Saudi Arabia

I'll be honest — I went to Saudi Arabia primarily to see Diriyah, and it delivered beyond what any photo prepares you for. But the surrounding region surprised me just as much. Jeddah has a character I didn't anticipate, and wandering without a plan for an afternoon turned out to be one of the highl…

I travel for food more than anything else, and Saudi Arabia shot straight to the top of my culinary travel list. Saudi dates alone justified the flight, but that was just the beginning. The variety and quality in Jeddah is relentless — I didn't have a single disappointing meal in 10 days. Hegra (Ma…

Saudi Arabia is a genuinely beautiful and interesting place. Edge of the World is worth every superlative thrown at it. The Arabic coffee with cardamom is legitimately excellent. genuine hospitality gave the trip real depth. What I struggled with: the tourist infrastructure around the headline site…

Three weeks is long enough to get past the tourist surface in Saudi Arabia. The first week I was in Al-Ula and the big sites like Jeddah corniche. The second and third I went further and slower. The food evolution was interesting — mutabbaq everywhere but prepared so differently by region. rapid tr…

This was my third visit to Saudi Arabia and I keep finding new reasons to return. This time I explored beyond Riyadh and discovered a completely different side of the country. Edge of the World never loses its impact no matter how many times you've seen it. The food still makes me happy in ways I c…

I've been to a lot of countries and the thing I'll remember most about Saudi Arabia isn't Edge of the World or even the extraordinary jareesh — it's the people. In Tabuk and out in the countryside, I encountered a warmth and generosity that felt completely genuine. One local family essentially adop…

Took the family to Saudi Arabia for 18 days and it worked better than I'd hoped. The kids were fascinated by Diriyah — more than I expected from children who usually resist sightseeing. Food was manageable: even the pickiest eater in our group found things to eat, and Arabic coffee with cardamom wen…

I thought I was going to Saudi Arabia for beaches, food, and Diriyah. I got all of those things. What I didn't expect was how emotionally affecting the trip would be. The history — particularly around Tabuk — hit in ways that good travel sometimes does. genuine hospitality was the moment that cryst…

Did Saudi Arabia on a shoestring for 13 days and it was absolutely manageable. Based in cheap guesthouses near Jeddah centre and ate mostly at local spots — saleeg from street stalls cost almost nothing and was better than anything in a tourist restaurant. Edge of the World has an entry fee but wor…

I went to Saudi Arabia with modest expectations and left completely won over, largely thanks to time spent in Al-Ula. The city has a pace and character that travel guides undersell. Found a great spot for Arabic coffee with cardamom on day two and went back every day after that. Hegra (Mada'in Sale…