Top Ten Things To Do At Janadriyah Festival

This is an article I wrote for Destination Riyadh April Issue: "Top Ten Things To Do At Janadriyah Festival" it's a quick guide and tips on the most interesting things to do in the festival area. Janadriyah opening times are for families from Asr prayer around 4 pm until midnight every day until 19th April!
 
"The annually held Cultural Heritage festival Janadriyah is undeniably one of the most important cultural events of the year and a must visit for all expats in the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia. This is when you can immerse yourself in the Saudi culture, enjoying what the real Saudi-Arabia and the friendly hospitable Saudi people have to offer.
This year the festival starts on the 3^rd of April and continues for two weeks providing unforgettable experiences for expats and locals alike. The vast festival area may seem daunting for first time visitors; there seems to be endless places to see and it might be hard to choose which areas to go to!

Here are my top ten recommended things to do in Janadriyah Village: 

• 1.      Sample the delicious foods of the Makkah area. Try the special drink Subiya, the mouth watering Kabab meero, special Saudi dumplings and the flat bread made on the fire. Enjoy your foods while watching a traditional Makkawi wedding party at the nearby auditorium.
  
  
  
• 2.      Watch the famous Al-Baha region dances. Get carried away by the catchy quick paced rhythm of the drums and watch in amazement as the dancers leap high in the air with their daggers in hand.  This area gathers the most spectators for a reason!
  
• 3.      Take a camel ride at the Qassim region square. Children will especially enjoy this activity while parents can sample the tasty fresh Kleja bread and mammoul from the nearby Qassim souk.
• 4.      Browse the Al Madina Al Munawara marketplace for exquisite perfumes, Saudi style leather sandals in a multitude of colors, fresh herbs and spices, colorful woven baskets, a wide selection of dates, gold jewelry and antiques
• 5.      See the hunting falcons at the Eastern Province area. The bravest visitors can get a chance to hold one too.
• 6.      Get in the festive mood by decorating yourself with a necklace made of Jasmine flowers at the Jazan region marketplace. Men can join in on the fashion craze and wear a headband of flowers.
  
• 7.      Discover the traditional treasures on display at the Najran area. Here you can find and purchase the traditional women’s dresses, unique Bedouin jewelry, pottery and wooden handicrafts all made by skillful Saudi craftsmen.
  
  
  
  
• 8.      Wander around the Hail region museums and discover how people used to live in a traditional mud house.
  
  
  
  
  
• 9.      For the best views of the Janadriyah Village, climb the Abha house up to the third floor. Don’t be discouraged by the rather unexciting appearance of the house from outside; once you step in you will be blown away by the colorful interior.
  
• 10.   Get quick henna tattoos on your hands at the women’s only building while admiring the skillful Saudi women weaving carpets from goat hair.

Have fun!