AL ULA: JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Trip to the North: Ocampo Fam Travels KSA
Part 1- Al Ula Journey

We were due for annual vacation in Philippines but due to Covid restrictions, we decided to stay in Saudi Arabia and travel north/northwest of the kingdom instead.

We left Riyadh on Saturday, 6th March, at 6:30am. Our gps was set to Al Ula showing 1,070 kms on a 10.15hrs travel time.

The girls and I were mostly asleep half of the trip, waking up at pitstops along the way. My husband and our dear friend RDA shared driving. We had our quick lunch at a small park along Qassim Highway. It was a smooth road trip on a perfect sunny day.

Mandatory Signboard shot along Al Madinah Highway

As we approach the northern part of Al Madinah province, we were amazed by the gorgeous landscape of crazy beautiful rock formations in the high desert extending for miles upon miles in every direction and passing numerous small towns, most of which still retain a strong indigenous presence.

We reached Al Ula past 7pm and bought dinner from one of the local cafeterias. There were neither big or fancy restaurants in the area and it was rather dark and quiet. It kinda reminded me of my childhood in the province where we used to have dinner at 7pm and sleep early during night time.

The next day, we were up early for our full day itinerary. We have booked our tour tickets online beforehand through www.experiencealula.com. 

​We arrived at the Winter Park at 8:10am as we were asked to be at the bus 8:20am.

First Tour: Hegra Tour including Hejaz Railway Station and Mada’in Salih
Fee: 95SAR/Adult

ExperienceAlUla bus for the tour

Hijaz Railway Station - used to carry pilgrims from Syria to Makkah The historic station houses an original locomotive from a time when merchants and pilgrims traversed the land from 1900. The railway is currently on the Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition.

At Hegra Visitor Center

At Jabal Ithlib, a natural mountain outcrop to the east of Hegra where inner workings of Nabataean society, from how they built their settlements to the ways in which they practiced their religion are visible.

Madain Salih - The Diwan, a rock-cut chamber that was once a venue for sumptuous banquets, and a meeting room for the leaders of the city.

Tomb of Lihyan Son of Kuza, Hegra’s largest tomb, measuring about 72 feet tall. Left unfinished, with rough, unsmoothed chisel marks skirting its lower third, it is at times referred to as Qasr al-Farid by the locals, meaning the “Lonely Castle” in English, because of its distant position in relation to the other tombs.

Second Tour: Dadan and Jabal Al Ikmah Tour
Fee: 60SAR

Understanding Dadan Civilization Exploring the ruins of the ancient Kingdom of Dadan, one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities in the Arabian Peninsula. Dadan was the capital of the Dadanite and then the Lihyanite Kingdoms and one of the most important centers of the caravan trade. This area was once just a basin covered in dust and sand. Now it’s a live excavation site and archaeologists are discovering more about this little known era in Northern Arabian history

Hiking up the Jebel Ikmah to see hundreds of inscriptions and writings on the cliffs and rock faces that date mainly to the Dadanite and Lihyanite periods. There are five different languages found in the inscriptions in Jabal Ikmah including one which is the pre-cursor to the Arabic language. These inscriptions help decipher the way of life and the things that matter to the people living in AlUla during that era.

3,500 year old inscriptions showing a glimpse of the life, culture and traditions of Nabatean tribe

Third Tour: Elephant Rock Tour
Free Admission/ Need prior booking

Note that a confirmed reservation is required to enter the Elephant Rock site. We were allowed to get in only at exactly 6pm as mentioned in our passes.

Elephant Rock stands majestically 50 meters high. Also known as Jabal al Feel. It used to be under water as the rest of the country.

Rock formation overlooking elephant rock

In between tours, we grabbed coffee and quick bites at the Winter Park. There’s a Dunkin Donut branch and Burger King among few other local food stalls.

We ended a long day with some local food from the city center.

For our third day in Al Ula, we didn't schedule any pre-booked tours. We opted to drive around and discover more about the town by ourselves.

We drove to the Maraya Concert Hall which is also known as Glass Building of Saudi but it was closed for renovation and we were not allowed in.

We went to a citrus farm and the owner let us pick some orange and lemon fruits by ourselves. There were at least 10 different varieties of citrus in the farm and we had a blast picking and eating and of course we took a bagful home too.
​

We strolled around the town admiring the unique, mesmerizing rock formations enclosing Al Ula. We drove up to one of the highest peaks along Al Madinah highway overlooking Al Ula town. With the echo from surrounding valleys, the girls enjoyed shouting their hearts out calling their KPoP idols and altogether doing countless BTS chants.

It was definitely surreal being so up close to the majestic rocks and actually touching, and climbing some.

Up close the majestic valley

Locals call refer to this valley as the rainbow rock or "The Arch".

​On the fourth day, we got reservations for an early Al Ula Old Town Archeological Tour.
​We paid 70 SAR for each ticket. We took the bus at the Winter Park at 8:20am. It was a 1.5hr tour.

Overlooking 900 mud houses

Going up the watchtower (Al Ula Fort)

​Personally, I could say that the tour of the Al Ula Old Town was the highlight of our “experiencealula” journey. Not only because I have always been fascinated by history itself but exploring the mud houses in the old town made me appreciate the jewel that Al Ula is, and how it echoes with stories of the past, civilizations of old age, revolution and war, religion and beliefs, slavery and freedom, arts, primeval architecture and culture.

​The numerous gates surrounding the previously existent village and the 40 meter fortress opened our eyes to the secrets of how this little town has adapted to changing times and developing perspective around it - of life itself and Arab traditions that circles around hospitality, family and also survival.