Explore Saudi Arabia’s endless Deserts like a true Adventure
Saudi Arabia is a land of different types of spectacular dunes and long sand valleys. These deserts and beautiful locations are readily available and accessible to visitors in order to enjoy a unique blend of serenity and thrill. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hugely known for its religious significance. The holy cities of Makkah and Madinah are present in the country which makes it the religious hub for Muslims around the world. The crowd density of Muslims increases every year and the prices of flights, hotel bookings and transport also increases with this. This is the reason why most pilgrims opt for Cheap Umrah packagesto get better deals and save themselves from the hassle of planning everything on their own.
The best time to travel to Saudi Arabia if one wants to explore the deserts is the time right after summers. The climatic conditions are moderate this time and most of the tourists chose this time of the year in order to travel to Saudi Arabia. Ramadan is the month when most Muslims travel to Saudi Arabia. The Islamic Travel offers Easter Umrah packages for British Muslims who want to perform Umrah during Easter Holidays.
With deserts making the vast region of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, there are many types of deserts with the wide swept dunes surrounded by mountains and the breathtaking areas. Some of these mesmerizing deserts are mentioned below.
1. Rub’Al Khali
This desert is also known as “The Empty Quarter”, and is a huge stretch of an endless horizon of softly rolling dunes rising from the ground with its highest dune reaching up to 250 meters. The massive sand dunes of Rub AlKhali feature a collection of diverse sand including the longitudinal, crescent and dome shaped dunes. One can try dune bashing, camping and quad biking. If you are trying to indulge in these activities then you must watch out for the sabkhas, which are soft plains between the gigantic dunes that can be threatening to the vehicles.
2. Al Nufud Al Kabir
Al Nufud Al Kabir, also known as The Great Nufud Desert, is the largest and well-known desert which comprises of dunes that could tower up to 700 to 1000 meters of height. The golden sand in this desert stretch up to 90 kilometers from the village of Jubbah to the city of Sakaka. Some of the dune of Al Nufud Al Kabir dunes rise out of the fossilized forest tributaries. They offer the visitors a panoramic view of the geological formation. The fossils of prehistoric elephant and bird of prey, which are dating back to the past 7000 years, have been discovered in the Great Nufud desert.
3. Al Araqana Desert
This desert is located in the east of Tabuk, situating on Medina to Tabuk road. This desert offers a huge region of large rusty golden and red dunes that flow over miles and makes an excellent backdrop for the sunsets. During sunsets the rolling amber hills radiate an intense fiery red color. The activities that you can do while visiting this desert are dune bashing, camping, star gazing and fossil hunting. If you are visiting this desert then don’t forget to visit Qaryat, which is an ancient prehistoric village rich in ancient history of the region.
4. Jubbah Desert
The Jubbah desert resembles a large rocky canyon with linear sand dunes and is home to one of the famous rock art sites in Saudi Arabia which could be dating back to the Paleolithic period. The town of Jubbah in Hail is considered rich in the agriculture despite being set against the harsh sand dunes of the infamous Al Nufud Desert. One can indulge in activities like camping, star gazing and hiking to see the rock art when visiting the Al Nufud Desert.
5. Ad-Dahna Desert
This desert is situated along the Dammam highway which is at 80 kilometers from Riyadh in the east. This desert is also referred to as the small Al Nufud Desert and acts as a sandy bridge between the great AL Nufud desert and the Empty Quarter. It is a 45,000 square kilometers of a magnificent reddish sandy terrain spreading horizontally like veins. 200 kilometers north of Riyadh, Ad-Dahna dunes form into a huge star-shaped dunes rising up to 100 meters.
Tips for Travelers
Travelers who head towards these deserts must keep precautionary measures in their mind and must prepare for their trip accordingly. Some of the suggestions and tips, for the travelers who are planning to explore the deserts of Saudi Arabia, are given below.
- Choose an appropriate vehicle to travel through desert. It is suggested to opt for an SUV car which will provide a safe sturdy journey and would be able to deal with calamities like sand storms.
- Large tires of vehicle that are in a good condition are a must have.
- One must carry some essentials to take along while traveling which might include a shovel, tow rope, a torch, jump leads and a foot pump.
- The weather could turn extremely cold during night time in deserts so one must carry warm clothes with them.
- You can also bring items like sand board or rent them according to your liking.
