Saudi Arabia Off The Beaten Path

 
by Ramsor
 
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by Ramsor
  • Dates plantation in the background
      Dates plantation in the background
    by freddie18
  • Dates Fruit in al-Qatif plantation
      Dates Fruit in al-Qatif plantation
    by freddie18
  • Track to Lake and waterfall
      Track to Lake and waterfall
    by 4x4Xplorer
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by 4x4Xplorer
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Saudi Arabia

1.

DownTown Jiddah   Jiddah

DownTown Jiddah, Jiddah

 3 Reviews  I always miss going to the downtown,though I live like more than 40 minutes drive away from it,,but I MUST go there in the time of the holy month of Ramadan. Many street vendors are set at that time... 

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2.

Jiddah Corniche   Jiddah

Jiddah Corniche, Jiddah

 3 Reviews  well, jeddah might not have green scenery or natural beauty to relax in. but definitely the sea continues to lock me in its dark mysterious secret, when i look twice! i honestly dislike the rocky... 

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3.

City Scenes/Streets/sqaures   Jiddah

City Scenes/Streets/sqaures, Jiddah

 4 Reviews  you have probably heard of the city scene, gay scene, or film scene. but have you ever watch a car accident scene? then welcome to jeddah. if there is a terrible car accident across the street,... 

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4.

Religion & Culture   Jiddah

Religion & Culture, Jiddah

 3 Reviews  Eid is when Muslims all over the globe feast on the first day of (Shawwal)the month that follows the holy month of Ramadan. This picture was taken from my house roof top,where we could see the... 

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5.

Animals Natural Habitat   Jiddah

Animals Natural Habitat, Jiddah

 2 Reviews  Along the way to Taif we encountered this herd of camels. They were completely unattended and were in no hurry to get off the road to allow us to pass. I think they may have been accustomed to people... 

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6.

Jeddah Summer Festival   Jiddah

Jeddah Summer Festival, Jiddah

 1 Review  Since year 2000 Jeddah started a new festival to attract local tourists from different parts of the kingdom. The festival encludes many attractions that starts with fireworks on the Corniche... 

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7.

Cemeteries   Jiddah

Cemeteries, Jiddah

 1 Review   PHOTO : MUSLIM'S CEMETRY, LOCATED ON THE WAY APPROCHING JEDDAH. Arab's cemetry are a little bit differance from other Muslim cemetry in the world. Their philosophy is, the dead person have no... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

This is off the Beaten Path...

by shelnlin

I am a bit of a fan of the Computer game "The Sims" and when you are out here in Saudi Arabia it can get a bit boring going out to the Mall all of the time. Today while looking for some information on Sheesha pipes (Hubbly Bubbly) for my brother back home, I came across this little site which showed "Arabian Sims". I am not excatly sure where we can get the game but it sure was a cute site and really was quite well done, the webmaster has done a great job and you can join up with their Yahoo group which I have since done. OK so it is not really a travel tip but when there is very little to do out here, sometimes Computer games really help pass the time when you have the day off!!! Have Fun!

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Educational revolution

by Manyana

for decades since its establishment, saudi government has been sending students overseas to finish their university education. this is usually a full scholarship that covers tuition fees, accommodation and other living expenses. students were mainly encouraged to study in the USA but today the student is free to choose from any european university, asian or north american university as long as it is recommended by the ministry of Higher Education.king Abdullah Scholarship Programme - KASP - specifically now caters for this generous offer. this includes one year to study the language of the host country, plus the study years based on the programme length. as a result, graduate applications have been the double to the undergraduate applications. this has benefited the country as to when students return, they tend to be able to establish research centres and science labs...etc.for more info...

music: the reflection of the culture

by Manyana

arabic literature is interesting if you compare the song lyrics of the 60s and 70s to the 90s and the current time. they reflect the culture they have been written in. when the arab world was culturally open and ecclectic because of the wars 40 years ago, love was allowed to take place and to express itself - songs often talk of intimate moments and chasing adventures. but the contemporary music often talks of longing, struggle, and sweet memories. as the arab world tends to have this religious wave of traditions and keeping them alive, love has become forbidden to come out unless it is sacrified by the holy union of marriage.interesting, isn't it?

Titles and Names

by Manyana

saudis are very peculiar about the level of formality and the way they call each other, based on age and familiarity. usually people are called with their Title and First Name; e.g. in academia, Dr. Ahmad if they're PhD holders; Ostaz/a X Y if they're MA or BA holders. In hospitals, Dr. Samar if they're physians; and Sister Samar if she's a nurse, as you'd rarely see a male nurse. In meetings, people are referred to by what they do. if you are writing an official letter to an engineer, proceed their name with Mohandess (Engineer in Ar), "Dear Eng. Ahmad..." as an example. with friends, you may call them by their title or by their oldest son's name. If your friend's son's name is Abdullah, then you call them Abu/Om Abdullah (father/mother of Abdullah). if they only have girls, then call them with the name of their father, "Abu/Om Hisham..". Actually, women among themselves can refer to...

the lifestyle and geographical difference

by Manyana

as i tour around saudia, i realise how big it is and how diverse in terms of geography and lifestyle. you find me having the same open-mouth, wide-eyes reaction to abandoned unmaintained villages. i've been out mostly in jeddah suburbs though haven't fully explored them not even the slightest. contrasted against big towns, they are very few shops run by the village residents and mainly they spend their lives commuting between the village and the next biggest town for trading and business. as you drive out, you see camels crossing the road, electricity is not available in small villages and illiteracy goes up to 50% high. there are two primary schools; one for boys and one for girls. and i reckon if it is a modernised village there would be intermediate and secondary schools. higher education opportunities, certainly, are abudnant but only out there in the city. however, cities, like the...

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Cheap Petrol and Every car in the world

by Manyana

since saudia is a tax-free country, petrol is cheap and everyone has a car, so no public transportation actually needed. the story is over, go home now:phonestly, i have been to 17 countries outside saudi arabia and have never seen such a wide variety of cars. in europe most cars are small and petite. in india mostly bikes and carts. in egypt it is 7-passenger peugeot. but in saudi, it's the 70s crassida and 90s land cruiser and 3000 mercedes and cheverolet! i am overwhelmed and astonished by the number of cars per each family. well mother has two cars for her own, my brother he his car as soon as he turned 18 and this goes up depending on the number of family members."especially made for the Gulf" often said in commercials! i know many people are envious and jealous of using cheap petrol and living in a tax-free country;^) hehe

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Street Sales-children

by Manyana

when i walk down the street (by car and a driver,lol), i see quite a lot of street sales-children who sell chewing gum or towels. They mainly come from central asia, both little girls and boys from the age of 5 to 12 probably! if you're in the park lot or at the traffic light, they come along next to your window to offer you what they have. they are not beggers but small businessmen and women;^)but this time, i was doing window-shopping (as a way of entertainment) and i saw this 5-year-old girl with her chewing gum box. she was without any facial expression, no fright, no delight. so i asked her about her name, 'Fatima' and if i can take a picture of her. she gave me a look of no-answer. i helped her pose and asked her to smile, so she did. even after she left me, she kept looking back with a brighter smile. well, i think i do like the odd things in this country,lol.just smile and it's...

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Saudi Red Sea Live Aboard Dive Trip Jan 2006

by unasser

I am arranging a live aboard dive trip which will cover the entire Saudi Arabian Red Sea Coast. From 7-20 2006.Suah a undertaking have never been done before on the Saudi Red SeaAny Interested Divers should contact me Saudidiving@gmail.com.

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It's Ramadan time again

by shelnlin

Well Ramadan has just started here in Saudia today. It is dead quiet outside and very few people and vehicles can be seen out and about. This year (2003) marks my second Ramadan in the Kingdom. When I arrived here this time last year, I really felt this was a real Ghost town. My fondest memory last year was travelling down to Riyadh on a Luxury SAPTCO bus and waiting for the sun to go down so we could all start eating the snacks that they had handed out half an hour before. Being up the front, I diligently waited like the rest of the passengers for the sun to set. I had not eaten or drunk anything since I left, so come sunset the entire coach was pretty hungry after being on the bus almost four hours. I could only sympathise with my Muslim companions!! This year I will have a bit more of an understanding of what to expect of Ramadan Yep it is quiet and rather peaceful. But come 6.30pm...

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Desert Driving

by Elmsaafir

If you like to do Four Wheeling, there are a lot of places to do it. North of Riyadh, and a bit East of the airport, is a place called Red Sands. You can rent 4 wheelers or just go out and drive in your own SUV/Jeep. We had a blast...

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Unique Places in Saudi Arabia

Top 3 Hotels in Saudi Arabia

Hilton Hotel  Jiddah

 3 Reviews and 67 Opinions  i have a long history and ties with Hilton Jeddah; have been to many conferences, bazaars,... 

 Hotels in Jiddah

Al Faisaliah, A Rosewood Hotel  Riyadh

 7 Reviews and 56 Opinions  The Al-Fasaliah hotel in Riyadh is part of the leading hotels of the world, from check in to check... 

 Hotels in Riyadh

InterContinental Dar Al Taqwa  Medina

 2 Reviews and 10 Opinions  Dar al Taqwa is the CLOSEST hotel to the Haram in Madinah! It offers a breathtaking view of the... 

 Hotels in Medina

167 Hotels in Saudi Arabia
 
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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Saudi Arabia
  1. Jiddah Off The Beaten Path
  2. Riyadh Off The Beaten Path
  3. Mecca Off The Beaten Path
  4. Medina Off The Beaten Path
  5. Dhahran Off The Beaten Path
  6. Ad Dammam Off The Beaten Path
  7. Al Khubar Off The Beaten Path
  8. Abha Off The Beaten Path
  9. Al `Ula Off The Beaten Path
  10. Al Qatif Off The Beaten Path
  11. Mina Off The Beaten Path

More Cities in Saudi Arabia

 

Popular Regions in Saudi Arabia

Mintaqat Makkah Off The Beaten Path  Mintaqat ar Riyad Off The Beaten Path  Mintaqat al Madinah Off The Beaten Path  Al Mintaqah ash Sharqiyah Off The Beaten Path  Mintaqat `Asir Off The Beaten Path 

More Regions in Saudi Arabia

Questions and Answers

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Q:  Greetings! I have a friend/business partner who would like to do some traveling in the United States. He is a Saudi citizen... 

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A: The answer is that your friend cannot count on any "typical" scenario. He could be in and out of immigration in five minutes, or it could take 50 minutes, or 5 hours, or... 

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