My trip to Saudi Arabia will forever stick out on my travel roster. I gravitate towards unfamiliar routes as opposed to the more predictable travel circuits. This is The Road Les Traveled after all, and on-brand I will stay with the whole idea of two roads diverging in a wood and taking the one les(s) traveled by. It really has made all the difference. Shout out Robert Frost for helping me out here.

It’s no secret that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is undergoing a massive transformation. The Middle Eastern country is on the brink of opening the gates of tourism (and thus visas), and I’m not going to sugar coat it. KSA has some internal work to do before this happens, of which I’ll categorize in my subsequent blog post because this one is already a short novel 😉 As a country that’s been closed for so many years to foreign visitors, there’s a lot of infrastructure that needs to be developed – whether that’s structural, technical or social. In the interim, here’s a recap of my time in one of the most beautiful, untouched areas of Planet Earth.

Photo by Chris Priestley

Riyadh

Flying into King Khalid International Airport, I was exhausted yet extremely curious. With eyes wide open and zombie-like, I was like a sponge ready to soak up the knowledge from every single question I could get out of my mouth. I was invited by Gateway KSA to enter into the Kingdom, and I have to admit I was hesitant to accept for many reasons – violation of human rights, killing of journalists, denial of freedom of expression, and the list goes on. It’s not a country that’s been at the top of my bucket list, but I’m innately curious and have an infinite longing to see faraway lands. I have a lot of questions, and I’m not afraid to ask them. It’s simply a matter of not having a preconceived idea of what something or someone is, but rather going to see what something or someone is. I always advocate for learning through experience rather than adhering to the status quo. Breaking stereotypes is imperative today as division separates us more than ever.

So, I went.

Photo by Tristan Kermode

Jet lag woke me up around 5:30am on Day 1 in my Mövenpick hotel room, an occurrence I welcomed since it did present an early feast full of Saudi, western and other international fare. Dates for breakfast? You bet. It was good fuel for the old fortress of Masmak where I had my first cup of arabic coffee in Saudi. I’m sure I tried it in Dubai, right? But the minute the liquid hit my lips, no hint of it tasted familiar. It’s bitter with a heavy dose of cardamom and orange-brown in color with the strength of a strong-ish tea. Hey, caffeine is caffeine so I grabbed for the cup with my right hand as is polite in Arabic culture.

Next, we lunched at the home of Prince Turki al-Faisal. While lunch was beautiful, what sticks out in my mind was our Q&A session afterwards with the Prince. “Ask me anything, we have no guns here!” he jokingly said. Everyone let out a (nervous) laugh while my heart started pounding. I had so many questions for this man and had to address the elephant in the room first. Nobody spoke. I could only hear the sound of my of heart when one of the founders of Gateway KSA suddenly lit up, announcing that I had a question. Welp, this was happening.

For myself and for my readers and followers, I’d like to know your take on what happened with Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul a few months ago. -Me

You could hear a pin drop.

Crickets.

Tumbleweeds.

I wondered if the whole room could hear the thuds pumping through my chest.

After a few seconds of silence, the question seemed to be well-received by Prince Turki, as if he’d heard it a before…and I knew he had based on prior conversations with Gateway KSA. I didn’t go in completely blind, y’all. Prince Turki and journalist Jamal Khashoggi were friends and even engaged in business matters once upon a time. The Prince answered in a very PC manner about how the journalist’s killing was indeed a heinous crime, how they are investigating the matter and the right people will be brought to justice. He then asked me about the USA’s voting system and the significance of the Electoral College (thanks, Constitution). I then asked him what he sees in the progression of women’s rights for Saudi Arabia (it’s a slow progression, but it’s happening). Looking back on my time with him at his home, I respect Prince Turki for welcoming us and providing responses to my burning questions, however forthright they may have been. I felt an obligation to delve deeper on these subjects, and it felt empowering to be allowed to do so.

Photo by Tristan Kermode

We watched the sunset that evening on top of The Globe, an orb that tops Al Faisaliah Tower where we got a unique perspective of the Kingdom’s capital. I’m not sure what I pictured when thinking about Riyadh before this trip…but it wasn’t the architectural diversity I saw from above. From gleaming glass skyscrapers to ancient castles, there’s no shortage of architectural marvels like Masmak Fortress below.

We stumbled into a night market afterwards where I noticed I was one of very few women around. Turns out Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest importers of incense, and there was A LOT of it. Stall after stall produced dreamy scents, inviting me in to get lost in the old world artwork and antiques. A lively auction was going down here, and 5 or 6 of our photographers and videographers were having a field day with the scene. Even though I couldn’t understand the Arabic being shouted as a man tried his damndest to sell a foot stool, I was intrigued. The moment I grabbed a camera from one of the guys, I was reprimanded in Arabic by a Saudi male on the sidelines. I can only assume it was because I was a female. While this was a one-off occurrence, I immediately felt put in my place and sunk into the shadows of the market, a far cry from my confident, outgoing self in the western world. I proceeded with caution in as foreign of a country as they come to me. The group of us immediately departed after that.

Photo by Tristan Kermode

The next day we off-roaded about two hours outside of Riyadh into a region called The Edge of the World. It’s exactly as it sounds where giant cliffs give way to endless plains below. Cameras were going off and drones were being launched. Content creation didn’t stop here, but we made sure to take it all in. With screens down, my own two eyes can picture it best even now as I write this in California. I can see the massive cliffs and remember the fierce wind blowing through my hair. Immediately, I feel small (that’s me at the top of the rock!)

Photo by Chris Priestley

The following day was all about Diriyah, the first ever Saudi State established in 1745. Having undergone a huge restorative project for many years, we were one of the very first groups to see the ruins as it’s not open to visitors yet. Here, I was able to get a feel of how people lived in old Riyadh.

Photo by NJ Visions

All of this historical talk is making me hungry. Insert food paragraph here. Saudi cuisine is seriously delicious. After receiving a lot of messages about what people eat in Saudi, I did some digging (read: eating…it’s the best kind of research). Food in Saudi is so diverse and based on specialties in different regions of the country. The north region has similarities to Jordan…lots of grape leaves with stuffed rice and magloba. Food in southern Saudi is similar to Yemen with a lot of stews and breads. The western coast is a melting pot of cultures…so lots of mantu dumplings, seafood, Lebanese food, and the list goes on. Riyadh has a lot of camel. My favorite treats included SO many things but mostly go back to dates, tamis bread from Afghanistan, and little cream cheese puff pastries called Khaliat nahla. For the love of god if you ever get a chance to eat nahla, DO IT. They are like little pastry pillows of yummy cheese ready to put you in a coma for the remainder of the day until you will yourself to the gym. I had to take a picture to make the effect in my mouth and belly last longer. They’re the balls of magic in the back left.

There is an abundance of tea and arabic coffee to always accompany 🙂 This was lunch at Najdi Village. We were told that just three months ago, each table area was covered as is typical in restaurants throughout Saudi. In such a small time frame, even the restaurant culture is changing as coverings come down and everyone can eat together.

Photo by Chris Priestley

Jeddah

When I think of Saudi Arabia, crystal clear waters don’t typically come to mind…until now!  An hour and a half flight from Riyadh allowed us to be on the coast with a chill seaside vibe versus the cosmopolitan capital. I’ve never seen clearer water while scuba diving than in the Red Sea. Are even the seas unscathed and unspoiled?! What a place. Special thanks to Saati for taking us out for a day full of salt and vitamin D.

Photo by Alex Kavanagh

I don’t think I’ve ever met friendlier locals willing to serve delicious food to strangers inside their homes than here. A man by the name of Sami Angawi is a new legend in my book. We were a group of photographers and videographers, yet when this man opened his mouth, everyone forgot about content. He spoke of unity and diversity. How we need more bridges, not walls. If everyone was the same, life would be boring. Then, he left us with these parting words which had everyone drooling over the man with the cane:

To have justice we need mercy, to have mercy we need understanding of others, and without understanding of others, we have fear.

Let that settle for a hot minute.

Never ever change, Mr. Angawi. I’ll be looking forward to reading your book soon!

Al-ʿUla

From the brand-new Jeddah International Airport which is currently only running on a soft launch, we boarded 1 of the 2 flights that operate per week to a place that can only be described as otherworldly. The remainder of the trip materialized sand…and a lot of it. Al-ʿUla was my favorite part of KSA because it constantly felt like an adult playground full of unchartered territory. Daily discoveries happen all the time by on-site archeologists working to uncover tombs and map out the region which is yet to be fully excavated. I felt incredibly lucky to get to see these ancient ruins from below and above by Royal heli fleet as the area continues to get ready for future tourism.

Photo by NJ Visions

If you look closely, you can see the outline of the gentle giant here at a region aptly named Elephant Rock. I’m the little speck playing in its light soaking up all the unspoiled rays.

Photo by Alex Kavanagh

The region that stole the Al-ʿUla show, however, is known as Mada’in Saleh, the second largest Nabatean city after Petra. It’s interesting to note that Muslims wouldn’t ever visit the site because they believed it to be cursed when the Nabateans refused to renounce their gods in favor of Islam. We, however, couldn’t wait until our 5am wake-up call. We drove up in four Toyotas just as the sun was beginning to rise, eyes fixated at what we’ve all seen on social media in recent weeks. Qasr al Farid seems to be carved straight out of a boulder as it stands alone commanding complete attention. Dating back to the 1st Century CE (so a really long time ago), the tomb maintains one door with a small space inside where bodies would have been laid in shelves along the walls. Cut to present-day and only footprints in the sand remain inside. While everyone else stood outside to capture its exterior, I’ll never forget standing in the small room surrounded by cool air and the test of time this outcrop has lasted. If walls could talk…

Photo by Tristan Kermode

We took in Mada’in Saleh at sunrise and at sunset, both magical in their own light. We wandered the deserted lands, touched the cold inscriptions on the walls and lost track of time. As the sun began to fall, the colors of the tomb began to fire. Bright orange turned to soft yellow hues, and it was time to leave.

Photo by Tristan Kermode

Some people refer to Al-ʿUla as the next Petra, but the Saudis are committed to preservation and protection for the long-haul. What a time to see this place exactly as is with limited access, in reverent silence, and only a few camps to stay in at the moment. Special thanks to Sahary Camp for having us. After 5 years of constant travel under my belt, this felt like one of the few places on earth that’s still a complete untapped reserve of magic and beauty. No other photographers. No selfie sticks. No camel rides. No souvenir stands.

Please note that the sites of Mada’in Saleh are currently closed to the public whilst the Royal Commission develops the area to allow for future tourism. I received an official invitation allowing me to film and document these sites to share it with you.

Photo by Saad Tahaitah

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is deeply religious, culturally conservative and geographically challenging. An imbalance of the sexes is alive and (unfortunately) well. Because of these reasons, it’s easy for a place to be misunderstood. I adore the friendly people I met and could bask in the natural surroundings forever. Time and effort are required to get to know a destination, and that’s why I can only tell you about my short 9 days in KSA…and if you’ve made it this far, THANK YOU!

Next Up: An Open Letter to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia