Category Archives for "Horizons Tours"
Jibal Mussala Ibrahim – Sheda
Al-Baha's village in the sky
People who think that Saudi Arabia is only flat desert and sand dunes are surprised to discover that on the western part of the country are many mountainous massifs. Then they are amazed while admiring the majestic kilometer-high cliffs of the Sarawat Mountains in the southwest of Saudi Arabia, from Taif to Abha. And if they explore a bit deeper they would find an even more surprising relief, the Jibal Mussala Ibrahim (جبال مصلى إبراهيم), a granite mountain located in Al-Bahah Province, 50 kilometers from the famous marble-hill village of Zee Al-Ayn.
Unlike other mountain-like areas one can find in the west of Saudi Arabia, the Jibal Mussala Ibrahim has the shape of an alpine mountain with a difference in height of 1 700 meters from its base to its summit, that peaks at 2 222 meters. Actually its altitude is exactly the same as the Cliffs of the Sarawat just 20 kilometers to the east, making the Jibal Mussala Ibrahim look like a challenge to the erosion that has already leveled the surrounding landscape.
The Jibal Mussala Ibrahim is visible from the road that runs along the bottom of the cliffs which passes to the eastern side of the massif.
From afar, the Jibal Mussala Ibrahim reveals its imposing silhouette with its sharp granite summit pointing at the sky, and the view from the nearby Wadi Suqamah is simply majestic.
Jibal Mussala Ibrahim (photo: Alan Morrissey)
But it is possible to get much closer as a small road leads to the hidden treasure of that place: a village perched half way to the top (above 1 600 meters) whose name is Sheda (شدا).
Jibal Mussala Ibrahim (photo: Alan Morrissey)
The road meandering along the sides of the Jibal Mussala Ibrahim to the village of Sheda offers absolutely stunning viewpoints of the faraway Sarawat cliffs, the surrounding green hills and wadis, the terrace cultivations, and, of course, the gigantic shape of the Jibal Mussala Ibrahim.
Village on the way to Sheda (photo: Alan Morrissey)
Some other charming villages are found on the way and also some fancy stone constructions where local Bedouins probably used to live.
Stone made house on the way to Sheda (photo: Alan Morrissey)
Florent Egal visiting one of the stone made house on the way to Sheda (photo: Alan Morrissey)
A driver going up the mountain to the village of Sheda experiences of a big change of climate in a short period of time as the weather is much cooler and slightly dryer at the top than at the bottom where the weather can be incredibly hot and humid, especially in summer.
These specific conditions have even allowed some rare plants and trees to grow around the village of Sheda, such as the elegant while flower Capparis Cartilaginea and the wide-trunk tree Dendrosicyos that is also found in the remote island of Soqotra, off Yemen.
Capparis Cartilaginea (photo: Alan Morrissey)
Dendrosicyos (photo: Alan Morrissey)
How to visit Sheda?
The location of Sheda is available on GoogeMaps (under its Arabic name شدا) and, as said earlier, there is a road that leads to the village which is indicated as "Jibal Sheda Al-A'la".
But the path has been damaged at some parts by the rain and it is overall really steep with some parts showing a staggering 16 % incline!
Therefore it is highly recommended not to take that road when raining (or when rain is forecasted) and despite the presence of tarmac a 4X4 (even a basic one) would make the drive safer and definitely more comfortable.
Tour operators organizing trips to Sheda
Horizons Tours
The Horizons Tours "Saudi Desert Wanderers", certified by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage (SCTH), specializes in unraveling the[...]
The village in the sky of Al-Bahah (author: Florent Egal)
Ushaiger Heritage Village
The iconic Najdi Village
Ushaiger is a heritage village located 200 kilometers northwest of Riyadh in the heart of the Najd, the central plateau of the Arabian Peninsula. The village lays on the Al-Washim plain few kilometers west of a narrow range of red sand dunes called ‘Urayq Al-Bildan that extend towards the north that, 100 kilometers further on, become the massive dunes of Zulfi that ultimately connect to the immense Nefoud Al-Kebir.
Ushaiger that means the “Small Blonde” was named after the color of a small hill that lays at the north of the Village. Although it is made of red rock, locals say the Arabic word for red could be used also for blonde in the old days.
Ushaiger is surrounded by a thick wall with massive towers and wide doors made of ithal (tamarisk) wood that visitors have to go through to enter the heart of the historical village.
The village is organized into seven districts and has many palm groves and orchards that are beautifully integrated to the maze of pathways.
Gates of Ushaiger (photo: Florent Egal)
Pathway meandering through Ushaiger's houses and palmgroves (photo: Florent Egal)
Visiting Ushaiger heritage village offers a pleasant opportunity to walk along the shaded and charming pathways that meander between the 400 mud houses and 25 mosques the village hosts. Some of the houses that still today carry the name of the family that lived in them were renovated and are open to visitors.
The doors are decorated with brandings of circles, disks and other traditional geometric designs.
Decorated door (photo: Florent Egal)
Ushaiger prides itself on producing several prominent historical figures including the renowned religious preacher Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahab, Islamic scholar Sheikh Al-Othaimeen, and many poets and thinkers that allow residents of Ushaiger to refer to their village as “Najd’s Womb”.
Today the historical village of Ushaiger belongs to the Tamim tribe and one of the Tamim governor’s houses can be visited. Other tribes lived there as well, such as Al-Sheikh (The family of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahab) and Al-Thani (rulers of the State of Qatar).
The traditions and the rich history of Ushaiger are exhibited in its museum that welcomes visitors as the first major building they encounter after passing through the village’s gates.
Ushaiger Al-Salem Museum (photo: Florent Egal)
How to visit the historical village of Ushaiger?
The village entrance is conveniently at the side of the road, clearly announced by a panel at its entrance, and its location is available on Google Maps. Therefore it can be visited within the opening hours.
Road entrance of Ushaiger Heritage Village (photo: Florent Egal)
How to visit Ushaiger
If you wish to benefit from the knowledge of our tour guides here are the ones that can arrange private visits of the historical village of Ushaiger.
Horizons Tours
The Horizons Tours "Saudi Desert Wanderers", certified by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage (SCTH), specializes in unraveling the[...]
Ushaiger Heritage Village: the iconic Najdi Village (author: Florent Egal)
Edge of the World
The Popular Natural Wonder of Riyadh Region
The Edge of the World (whose real name is Jebel Fihrayn) has become within a few years one of the most popular destinations around Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This “nickname” was given because of its main attraction that are the stunning viewpoints from the top of the 300-meter-high cliffs overlooking the surrounding plain. This escarpment is part of the much longer Jibal Tuwaiq which is one of the most prominent natural features of Saudi Arabia as it spreads over 1 000 kilometers from the province of Najran on the south up to Qassim in the north. It even played an important role in Arabia’s History as along its foot was one of the ancient caravan trade routes that used to cross the Arabian Peninsula from Yemen into the Levant and Persia.
In more recent times some travelers built several trails along the cliffs allowing access up and down the impressive escarpment. Some of those stone-made trails are still visible today like at the Khashm Zubaydah, 50 kilometers southeast of Edge of the World.
Those cliffs are the result of the tectonic movement of the Arabian plate towards the north east because of the spread of the Red Sea rift located 1 000 kilometers to the west of Tuwaiq. The clear cut it generated in the sedimentary grounds of Riyadh area reveals the layers of sediments that accumulated there when the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula was a shallow tropical sea during Jurassic period (150 million years ago).
Fossils of corals on the way to Edge of the World (photo: Florent Egal)
That is the reason why plenty of fossils of corals are still visible today in the layers and on the ground.
Fossil of corals on the way to Edge of the World (photo: Florent Egal)
Given the popularity of Edge of the World, local authorities have built a hardtop that leads to the gates of the sites, and guards check that this beautiful place is respected by visitors, and it is forbidden to collect any wood or coral stones, and of course to let litters in the area.
Gates of Sha'ib Kharmah (photo: Gary Boocock)
After the gates lays the Sha’ib Kharmah, a large valley that becomes green during the raining season and that hosts thousands of trees offering shade to visitors all year long, making it a perfect place for picnicking.
Grass on the way to Edge of the World (photo: Florent Egal)
The valley runs for 15 kilometers towards the west until it reaches the massive cliffs of the famous Edge of the World and its amazing viewpoints. As the cliffs look towards the west it even offers unforgettable sights of sunsets above the Saudi Arabian desert to visitors who camp there overnight.
On top of Edge of the World (photo: Florent Egal)
How to visit Edge of the World?
By yourself
The locations of the gate and the exact spot of Edge of the World are available on Google Maps, but although the gates can be reached on tarmac, the trip until Edge of the World 15 kilometers further down the valley is off-road. Even though the rocky track doesn’t present major difficulties a proper uplifted 4X4 and a navigation system are required to do the round trip safely until the cliffs.
Be careful about the weather as heavy rains can generate flash floods in any of the usually dry valleys of the country.
With one of our Tour Guides
If you don't have the proper equipment or if you simply wish to rely on a guide, here are the ones that we advise you for organizing an enjoyable trip to Edge of the World.
Horizons Tours
The Horizons Tours "Saudi Desert Wanderers", certified by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage (SCTH), specializes in unraveling the[...]
Edge of the World: the popular natural wonder of Riyadh region (author: Florent Egal)