia excerpts so that people like me who dont know anything about these cities in Saudi can be enlightened. If I ever visit the Middle East, a trip to all these wonderful places is a must. ![]() P.S. I would like to know more about your Changan Eado too, seems like a great but underrated car. P.P.S. Is Google Maps always that unreliable in the Middle East? Have you tried any other alternatives? Last edited by EightSix : 25th January 2021 at 09:55. |
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Barcelona
Posts: 541
Thanked: 2,711 Times
| ![]() Thanks Kamilharis for an unique travelogue. I had lived in Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) for about 2 years before I left for university (my father lived there for 6 years) but as with you, we've never travelled much given how tourism wasn't really open as it is now except for some common destinations like Taif, Yanbu etc. I guess its time for another visit to the KSA now that the country seems almost unrecognizable! Saudi Arabia is indeed a hidden gem and now that the country has opened and restrictions lifted, it's certainly worth a visit as a tourist! Another hidden gem is Oman which is just gorgeous! |
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BHPian Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Kottayam
Posts: 324
Thanked: 1,098 Times
| ![]() Great to see Saudi opening up more. Good old memories of KSA..... Its the food that I miss the most. Evertime I see a Shawarma stall in India, I get angry, because I know they are doing everything (except how chicken on the rotating grill is assembled) is wrong and does not hold a candle to real Shawarma, be it the diluted and "Indianised" taste, the size or the contents inside. But then I swallow my pride and my anger and go and eat it because I know that's the closest I will ever get in our country. The only thing made properly in India(mostly Kerala) is Mandi. My friends here are surprised when they hear that I never ever went to a McDonald's store(i.e. my father never took me not did I care) during the 16 years I lived in Saudi Arabia. Infact, I have only eaten McD twice while in Saudi at some friend's party. For people who love the KFCs in India. They taste quite sad compared to the KFC we get in MiddleEast. The fries are okay though. I don't know about how the McDs or Pizza Franchises compare. We used to buy amazing Pizza from bakers nearby where we used to get a 10inch veg. pizza for the equivalent of 70Rupees, that too straight from a clay oven, with real fire inside and NO PANEER any where on a Pizza. None of the Pizza's which are sold for Rs.300 to Rs.600 we get in india whether from large chains or mid range restaurants give me the satisfaction that I got from those 70Rs Pizza's. Sorry for the food rant. Things that I miss most from KSA are The cars and the food. |
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BHPian ![]() | ![]() Quote:
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