RAMADAN, PRICES AND ALL THE DETAILS- Travelling in Saudi Arabia 2025

......our last blog post about travels in Saudi Arabia was set in other-worldly Al Ula, an ancient desert city...........

We wanted to make a summary blog post about our strong feelings regarding our travels throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our impressions of the country before visiting were so different to the reality within KSA, and we assume it may be the case for our readers. There are many negative preconceptions that arise when thinking about Saudi Arabia, and hopefully we can rectify this with our tales of one of the most rewarding trips we have ever made.

Adorable welcoming father and son, Najran, KSA

Beautiful mountains around Asir region, KSA

TRAVEL NOTES

Transport in Saudi Arabia......

Travelling  in a country where almost everyone drives can be both challenging and easy in various situations. We struggled with walking in cities and towns with huge main roads, as there are few pedestrian crossings, and often walkers are forced to trek a long way around to avoid being mown down. Apparently it is illegal to cross the road when not at an official pedestrian crossing, but we did it all the time to save time and energy. 

On the other hand, when we wanted to get from town to town, with bus options being limited, we found it extremely easy to get a lift in a local's car, and most of our best experiences whilst in Saudi were when hitch-hiking. Our most numerable and successful trips were with military guys, English-speaking Saudis in flash SUVs, Sudanese and Egyptians. Of course, there were dozens of other kind and generous folk who picked us up from the side of the road to see us safely to our destinations. Amazingly, we were without fail taken directly to where we were staying in a new city or town by these lovely people. 

A very young man saved us one morning when our taxi didn't turn up! KSA

A completely mad ride with two lovely guys in the south of Saudi

Highways were always immaculate, new, with no potholes and plenty of room, little traffic outside of urban areas, and even had cleaning crews picking up rubbish by hand. Generally drivers don't speed because of numerous speed bumps and cameras with potentially huge fines. They do still love to use their mobile phones whilst driving, though, hiding them when they see cameras. This, of course, made us nervous, but that is the way it is in Saudi. 

                                       

                                   Driving through tunnels on a mountain side, whilst talking and texting

They love drive through facilities in Saudi, and drive through banks, cafes and pharmacies are all very common. 

Standing at the drive-through coffee place in Najran

Options at the drive-through bank, KSA

Public transport depended on the city/town, but was generally very sparse. We took local buses where we could in a few towns (Dammam, Jazan and Madinah), the networks always a new phenomenon in car-oriented Saudi. Somewhat limited, the buses were nevertheless new, AC and comfortable, and we're sure the systems will improve with time. 

Otherwise, we relied on taxi apps. They were surprisingly cheap, although it took us a while to get used to taking a taxi - something we almost never do! We used a mixture of Bolt, Careem and Uber depending on where we were, the prices varied quite a bit. We found them to be very reasonably priced for short distances, and usually a great way to talk with friendly Saudi drivers. Some of the apps worked without a SIM, others we needed to have our Saudi number. On average, a trip across a town of ten minutes or so would cost 10-20 SAR/£2-£4.

Riyadh has it's marvellous metro, which we spoke about extensively here. 

One of our focuses in Saudi was to take a train on one of the three railway lines in the country. We planned our trip so that we were actually able to take two train trips - one on the eastern line from Dammam to Riyadh, and the other on the pilgrimage line between Jeddah and Madinah. They were equally impressive. The trains were brand new, clean, fast, punctual and super organized and we were dazzled. We were able to gain discounted prices by booking online a few weeks in advance. Both trains were about 100 SAR/£20 each for the three hour trips. 

The last couple of trips we took as we were heading north and out of Saudi were with the North West bus company. These were also superb, perfectly on time, and the drivers were very careful. Also at around 100 SAR/£20, the journeys were much longer than our train trips, but just as comfortable. As the buses were nearly empty, we were able to spread out and enjoy the desert views out the big windows. 

Scenery out of Saudi bus window, KSA

Also, a note about SIM cards here. We hadn't been able to find out this information prior to arriving in KSA, and thought it might be helpful for people thinking about travelling here. SIM cards must be bought from the official phone company office. These are Mobily (the one we used), or STC, and the offices are plentiful, when you know what to look for! We initially bought a card lasting for 30 days, for about 65 SAR/£13, which had more than enough data for us to use taxis and WhatsApp people whilst out and about and away from free WIFI. After our 30 days had run out, we then topped up the SIM for about 35 SAR/£7 for another 30 days.

The places we visited in Saudi Arabia in 2025

Food in Saudi Arabia.......

Food was an unexpected highlight in Saudi Arabia. We hadn't really thought too much about cuisine when planning our trip, supposing it would be something like Egypt or Lebanon. But the food here is quite unique, and more bread based rather than rice based. We were told this is from the times before Indians came with their rice. There is an absolutely huge variety of dishes in Saudi Arabia, and we really only tried a fraction.

Colourful Saudi dips

When we had a host we were treated to an amazing array of local delicacies. Riyadh, Najran and Jazan were the stand outs in this respect, and a great more detail about these cuisines can be found on the respective blog pages. 

Spectacular fish feast in Jazan, KSA

Left to our own devices, we often weren't sure what to order, especially when no-one spoke English. Kabsa, shawaya and mandi (classic chicken and rice dishes) were always a safe bet, and often we ate at simple eateries. Foods such as felafel, shawarma, murtabbaq (a stuffed meat pancake), ful (mashed and spiced beans) and sambousa were delicious and readily available almost everywhere. The Saudis actually claim the samosa (India's national food!), and call it sambousa. Sorry Saudi, but they are not as good the Indian version! For those interested, a filling meal for the two of us including (non-alcoholic) drinks usually set us back between 20-30 SAR/£4-£6.

Murtabbaq, fast food in Saudi

Other meals we enjoyed were at Egyptian, Pakistani and Indian restaurants, as these were usually delicious, filling and cheap options. We did also try Al Baik, the Saudi version of McDonalds, and far superior in quality, as one would imagine! The shrimp sandwiches were quite tasty and everything on the menu was extremely good value for money. We did struggle slightly with the crowds trying to order, before discovering the ladies ordering section which was slightly less manic.

A unexpectedly massive Egyptian feast in Riyadh, KSA

Most restaurants have family rooms with curtains for ladies, children and families, with men eating in the main part. It seemed to be acceptable for us to eat in either. We noticed when eating out with a host, we would normally be taken to a family room, probably because of the presence of a woman (Sal!). 

Not being an alcohol consuming nation, coffee culture has become very important in the Kingdom. Saudis take their coffee extremely seriously, with tea being a secondary beverage. Saudi coffee is served as a welcome everywhere, usually along with dates, and has a spicey fragrance thanks to the cardamon added. It's quite unique, and Sal, in particular really grew to enjoy the taste. The coffee beans are roasted lightly, which gives the coffee a pale colour. This great webpage clearly shows the process. Dates, of course were ever present, and we very much loved trying the different varieties. From quite dry and hard to sticky and sweet, we discovered we loved them all!

Date palm plantation, KSA

Richard was amused to see the Saudi's love of Vimto, a drink he remembers from his British childhood. Apparently here it is THE drink with which to break the fasting at Ramadan!

Vimto loving nation!

A malt, fake beer drink, KSA

Never seen popcorn in a can before! KSA

Accommodation in Saudi Arabia........

We alternated our accommodation between "cheap" hotels and Couchsurfing. We really prefer our own space and time these days, but Couchsurfing was unparalleled when it came to fantastic local information and tips. And of course, we love company and a good chat about travelling. 

A meal with our Couchsurfing host in Jazan

Most hotels were in actuality what they called serviced apartments. Often rooms had an almost palatial living room, washing machine, microwave and massive TV (none of which we used), but were lacking basic items in the kitchen such as spoons or cups. Most often we had AC, a kettle and a fridge (which was all we needed anyway). Although the price was comparatively high for us, usually they were very comfortable and clean, and we learnt to deal with the expense. They really don't have cheapy, basic options for sleeping in KSA- or at least as a tourist, we would find it difficult to locate those places. The cheapest of these hotels came in at about 72 SAR/£15, but usually we paid around 150 SAR/£30 a night. Air B and B was practically useless, and we usually relied on Booking.com. A minor and weird quirk was that no towels were included at most hotels, although sometimes if we asked some would be rustled up. 

                                                                        Our lovely rooms in Najran

                                                                Rich happy with our luxury room in Al Bahah

Saudi Arabia weather in February and March..........

We were surprised at the range of weather we experienced in Saudi Arabia during our stay. We had thought coming in winter would mean warm temperatures pretty much across the country. But each area varied greatly. At the beginning, in Dammam and Riyadh, we had generally windy and cloudy weather, with a little drizzle even. Najran in the south was sunny and warm, and Jazan on the coast was uncomfortably hot and humid. As we moved into the mountains around Abha it cooled down, especially at night, but the days were beautiful for exploring. Al Bahah region was the most extreme weather. Terribly foggy and quite cold at nights, we held out and were rewarded with a couple of lovely sunny days. As we travelled up to Jeddah and north to more deserty areas, the weather was dry and hot. We feel like we had the full spectrum!

Mountainous region of southern Saudi.......

......contrasting desert in the north of Saudi!

Money in Saudi Arabia......

On the whole, Saudi Arabia was cheaper than we expected. Although we were paying more for hotels rooms than we would be in South East Asia, Central Asia or the Balkans, many other aspects were affordable. We were impressed with the price/standard ratio for transport (when it was available), and food could be very inexpensive. Considering the huge percentage of imported goods in the shops in Saudi, the prices are much more reasonable than one would think. 

We used ATMs in KSA without any hassles. They were, in fact, all fee free, an amazing perk for travellers like us. We are used to searching all over a city for the free ATMs in other destinations. We had to laugh at the huge amount options offered on the screen for withdrawals- 10,000 SAR, or the equivalent of £2000 being an option.

Saudis are incredibly honest, and we never had any problems with being overcharged or feeling as though we might have been ripped off in the entire two months during our stay. It just isn't part of their culture. It was quite the opposite, people giving us things for free, and often refusing payment for services such as taxis. We felt completely relaxed and safe. The same went for the foreign workers living in Saudi. They seem to behave impeccably, maybe because if they don't they will not be allowed to stay.

The only slight downside was the proliferation of bank cards. We are big proponents of using cash, but Saudi is a digital society, or at least becoming one very quickly. We usually managed OK using cash, there were only a couple of times we were forced to use our debit card to buy a bus ticket. Many Saudis use their cards to pay for absolutely everything, and all shops and taxis are required by law to have an electronic card reader. People also have their whole lives on their phone- IDs, bank cards, tickets and bills.

SOCIETAL NOTES

Religion in Saudi Arabia........

I think we were expecting a more radically religious country. Most Saudis pray five times a day, and mosques are not loud. Sometimes men pray in the middle of a shop or restaurant, but usually we didn't even clock it was prayer time. Our hosts were always very discreet, and when driving with someone, they would sometimes pull off the road for a few minutes to pray, and we would happily wait for them. It was really no different from many other Muslim countries we have travelled in. We didn't realize there was such a large Shia community in Saudi, we had assumed most people to be Sunni Muslims. They are mainly in the East and around Najran in the south. Probably the most notable element about Islam in Saudi, is that the overwhelming majority of people are Muslim. From what we saw, it is only a tiny part of the population who are not, mainly some of the Philippino workers.

Old mosque, southern Saudi Arabia

We were unsure what to expect during Ramadan in KSA. Our original plan involved leaving Saudi before Ramadan started, in order to miss what could be a difficult period for travelling. But as we were enjoying the country so much, and felt relaxed about things, we decided to stay on and experience the fasting time. 

At first, we attempted to reverse our routine to fit in with local times. Nothing whatsoever happened in the mornings, when pretty much every business was shut. We would make sure we had bought some fruit and yogurt the evening before to eat in our room in the mornings and snacks for during the day. Everything shut every prayer time. Some shops opened at 2.00pm, and some eateries generally opened between 4.00pm and 6.30pm selling takeaways. People seemed to break the fast at home at sunset (6.30pm-ish). We would often buy a takeaway at this time and eat in our accommodation. People then went for Taraweeh, a special extra Ramadan prayer, which finished about 9.00pm. This was when the country came to life, with everyone on the streets and restaurants and shops full. Sometimes we waited until this time to eat, even though it was so late for us.

We were not able to completely change to this routine. We are just way too used to getting up in the morning, having several hours of sunlight outside doing something, and going to sleep before midnight. It wasn't too bad to adjust ourselves a bit temporarily, but we couldn't do it completely. 

Saudis told us it was going to be very difficult to hitch-hike during Ramadan. This may have been true to an extent. There may have been less cars on the road than usual, but our main hitch-hiking during this period was in the mountains, so it's hard to know what it is normally like. We always managed to get lifts, even if we had to wait a while in some cases. The main difference during Ramadan was that because people were fasting and all eateries were shut, they were not able to invite us to eat with them. This was the main way people showed us their hospitality, and the central means for us to learn about culture, food and Saudi life. We loved it so much, and very much missed this aspect of life on the road. 

An upshot of travelling during Ramadan was the reduction of prices at some hotels. Locals weren't moving about much, and we were happy to see lowering of rates in many towns, a plus for us in this situation. The reverse of this was true in Madinah, however, a seemingly popular place to visit for umrah (pilgrimage) during Ramadan. Visiting the ancient tombs at Al Ula was half the price of normal entrance- apparently Saudis don't visit this town when they're fasting. 

We had decided not to stay with locals during Ramadan, as it would be too much of an imposition and difficult for them to host us whilst fasting. We always carried water with us during the day, but snuck off somewhere quiet to drink, so not to offend anyone. Saudis said it's fine for us to eat and drink in public during Ramadan, but it seemed the height of insensitivity to us. 

The fasting is tough in a hot and dry country like Saudi Arabia, especially without water. We felt a lot of respect to those going through it. One poor bloke in the line for the Farasan ferry, keeled over and fainted. This must be pretty common. We suffered the most from dehydration on our hitching day from Al Bahah to Jeddah. It's a horrible feeling, and we felt especially sorry for the people working outside. Hopefully they are exempt from the no water rule.

Overall, travelling during Ramadan in Saudi Arabia as a backpacker is certainly possible, and with careful planning not too much of an inconvenience. But it is definitely not the best time to experience the best of the Saudi people - in the day time, anyway. 

Clothing in Saudi Arabia.......

Saudis wear modest and loose clothing suitable to the culture and climate, and traditional dress is adorned by both sexes for everyday life. Men wear the long robe called a thawb, and a head scarf known as a shemaagh. We were most familiar with the classic white and red checked summer combination, but there are some varieties for seasonal differences. A darker grey or black robe, and a woollen scarf can be worn in winter. Men always looked so clean and fresh in their crisp white thawbs.

Boys dressed up for Saudi Founding Day, KSA

Women mostly wear all black. A tarhah covers the head and sometimes the face-covering niqab is worn. Usually an abaya covers the entire outfit. There are regional varieties, but for both men and women these outfits are considered the national dress and must be worn for any official duties. 

Lovely woman working at Al Turaif, Riyadh, KSA

Abaya safety, KSA

Rich wore long trousers and a long sleeved shirt for the entire time in Saudi, and Sal covered up with an abaya. Neither of these were compulsory, we just felt more comfortable dressed like the majority of the population. Things were obviously more modest in more rural places, and slightly more liberal in the cities. We noticed in Jazan many men wore shorts, and in Riyadh and Jeddah women's attire was sometimes more colourful than the basic black. I don't think we saw a woman without an abaya for our entire stay. This, of course, may be because we weren't in contact with any women in their own homes. 

Rich in Old Al Ula, KSA

Sal and Rakan and a giant ball, Riyadh, KSA

It is the current King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and especially his son the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman that are responsible for most of the current developments in society and government, and most of the changes have occurred in the last five to six years. The most famous of these is women being allowed to drive. Others include cinemas being opened, princes having to pay their own bills, live concerts being allowed, women no longer having to cover up with an abaya and being able to study law at university. There are doubtless many other changes, these are just a few we were made aware of.  

Gorgeous scenery in the mountains of Saudi Arabia

Other interesting societal notes

After spending two months in Saudi, our perception was that most people have a pretty good life in many ways. It's not a perfect system, but it's hard to argue with free health insurance, free education, benefits for disadvantaged citizens, including rent assistance, and no personal tax. A 15% sale tax came into effect during recent years, and this cost is always built into prices in shops and restaurants. Certain food products such as milk are subsidized, as are wages of those on a low income. A massive water desalination project means drinking water is not a worry, and electricity is cheap. KSA is rich, and it seems the leaders spend a lot of the money on much that is good for the people, and therefore the economy.

Healthcare has always been free, but we were told in the last five years that the standard has been raised. When a prescription is given, a person simply goes to the pharmacy where it's waiting and free of charge. If specialist treatment for one's ailment is not available in Saudi, the health care system supports having treatment overseas, no matter what the cost!

Minimum wage in Saudi is 3,500 SAR/£720 per month, and all residents will earn or receive this amount. All citizens have access to free schooling and university, and every student gets financial support of 950 SAR/£200 per month from the kingdom to cover basic expenses such as books. If a family is in a bad financial situation, there is a possibility for additional help, such as free laptops. This creates a system where there is no need for student loans. If someone wants to study a subject that's not so common in Saudi, the government may pay for their expenses to study abroad. 

We had heard a rumour that many Saudis are paid not to work, but discovered this is not true. Residents who unable to to work due to an advanced age, or have a disability or illness are given 3,800 SAR/£785 per month. Unemployed Saudis may qualify for 3,000 SAR/£620 per month payment as part of a program to find employment. For this they must apply for more than ten jobs in a month. If they remain without a job, they may receive the payment, but only for a one year maximum period. 

Non-citizens live a different existence. They don't qualify for free medical care, for example. Most of the service people in KSA are foreigners. Many are Philippino, South Asians and Yemeni. Egyptians and Palestinians are also represented. There seemed to be a few exceptions to this employment trend. One was taxi drivers (most of ours were Saudi), and the other was the Saudi check-out boys in the supermarkets, splendid in their white and red outfits. Only a small percentage of the population is undocumented. It's very difficult to live in Saudi without being registered. Even as tourists, we couldn't do many things such as entering a museum, accessing ferries and taxi apps, checking into a hotel or purchasing a metro card or train ticket without giving our phone number, and sometimes even showing our visas.

Every shop and company in Saudi must adhere to strict regulations. Some of these include having an electronic card reader for customers to pay by card, and also businesses must have a camera installed in order to be allowed to function. Restaurant cooking must be performed in a place where cleanliness is on full display, with a window, or Perspex screen. 

We always felt 100 percent safe in every way in Saudi Arabia. The day we arrived, our friend advised us it was no problem leaving our bags and laptop in his car, and people don't even lock their houses. We were told by many people nothing will ever be stolen. Although out of big cities it might be unusual to see women walking alone, they are entirely safe and protected. It may be the country where have felt the safest in the world. Some say the lack of crime is partly due to honesty and partly fear of harsh repercussions. The one area we heard of criminality was around the Yemen border, where apparently much drug smuggling occurs, and is creating addiction problems within certain parts of society. Those caught smuggling face harsh penalties - people told us they would be put to death. 

Lovely, friendly people, all over Saudi Arabia

We just wanted to end on the random fact about how Saudi Arabia smells so good everywhere! People put an emphasis on a pleasant aroma (what a shame for locals encountering us!), and someone put the theory to us that the fascination with perfume may be a stamp of personality in a country where everyone dresses the same. The ever-present perfumed air is lovely, a bark called oud is burned through an incense burner, and the gorgeous smell drifts around the country everywhere one goes.

Incense burners used throughout history in Saudi

Different types of oud used to create divine smells

As is probably evident from our blogs, Saudi Arabia made a large and positive impression on us. It was one of our most adventurous and rewarding trips ever, and one where we felt we had made some authentic connections with people we met along the way. Who knows if we will ever find our way back, but we felt extremely blessed to have visited and to have found ourselves there at the perfect time. 

Farewell Saudi, and thank you, it has been most amazing

.........next up, a new adventure in a new country - Jordan.......

FOGGY DAYS OF RAMADAN - Al Baha, Jeddah and Madinah, Saudi Arabia

.......previously a mammoth blog about our time around Abha and Jazan in Saudi Arabia's southern regions ..........

Incredible Thee Ain village, Al Bahah, KSA

A series of lifts got us out of Jazan and on the road to Abha. We had previously visited Abha and would spend a couple more nights there to break the journey north. Our first ride was with an electrical engineer who gave us small gifts from Jazan as he dropped us off, then two laid back students heading for an exam, and finally a quiet PE teacher going home to his wife and son for the weekend. 

After our rest in Abha, we were raring to go again, and looking forward to hitch hiking through the mountains to our next destination, Al Bahah. 

It was an epic day, the first half enjoyable and successful and the second quite difficult, compared to our other hitching experiences. 

Two different lovely Sudanese boys took us a great distance to a town roughly halfway to Al Bahah, which was a huge bonus. The scenery was almost indescribable. Everywhere we looked there was soaring high mountains, with ancient stone villages tucked away. Beautifully terraced hillsides had green crops growing and stone towers sprung up on virtually every hilltop. We were amused to remember how excited we had been in Rijal Alma to see a stone tower- there were hundreds here! The road was twisty and we sat in awe as we gaped at the magnificent spectacle outside. We couldn't communicate verbally with either of these boys, but we could tell they were kind souls, and were sorry when we had to leave them. 

Our lovely Sudanese lift towards Al Bahah, KSA

We then found ourselves by the side of the road in a bit of a situation. We had climbed so high into the mountains and appeared to be in quite a remote area. The weather had changed intensely, and a severe fog covered the whole area. We could hardly see five meters in front of us, and we were afraid cars wouldn't be able to see us to pick us up. Added to that was the fact that there was very little traffic, and the temperature had sharply dropped. 

Many people stopped, some of them curious to talk with us, others not understanding what we were doing and others asking for money. We ended up paying one guy what seemed to be a reasonable amount of petrol money in order to get ourselves out of the cold, foggy situation, and slightly further along the road. The people here were so different from those we had received lifts from down south. Perhaps they were mountain people not used to seeing outsiders?

Bit by bit, we inched closer to Al Bahah, the poor drivers leaning over their steering wheels, peering into the fog, mostly driving extremely slowly and carefully due to poor visibility. To be honest, we were quite afraid at the dangerous conditions.

                                                                         Slightly scared driving in the fog!

On the final stretch we were saved by two wonderful Turks, father and son, again with no English, but very compassionate souls, who could see how cold and tired we were. We sat in the backseat of their warm work car and at last became close to our destination. As the fog cleared slightly in the final part of the trip, we could see more villages appearing, the scenery similar to the outskirts of Abha, many dilapidated stone buildings and picturesque towers.

Unknowingly, we had booked an extremely swish apartment in Al Bahah, the fanciest yet for us in KSA. It was the perfect place to dump our bags, turn on the heating (!!), have a hot shower and rest our weary bodies. It had, after all, been a eight hour day hitching!

A hot drink in our posh apartment, Al Bahah, KSA

Rich overwhelmed by the beauty of the living room!

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We couldn't believe how cold it was in Al Bahah! The fog persisted for the next two days, and provided a contrast for us from the hot and humid weather around Jazan.

Local Al Bahah lad rugged up, KSA

Rich wearing all the clothes he has!

Our explorations saw us heading up a hill close to the town in order to see a view down the valley. It was a strange abandoned part of town, with only a few workers around. That is until a carload of local hoons puled up, screeching their truck to a stop besides us on the deserted mountain road. Of course, Saudi hoons are relatively harmless, and these young boys only wanted to take a couple of selfies with Richard before driving away. How they stood the cold in their bare feet was curious!

Rich with some excited local boys, Al Bahah, Saudi Arabia

The views were gorgeous, across deep valleys with more stone towers, mist obscuring some of the outlook.

Looking down the misty valley, Al Bahah, KSA

Views to die for, Al Baha, KSA

Stone structures in the distance, Al Bahah, KSA

Trying to arrive back to the centre of Al Bahah by foot included running across three lane highways, jumping over bollards, finding shortcuts through fields and back gardens, even climbing down a rickety ladder at one point- these Saudi towns are really not designed for walking!

Discovering some Aussie wattle! Al Bahah, KSA

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Our final day was the best by far, and one of our favourite things we have done so far in Saudi. Having loved the old villages we had seen around Abha, we were interested to investigate a different style of place just outside Al Bahah, the abandoned village of Thee Ain.

The road to Thee Ain was an engineering wonder. Descending incredibly steeply down from Al Bahah, it consisted of a series of bridges, tunnels and sharp hairpin turns, twisting back on itself many times in order to arrive down at the plains. Our faces were pretty much glued to the window the entire journey. 

After being dropped off in the tiny village, we walked to a bridge to get a glimpse of Thee Ain from a distance, and our breath was literally taken away. The village was immensely gorgeous, set in front of craggy mountains and merged into the enormous rocks. Surrounded by banana plantations, it rose beautifully like something out of a fairy tale. 

First glimpse of Thee Ain village, Al Bahah, KSA

Stunning view of Thee Ain village

As we walked up the path to see the place close up, we were taken with the scale and intricacy of the architecture. A stone village, the buildings were meticulously put together - the many large slabs surrounded by tightly packed tiny stones placed just so. It must have been a huge amount of work, and the end result was stunning. Structures were perched on the sides of white granite rock, perfectly square and facing outward with few windows. We could see some of the village must have been renovated, and other parts were still standing strong after the reputed 400 years it had been standing. 

The site was completely deserted, apart from us and a few workers collecting rubbish. We were so happy the weather had turned sunny and bright, and we felt blessed to be visiting on such a beautiful day. 

Looking its best in the sunshine, Thee Ain village

Our first stop was down at the natural spring, a charming, cool and shady area with small paths leading over the water flowing out and feeding the small plantations of bananas and other crops. It had been tastefully turned into a small cafe/sitting area for people to relax, and no doubt take a drink during normal times (ie. not during Ramadan, and not first thing in the morning). We tiptoed past a worker sleeping so peacefully by a waterfall. Again, we were amazed to think this was Saudi Arabia!

In the garden at Thee Ain, Al Bahah, KSA

Sleeping soundly, Thee Ain, Al Bahah, KSA

Shady path near spring, Thee Ain

Little urn in a corner, Thee Ain

We then slowly climbed up the paths leading to the top of the village, enchanting by the isolated and serene feeling. It certainly wasn't tizzyed up for tourists like some other sites we had visited- it felt hidden and remote. Apart from the many birds singing and tweeting down in the bananas, there was only the sound of the wind, and the occasional calling of the workers. We were pretty much free to wander wherever we felt like, some of the houses open and very dark inside. Most had internal stairways leading to different levels- some were two floors, others four, and there were huge stones over the top and bottom of the windows and doors. 

Fantastic stone structures at Thee Ain, Al  Bahah, KSA

Banana plantations below, Thee Ain

Looking out to the mountains around Thee Ain, Al Bahah, KSA

Narrow streets of Thee Ain

Intricate stone work around doorway

Inside one of the dark houses, Thee Ain, Al Bahah

Gorgeous stone steps, Thee Ain village

Sweating in the heat, we descended the many steps, and returned to the bottom, turning back to survey the stunning sight. 

Thee Ain in all its glory

Final glimpse of Thee Ain village, Al Bahah, KSA

                                                                                   Glorious birdsong in Thee Ain oasis 

There must be a time when Thee Ain becomes busy- there is a huge visitors centre, picnic area and car park there, but we were very happy to have seen it in such a quiet time. 

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Another long day hitch hiking took us from Al Bahah to Jeddah, although this time the difficult part was the heat, rather than the fog and cold! The first lift was with a military guy, who took us a long way towards the main coastal highway. We have been lucky with members of the police and army, maybe they feel an obligation to see us safely to our destination? 

The mountain scenery was lovely until we hit the main highway on the coast, then there was miles of nothing but desert, a few scraggly makeshift shelters with sheep and camels, and a gigantic solar farm.

Next, a couple of young guys heading to Mecca picked us up, and took us a fair way along the highway towards Jeddah. One was super excited to meet us, being in his final year of English studies at university. He immediately rang his friend living in Adelaide, who we chatted with for some time, before enjoying the conversation and learning about the boys in the car. As well as umrah, they were going to Mecca from Jazan to buy a new 4WD! Quite a trip! When they dropped us off, we took advantage of the huge service area mainly used for umrah people (pilgrims) to use the toilet and we had a sneaky drink of water. Saudi was a couple of weeks into Ramadan now, and we had so far been able to not eat or drink in public. This hot day hitch hiking was our biggest challenge in that respect. 

Lovely students gave us a lift part of the way to Jeddah, KSA

The final, and most uncomfortable part of our journey was with a Pakistani delivery driver, who had been on the job since 9 pm the previous evening. Heading to his base in Jeddah, he was at first animated and speaking constantly to us in extremely hard to understand English. When he stopped chattering, we felt relief, until we realized he was so tired he looked as though he was about to fall asleep. Trying to engage him in more conversation we spoke with him very loudly. Seeing he enjoyed annoying Tik Tok videos, we encouraged him to watch and scroll, even though it meant him not concentrating 100% on the road. We spent a tense final hour driving into Jeddah in the traffic, before he thankfully dropped us at our hotel and went on his way. We hoped he would have a big drink, something to eat and a long sleep when he arrived at his digs.

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Jeddah is Saudi's second biggest city and capital of Hejaz, the region of Saudi Arabia that includes Jeddah, Madinah and Mecca.

Situating ourselves in a hotel by the railway station, we had only planned on a short stay in Jeddah. Even though we had enjoyed exploring Riyadh with our friend during our stay there, massive cities are not really our thing, and the biggest draw here was taking the new train onward to Madinah. We're sure if you had a purpose, one could no doubt find lovely parts of the city to enjoy, but we didn't really have the energy at this point.

First time seeing street cats treated so well! Jeddah, KSA

Streets of old Jeddah, KSA

We did, however, spend an absolutely charming afternoon/evening in the Al Balad suburb, the oldest part of Jeddah. This historic centre was much better than we had anticipated, the traditional Hijazi architecture unique and engaging. The main characteristic was the wooden shutters and screened windows of varying sizes on many buildings, which gave a graceful atheistic. Some of the structures housed shops, and other larger homes had been renovated and turned into museums. Being Ramadan, they were all shut, but we still gained enjoyment admiring them from the outside. It seemed a complete "beautification" process had been started, and hopefully in the future this area will be tastefully done up, as the Al-Turaif section of old Riyadh has been.

Colourful doorway, Al Balad, Jeddah, KSA

Historic street corner, Al Balad, Jeddah

Mosque decorated for Ramadan, Jeddah

Quiet part of Al Balad, Jeddah, KSA

Wooden window balconies, Al Balad, Jeddah, KSA

A touch of blue, Jeddah, KSA

Keen for a pic! Al Balad street, Jeddah

We wandered aimlessly, before arriving just at the right time at at an open square area filled with hungry people and food vendors selling various goodies for iftar- the meal to break the fast during Ramadan. The atmosphere was brilliant, everyone sitting together with food and drink, waiting for the first sound of the evening call to prayer in order to tuck in. Some had blankets spread on the ground, some on crowded tables, and other just sitting on the curb. We got ourselves some of what most of the stalls seemed to be selling, a deliciously vinegary bowl of chick peas and loaded potatoes, and gulped down some cold water we had been offered on the street earlier. As we walked to a main street in order to find a taxi home, we came across yet another, bigger, even busier area with dozens of food trucks, and hundreds of people lined up to eat and enjoy the atmosphere. 

Getting ready to break the fast, Jeddah, KSA

Great atmosphere, Al Balad Ramadan, Jeddah

Happy, hungry vibes, Jeddah Ramadan

Iftar snack, Jeddah, KSA

It was pleasing to see such a mix of people, all sorts of ethnicities, men, women and families together, and a wide range of clothing, not just all black abayas. Quite cosmopolitan, for Saudi! We even spotted a handful of tourists, something we had yet to encounter in KSA. 

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We could hardly believe the gigantic size of the palatial-looking train station in Jeddah. It absolutely dwarfed the stations at Dammam and Riyadh, and was more like an sleek new airport inside than a railway station. Everything was so well organized, with staff members standing everywhere to assist with directions, and probably the cleanest public toilets we've ever seen. There are only two rail destinations from Jeddah train station, one to Mecca (off limits to non-Muslims) and one to Madinah, where we were going. 

Modern and palatial Jeddah railway station, KSA

Covering nearly 400 kms in less than two hours, the train reached speeds of 300 kms per hour- definitely the fastest train speed we've ever experienced. Most of the trains we are used to travelling on you could run faster than!

Arriving at the elegant Madinah train station, we followed the crowds outside to where the polite, yet over priced taxis were waiting. We once again turned to our trusty Careem taxi app, and found a reasonably priced lift to our digs. 

A funny old hotel, it suited us just fine, having the basics of AC, a kettle and a fridge. We had struggled to find somewhere cheap to stay in Madinah. Usually an affordable destination, it seems to be visited by umrah (pilgrimage) people during Ramadan, inflating the prices. 

For the first time, we struggled with the Ramadan opening hours. Madinah was the one place we looked forward to visiting a couple of "sights", namely a date plantation, of which there are plenty, and Madinah is famous for, and a look around the date wholesale market, where deals are done in bulk. After making a bit of an effort to reach these sights, we found them all closed. 

We did spend some time cautiously looking around Al Masjid an Nabawi, the second most important place for Muslims, built by the Prophet Mohammad and containing his tomb. We knew we were not allowed into the mosque itself, but were slightly unsure which areas we were permitted to enter freely. Of course, we were respectful, and covered up, and mostly people didn't seem to care what we were doing- everyone was just concentrated on their own thing. After we had already spent a couple of hours admiring the huge, beautifully designed mosque and people watching, we were stopped by a policeman. Seemingly tired from fasting he half-heartedly asked us if we were Muslim, and pointed at Richard's camera. After a quick glance, he waved us on our way, not really bothered. 

The different types of pilgrims at the Masjid an Nabawi were fascinating. Coming from every part of the Islamic world, we saw Africans in their bright outfits and Indonesians in their little caps with wispy beards. Uzbeks seemed to be over represented, distinctive with their rosy and smooth faces. We saw Afghan hats, multi-coloured abayas, Malaysian lungis, men in white umrah robes and Pakistani shalwar kameez. Every type of robe, and every length of beard was represented! A few glamourous women could be seen, but mostly they wore black abayas and it was the men who stood out. We simply sat and watched, entertained by the ever changing line-up of thousands of people from all over the planet. 

Some of the Uzbek contingent, Masjid an Nabawi, Madinah

Gorgeous entrance, Masjid an Nabawi, Madinah

Mixture of looks amongst the umrah pilgrims, Masjid an Nabawi, Madinah

Simply observers in the crowd, Masjid an Nabawi

The organization was incredible, with multiple separate toilets, washrooms, prayer areas and entrances for men and women. Hundreds of workers whose job was to answer questions and give directions stood around and hordes of workers cleaned and swept and generally looked busy. We also couldn't believe the lack of beggars, scammers, postcard sellers and even taxi drivers in the vicinity- something most religion's major pilgrimage sites would be awash with. 

Well organized, Masid an Nabawi, Madinah, KSA

Magnificent Masjid an Nabawi, Madinah

The Quba Masjid at sunset was a much more casual affair, and during our visit we watched with interest as everyone prepared for the end of fasting for the day. Hundreds of prayer mats were spread out by workers in huge roped off areas, then closer to the time, pilgrims were allowed in to these areas to sit and receive free boxes of food. After eating, people stayed on to pray, while we set off home with the call to prayer in our ears and the sun setting over the city. 

Quba Masjid and pilgrims, Madinah, KSA

Early men, keen for upcoming iftar dinner, Quba masjid, Madinah

There must be many of these! Madinah masjid

Sun down at Quba Masjid, Madinah, KSA

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We really dislike eating late, and simply couldn't adjust to the Ramadan hours. We would try to buy food from the small supermarkets to eat in our room during the day, but there wasn't a great deal of choice, and we craved a hot meal and some meat. If we were organized, we could purchase a takeaway from a restaurant from about 4.00- 6.00 before iftar (meal that breaks the fast at the end of the day, about 6.30pm), but it was difficult always thinking ahead to what we need to buy to eat in advance. The term HANGRY became very relevant! At the end of the day, it was our choice to stay and experience this time in Saudi, but we discovered it was not as easy and wonderful as our time was before Ramadan.

That old saying about the point of travelling being the journey rather than the destination seemed more than relevant on this latest portion of our travels in Saudi Arabia. Since we left Najran, we felt like we had been having a succession of amazing road trips, with a lot of recovery and a little bit of sight seeing in between. 

Ready for a change of scene, we set off to the desert in the north of Saudi Arabia, and our next destination, Al Ula. 

This part of our Saudi trip, Al Baha, Jeddah and Madina

Our route hitch hiking around the south of Saudi

..... next up the other worldly Al Ula, and north into the desert...........