Camping Ground in Riyadh

 Winter is a great time to go camping in the desert in Saudi Arabia.  The nights are chilly and the days are cool and provided you get far enough away, the desert is just so quiet.  One of our more recent camping excursions was out Janadriyah way, over beyond the airport in a paid camping ground.

We were fortunate enough to go there at the invitation of a Saudi family.  The wife informed us that the journey to the camping ground would take about an hour.  Her husband said it takes that long whenever she is in the car, though when he goes there with mates, the drive time is a lot quicker.

Early one weekend morning we met outside their home before driving convoy style to Thumaama National Park where, after checking in at the gate, we received mapped directions to our campsite.  Thumaama Park, we discovered, houses the King Khalid Wildlife Research Center and the Land and Space Aviation School where you can learn to fly or hire a Paramotor.  As Hubster has always dreamed of getting his pilots licence so he can fly his spitfire (also on the dream list), I suggested he make a few inquiries  at the school - to date naught action has been taken, but it cannot be said wifey isn't supportive of the idea!

Driving toward the camping area we passed a bloke out on a paramotor and it wasn't till I wound down the window to snap a quick photo that we realized how darned chilly it was this crisp, clear morning.  Foreigners can often forget that the desert can get extremely cold during the winter.  We also decided you have to be keen or a fruit loop to be flying around in the chill air.

We were stopped at another gate and our details were checked before entering the camping area itself.  The surrounding landscape till this point had been as barren and flat as ever, except for the hills over in the distance.  Eventually we turned off the tarseal and headed toward the base of said hills down a graded road that wound its way through undulating terrain.  Each campsite is numbered and ours revealed itself as we followed arrows directing us over the brow of a hill.

One can't help but compare this landscape with the campgrounds we're more familiar with back home, and the initial reaction is 'errrr, it's brown'.  Nothing like the seaside or forest camps of home.  However, by the end of the day, we had come to love our little patch of desert camp.

The camp site was divided into two areas, both a reasonable distance apart presumably to cater for the country's segregation rules, each with two tents.  Between the tents, landscaped into the rocky ground, was a small kitchen and a couple of toilets.  As these camps are often used by large extended family groups out for a day of feasting there was also a place to hang and quarter a sheep.  We'd bought steak and kebabs from the supermarket - slaughtering was not required. 

Visiting a new place always requires exploration and so it was that, after deciding we would have a non-segregated day, we set up in the tent with the best outlook, disgorging the vehicles of kids, chilly bins, camp seats, a bicycle, the Braai and various other food and camp related items, then we went for a walk to explore the area.  The kids got to run around in the great outdoors and loved it.

To keep things entertaining, later that day our Saudi wahine (Maori word for 'Woman') asked if we'd give her driving lessons.  So, with her husbands blessing, we did.   I'd forgotten how stressful giving driving lessons can be, but those memories came flooding back as the car was thrown into reverse and the accelerator depressed with more gusto than was required and the car came to a skidding halt to yells of Brake! Brake!   A huge collective sigh went up from all of us in the car - because driving lessons that day were a family affair and a bit of entertainment for the kids - that's when I remembered how stressful driving lessons can be. 

Later in day, the driving made for a lot of story telling while the qahwah and dates were being passed around.  Even the kids got involved with stories of how good, or otherwise, Mama and we western ladies were at driving.   (Yes we got behind the wheel as well and went for a bit of a drive along the deserted track to see the other campsites).  The men shook their heads at the embellished tales and, now that we were safely outside the moving vehicle, we females chalked the whole episode up to 'a bit of an experience'.  Then someone decided it was time for lunch.

And so it was the boys set up the Braai and we girls did girly food prepping things while the kids ran around.  When everything was ready we sat down to eat an enormous spread.  A lot of it was covered and left for the next meal.

After lunch we had a game of footy with the kids, then some of us took turns riding the bicycle to explore a little further along the firm desert flat lands and tracks.  I have to say, there wasn't much to see, but the exercise was appreciated.  Later in the day, Arabian carpets were dragged out of the tent into the glorious winter afternoon sunshine and the kids settled down for a bit of a rest while we adults enjoyed cups of mint tea and chatted about, well, everything.  As the sun started to go down we polished off the lunch left overs, then lit a fire (a ute had turned up with a delivery of logs) and we sat talking while warming our toes amid the hills, outside our tent.

Though we have slept out under the stars a couple of times since moving here (and love it), camping in Saudi doesn't have to mean staying out all night.  Simply spending a pleasant day off the main highway with friends provides ample opportunity to experience camping in the desert.  We had asked our Saudi hosts if the intent was to stay the night and were informed by the wahine that she never spends the night out at a camp.  So, later on that evening when the kids had settled, the fire was burning low, and the Braai had cooled enough to be put into the Yukon, we packed up and headed for home.

We intend to go back to this camping ground in Riyadh one day because this day had been one of those you remember a long time for it's simplicity - good food, good company, good times.

Happy Camping in Riyadh :)


Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Camping Wahba Crater

On approaching the edge of Wahba Crater, the site of our first ever camping trip in Saudi Arabia, our reaction was, quite simply, 'Wow!'

While trawling the internet one day for 'things to do in Riyadh' I stumbled upon a website that mentioned Wahba Crater.  Not a lot of information was given regarding it's location but my interest was piqued enough to store knowledge of  its existence in the 'That sounds interesting' file in my brain.

Then one day, not so long ago, I was sent the name of a tour company, Haya Tours, here in Riyadh and wouldn't you know it they organised weekend camping trips to Wahba Crater.

After a few phone calls, e-mails and reminders to Glenn that he did agree to this trip (He says he didn't agree he was told, which really is the same thing), we met our travelling companions (a lovely British lady and two German gentlemen) in the car park at Granada Mall, were given final instructions on where to go and who to meet and off we set.

We drove five hours from Riyadh, on the Jeddah highway, to the meeting point with our tour guide, a wonderful young man named Mohamad.  He led us convoy fashion, accompanied by local security who were with us for the whole weekend, through salt pans, small villages and lava fields till we reached the end of a newly laid road.

You'd expect a hole in the ground that is two kilometers wide would be easy to spot, but it's not till you get out of the car that the crater reveals itself.  And, as I mentioned earlier, the sight is impressive. 

Our cameras came out and numerous shots were taken before Mohamed pointed out our accommodation for the weekend - a white speck in the distance, right on the crater's edge.

A short bumpy ride over the volcanic rock, fortunately we had hired the Yukon for the weekend, had us delivered to our simple lodgings. 

Story has it that a group of Afghanis had set up home at this particular camping spot with a view to developing it for a tourist business and, I have to say, they had done a lot of work on the site. 

They had built paths out of lava stones, started an ablution block and kitchen, built a flat viewing platform, planted trees and fenced the area.  Then the Saudi government said Wahba Crater was a national treasure, put it under the protection of a government agency and instructed the hard working Afghanis' to leave.

The paths are still there, as is the viewing platform and block built kitchen.  The ablution block is unfinished and, I could say falling into disrepair, but actually it looks like some unhappy person has taken to it with a sledge hammer and smashed it to bits, so it's unusable.

Until they implement a few upgrades, camping at this particular spot beside Wahba Crater is not for those who like luxuries.

The only option available for relief was to duck down behind the remains of the toilet block hoping no one else came wandering over the rise and, more importantly, hoping the rock you picked up to cover your own 'squat job' wasn't already being used to cover a previous deposit. 

Washing was of the sponge bath variety in the open shielded by parked cars or wait till you get home.

Our accomodation was a large tent with a dicky pole that required German ingenuity to strengthen it against the wind that was picking up outside, and carpets spread over the rough scoria ground.  If you've started to like the gender segregation in this country you're plum out of luck on this tour - we all share the tent which was just fine by us.

Our tour information said to only bring sleeping bags....if you're the sort that wakes up grumpy without a soft bed I'd suggest you bring a bit more than that.  One of the German gentleman, who was a bit more clued up than us, had a camp bed.  

The Wahba Crater's Edge  Hotel. Absolutely fabulous :)

The Dicky Pole

The facilities may have been minimal, which didn't bother anybody on this particular weekend, but the welcome and subsequent hosting was warm indeed.

That afternoon, after qahwah and dates, we walked up to a higher vantage point to take photos of the area surrounding Wahba Crater.  Then it was back down for kapsa (flavoured rice) dinner, sorting out the sleeping arrangements and chit chat as the sun set and the stars came out above us, while over yonder was a lightening display.
 

Mohamed and his cousins, who were there to assist, had intended on lighting a fire for us that night, but we were a little concerned that the wind would throw a spark at the tent, so decided to flag that idea.  Besides, it was very pleasant sitting in the glow of a small generator run light enjoying the company and conversation until it was time for bed. 

The weather was nice enough, with the breeze keeping stifling heat at bay, that most of us dragged the carpets outdoors and slept beside the crater, under the stars, safe in the knowledge that security was a stones throw away, hunkered in their Land-cruiser.

Bright and early the next morning, before the day warmed up, we headed down into the basin.  The descent, a little narrow in places and not recommended for those with vertigo issues, was fairly easy via a path cut into the rock face or laid out with stones that led us all the way to the bottom

Track to Wahba Crater

The bottom at last...

Once on the bottom we headed out into the middle.  For some reason we wanted to see how soft it was...sinking mud meant we didn't make it all the way there.  So instead we sat and contemplated various theories on the craters origins (a meteorite versus volcanic activity of some description), how long it would take to walk the entire circumference of the basin (not that we intended to), what else we were going to do that day and the looong walk back up for breakfast.

And, of course, we had to take a few photos....

The Wahba Crater Crew

... and test the white deposit to see if it was salt.  It tasted salty.

And to pretend to be David Attenborough...

The hike back to the top took slightly longer than the trek down (no kidding), but we weren't in any hurry so stopped often and I had plenty of water and an energy drink in my backpack.

We also did our bit for environmental care, collecting empty drink bottles that previous sight see-ers had discarded (a nice way to say biffed, dumped or inconsiderately dropped) on the side of the path.

Back on top, the wind from the day before had died and the boys had a crackling fire heating the kettles for qahwah and tea.  After huffing and puffing our way up the hill, it really was a welcoming sight.

The cook...

...the supervisor!

We sat in the sunshine, soaking in the view and the opportunity to share across cultures and thinking how lucky we were to be here with these wonderful people. 

After the boys had shown us a few games the bedouins like to play to pass the time away (known in NZ as tik tak tow, knucklebones and target practice), it was into the 4WD to bump and bounce our way over the rocky terrain to the oasis located on the verge of the crater with lovely, cool spring water supporting an old date palm plantation.

The Tour Guide Crew

The place really was beautiful except for all the rubbish! 

By the end of our stay Mohamed, a bright young man who loves his part time tour guide role (his full time job is teaching), was fully versed in the importance of being environmentally conscious and he assures us the Powers That Be will be duly advised.

Some people wouldn't enjoy the trip to Wahba Crater that we did because of the lack of facilities, and moves are afoot to add amenities.   A long drop (I wouldn't like to be the guy trying to dig the scoria out for that hole) and a solar shower are said to be on the cards till more permanent facilities can be erected.  But to be honest, the simplicity was a large part of the reason why we loved our camping at Wahba Crater.

Map To Wahba Crater

Ka Kite,
Kiwi