We could have taken the shorter route from Jordan directly to Iraq, accompanied by a military convoy. Instead, we decided to take the route through Saudi Arabia to Kuwait and from there to Iraq. This way we avoided the convoy through a dangerous region of Iraq, can visit Kuwait and explore the south of Iraq. …
From the canyon, where we had spent a pleasant night, we tried to make our way north, avoiding sand dunes but taking bedouin tracks through a fascinating landscape of rock formations. The first day, we came into a sandstorm and stopped next to a mountain. In the morning, the sky was clear again, and we …
After leaving Wadi Al Disah, we drove in the direction of Tabuk, looking for the Grand Canyon of Saudi Arabia, the Alshiq canyon. After we had found the location where to leave the highway, we drove over rocky terrain until we spotted the canyon in the distance. When we finally reached the edge, we were …
On our way to Wadi Al Disah, we came through rain, sandstorms, endless rocky plains and down a steep road, a long but fascinating drive. At the parking, where the trip into the wadi starts, we met Kristin and Toby again, and decided to go together. Accompanied by House music, we drove over sandy tracks, …
In the evening we had reached an area, where rock needles are dotting the landscape. The sun was already gone, so we stopped at a good place for the night and left the exploring of the area for the next day. We sat on the still warm rocks next to our camper and admired the …
On the way to the Rainbow Arch, we ran into Kristin & Toby again, which we had met in Muscat about 2 months ago. They are travelling with their 2 cats in the same direction as we do. The Rainbow Arch is a famous sight, as the arch is very big and not too far …
Hegra, also known as Mada’in Salih, 20 km north of Al Ula, was the southernmost and second-largest city of the Nabataean kingdom after its capital Petra in Jordan. Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation, before and after the Nabataean rule, can also be found. The site is most famous for its well-preserved monumental rock-cut tombs, with their elaborately ornamented façades. We had booked a tour …
As an ancient Arabic oasis city situated in the Hejaz, a region that features prominently in the history of Islam as well as several pre-Islamic civilizations, AlUla was a market city on the historic incense route that linked India and the Persian Gulf to the Levant and Europe. Later it was an important stop on the Hejaz railway …
From Jeddah, we drove up the coast until Yanbu and inland from there to reach the famous AlUla, Saudi Arabias Tourism hotspot. It was around 40 degrees along the coast, so we tried to get us far inland as possible in the hope of a cooler night. When the sun went down, we looked for …
With Jeddah, we had reached the coast of the Red Sea after crossing all of Saudi Arabia, which is 8 times as big as Germany. On the way down the mountains from Taif, we had passed Makkah (Mecca) which we had to circumnavigate as non-Muslims. We are not allowed to enter the city, not even …
