Quad Biking In Thumamah

One of the most popular outdoors activities for locals and expats alike is going out to the nearby desert for some quad biking. Quads, four wheelers, sand buggies, whatever you call them, it's always a blast to drive them! The best thing is women can also drive, even in an all-women groups.

The Thumamah sand dunes outside Riyadh are a popular place for renting quads on the weekends. There's a stretch of over 20 km next to the highway lined with quad bike rental places. They also have Saudi style tents with their own private yards for rent which wuld be ideal for families. There's camel riding, horse back riding and other desert activities to enjoy.

The rental guys will be helpful in choosing the best bike and showing how it works. If they see a group of women going out on their own sometimes they might come with you some distance in case you get stuck and need pushing help.

To reach Thumamah drive out of Riyadh toward the Janadriyah festival area, you will pass it and the King's farm on the left hand side of the road. Continue on this road and you will soon see the sand dunes on the left of the road. The rental places are on the side of the road and they are easy to spot with the bikes lined in rows.
The further you drive out on this road, the better. There are literally hundreds of rental places here. The further out of town you drive the less people there will be around and the prices become cheaper. The sand dunes have less trash and there's not as much disturbance.

When you see a nice spot just make a turn left to the dunes and drive to whichever rental place you like. It might be worth shopping around a bit for a better price. If you go on weekdays during daytime there will most likely be nobody else around. On the other hand weekend afternoons and evenings turn this place crazy busy, dusty and crowded!

 Prices will range according to bike size from 100-300 SAR an hour. You can choose a bike with gears (recommended) or an automatic one. There are even very small bikes available for the children to try safely. You will need to get one of the larger size bikes to be able to climb the steeper hills and venture out to the dunes.

 Bashing in the soft sand is really fun but can also be tricky. You need to be careful watching out for sudden steep hills, thorny bushes, holes and large pieces of trash.

Sometimes a nuisance for the female bikers are the "shabab". These Saudi men are curious and persistent and will sometimes follow unaccompanied women around. To avoid this it's best to go during daytime and to places further out away from the crowds. It would be advisable to have a male accompany you during weekends and the peak hours. I've noticed that if these men keep bothering you, the best way to send them off is to start taking their picture.

Look out for falcons which can often be seen hunting in this area.

 Everyone gets stuck every once in a while! The trick is to avoid driving too slowly, especially when going uphill! Don't stop the bike uphill, only on a flat area or slightly downhill. If you get stuck get off of the bike and try pushing the bike out slowly while giving a little it gas.

 Women can remove their abaya out in the desert if they so wish and it's actually much safer to drive without it! The abayas hems that might get stuck in the wheels and engine. I've managed to ruin three abayas like this! If you keep it on, make sure your abaya doesn't get tangled and burned from the hot engine.

Unfortunately many areas of the beautiful Thumamah sands are ruined with trash left behind by bikers and campers. Don't leave any trash behind and pick up any that you can!!

Lake Kharrarah Park And Hifna Waterfall

Please do not use any of the images on this post without permission, thank you!

This article also appears on Destination Riyadh June 2013 Issue!

Lake Kharrarah Park and Hifna Waterfall

A lake and a waterfall in Saudi Arabia? Yes! Believe it or not such gems do exist and of all places, in the middle of the desert. The magnificent red sand dunes outside Riyadh’s city limits hide this surprising secret little known to the expat community.

Amidst the endless ocean of sand dunes lies “Lake Kharrarah” National Park. The valley actually transforms into an actual lake only after the heavy rains. The massive surge of water rushes down the steep dunes into the valley below forming a lake which at times can be deep enough to swim in. When there’s no water the lake bed becomes an unexpected contrast to the surrounding red sand dunes.   The valley becomes a pleasantly green pasture where migratory birds and other wildlife can be spotted, especially in early spring when the lake bed is in full bloom.

Kharrarah Park is popular among locals for picnics, dune bashing, sand boarding and dune buggy riding. On weekdays the park is practically empty of visitors while on weekends larger crowds gather in the afternoons especially in the cooler months.  Most people come to the area with SUV’s and other vehicles compatible for the desert.  However normal cars are able to reach the edges of the park because it’s paved almost all the way down to the lake bed. The best places will only be accessible with a 4x4 though.

The lake bed makes for a picturesque picnic spot, acacia trees surround the edges and the deeper end has more lush vegetation year round.  The waterfalls can be found after a short drive along side of the lake. Water gushing down from the arid sand dunes is truly a sight to behold for those lucky enough to witness it.

The red sand dune area is huge; they seem to continue endlessly to the horizon billowing like a mass of waves.

The scenery becomes even more astonishing in the afternoons and cloudy days when the shadows begin to color the dunes in a multitude of colors.  It’s worth exploring this area further beyond the fenced lake bed valley. There’s a paved road that goes behind the dunes around to the other end of the lake. There are numerous off road spots that can be explored with a 4x4 from here.

Climbing the dunes by foot is certainly a strenuous effort, but well worth the struggle. Going up is a great exercise too!  The views from the top of the highest dunes are spectacular. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Tuwaiq escarpment and the farms far out in the valley.

Coming down the dunes is the most fun part! Some people run, roll, jump, or slide down the soft sand on various items. Special sand boards can be used the same way as snow boards would to ski down the hills.

Taking a car out to the dunes needs an experienced driver; getting stuck is a common occurrence even among the more experienced drivers. The tires should be deflated before entering the soft sand and a sand shovel and ladder will be essential in getting the stuck cars out of the sand.  Luckily there will always be friendly locals around ready to lend a helping hand!

To get to the Khararrah park from Riyadh take the Makkah highway west (route 40) proceed passing the check point and follow the road down the escarpment.  Continue on this road passing the exit to Dirab and Dhurma until you reach exit 7 Jau, take the exit and make a U-turn. You are now headed back towards Riyadh and will take the first service road on the right, then you’ll pass by a pink gas station called ZamZam gas station.

After the sign in English and Arabic for Kharrarah Park, turn right onto a road in rather poor condition. This road becomes a Tarmac road after a few hundred meters and then passes by some camel farms circling its way into the dune area. As the road winds up and takes a sharp turn to the right about 4 km from the main road, you’ll see a small white mosque on the right side of the road. The entrance to the lake valley is directly opposite from the mosque.

GPS co ordinates for Lake Kharrarah: 24° 24' 20.63" N 46° 14' 43.45" E

The pics on this post with the lake filled with water were taken on 3rd of May. The water was so deep people were swimming and paddling around the lake in various makeshift boats. it's recommended to go there extremely early on weekends because it gets very crowded, noisy and dusty in the afternoons.

Raghba And The Rolling Sand Dunes

For a nice day trip out of Riyadh, the village of Raghbah North West of the city is worth a visit. The old mud village has some interesting buildings and architecture, an ancient mosque and a watch tower which is possible to climb up and admire the views down to the city and the magnificent mountains in the background.

This enchanting little mud village is located about 120 km outside of Riyadh and is easily accessible even with a small car. Nearby are date farms, red mountains and lovely rolling sand dunes that grow small bushes and other flora perfect for a picnic. In the rainy season small bodies of water gathers in the deep folds of the dunes.

Raghbah makes for a fun day trip from Riyadh and it's really easy to find because of the prominent watch tower. The ruins of this town (built in 1669) are vast and the visitor can take hours to explore all it has to offer.

Many of the houses can be entered and explored from inside. Some have interesting details and there is one building especially well preserved with amazing detail inside. There are also wells and ruins of castles and walls on the outskirts of the town. The town has historical significance, it plays a role in the Najd history and it was invaded and destroyed by the Turks in the 19th century.There are two mosques and the larger one is called the Al-Tali' mosque, which is, like all the other buildings here made out of mud and straw. It's worth going inside the mosque and checking out the courtyard, small well for wudu (washing for prayer) and the amazing prayer hall which is lit by natural sunlight.

 The most interesting part is the Marqab watch tower on the west side of the town. The tower is quite tall and surprisingly narrow! It's possible to climb the tower's spiral staircase all the way to the top to get a great view of the whole town and the beautiful mountains and sand dunes in the distance. The climb up takes time because the way there is extremely claustrophobic experience! Not for the faint at heart and only one person can go up at a time, otherwise you will get stuck.

On a clear day you can see the escarpment in the distance. Although the town has been long ago abandoned, some very poor families and maybe illegal immigrants still live there.

Nearby the town are beautiful sand dunes, reachable with a small car if you don't venture out too far. With a 4x4 it's worth driving further out for better views but in general this place is has few other people around.

 The sand dunes seem to continue endlessly.

Be careful when driving here there are sudden holes and there might be water in them too!

To get here from Riyadh, from exit 4 take the Qassim road (65W) until you get to the exit called Huraimila. Then continue until you see the sign for Raghbah. The drive takes about an hour. Drive until you come to the small village and you cannot miss the mud village on your left hand side because of the watch tower visible from the road. The village is not more than 200 meters from the main road. Turn left when you spot the tower and you can drive into the village from any place you see fit.

To get to the sand dunes just continue on the road that lead you to the mud village and the dunes are best on the right hand side.

Rawdhat Khuraim- An Oasis In The Desert

The beautiful gardens of Rawdhat Khuraim can be found about 100 km outside Riyadh in the middle of the desert. An abundance of trees, bushes, birds and flowers welcome the visitor.

Rawdhat Khuraim is like a green oasis suddenly appearing from the desert. The area is so large that driving around it would take many hours. The best thing about this area is motor vehicles are not allowed inside. No quad bikes and suv's madly racing around! Just peaceful silence interrupted by only the chorus of the birds and sound of the leaves rustling from the wind.

Rawdhat Khureim is fenced all the way around and accessible by foot only. You must drive next to the fence and when you find a spot you like park your car and then proceed on foot. The further away you walk from the fence into the garden, the greener and quieter the area gets. Saudis usually stay close to the fence and don't walk further inside the garden.

The area inside is clean and free of trash, which is unfortunately a rarity for picnic places in Saudi. It's a lovely place to go walking, bird watching or just for a picnic and women can take their abayas off. On a weekday you can have the entire place to yourself.

The best time to visit the Rawhdat is during the cooler winter months and spring when the garden is in full bloom. The vegetation is green year round and many interesting plants can be found there. Migratory birds stop here and it's a bird watchers paradise.

After rains in the winter and spring months small "lakes" and streams form in the Rawdhat. This is when lots of Riyadhiens will come to the area for picnicking on weekends. If it gets crowded it's best to drive up North around the gardens, a trail runs next to the fence all the way around the area. A 4x4 vehicle is needed when driving on this trail!

Overnight camping is not allowed here and visitors should leave the park before 10 p.m when the rangers start roaming the area. Caution should be practiced when making open fires and visitors are expected to keep the place clean. Don't leave any trash behind and try to pick up anything you see. There are large trash cans outside the area.

Directions: From Riyadh take the Dammam highway (route 40E) toward Rumah. After about 40 km turn left to Rumah. Then drive another 55km and you will see signs for Rawdhat Khuraim on the right, just follow the signs and the gardens are easy to spot from the highway.
Turn towards Rawdhat Khuraim and by following this road you can the enter the park from anywhere you like, left or right hand side of the road. If you continue straight on this road you will reach the King's farm which is off limits to public and closed off with a large gate. To the left of this road the red sand dunes can be seen behind the garden.

For the most quiet places drive off to the right from the road, around to the back of the area beside the fence until you see a nice spot. The area is so huge you can drive for half an hour along the fence and still not see an end to the park. Alternatively you can go left from the road next to the red sand dunes but this place usually is more crowded because it's easier to reach. You can drive here with a normal car but if you wish to venture further you will need a 4x4.

 Warnings and tips: 
-Watch out for the thorny bushes especially at night. Don't wear flip-flops or crocs the thorns might puncture the shoes (believe me it hurts)

-It's best to leave the area before dark if your car is far away from you, carrying all the stuff back to the car in the dark is a nightmare (been there done that, see above)

-Don't take a strollers here that have air filled tyres, the thorns will puncture the wheels. Strollers with very small wheels might be hard to maneuver in the terrain. (pushing a stroller with flat tyres in the desert makes for a good work-out though)

-If you make a fire, use one of the fire trays that you can buy at all of the gas stations on the way to the desert. They are much safer. It's not allowed to use the garden trees for firewood so bring your own, it can be purchased on the road to the garden. (remember to bring a lighter so you don't have to rub sticks together  until your hands get blisters in them and then walk around the rawdhat looking for someone to borrow a lighter from and then get lost in the process and end up scaring your wife into thinking you got eaten up by some desert lizzards)

-Make sure you know where your car is parked. If you walk around and don't pay attention to your surroundings you WILL get lost. (not fun especially in the dark and carrying a baby, see part one)

-If you have children with you make sure they are wearing proper shoes like sneakers and long sleeve trousers. Don't let them out of your site they might easily get lost. (no need to call child protection services, we did not loose our kids there)

-Don't leave food lying on the ground, ants will soon take over your picnic. Instead, hang the foods packed in plastic bags on tree branches or keep them in the cooler. (ants especially enjoy climbing into opened cans of 7 Up in the dark)

-Don't play loud music here. It annoys the heck out of people who drove 100 km to enjoy the song of BIRDS not your crap. (includes watching loud Youtube videos from your iPhone)

-If you sit under a big acacia tree, check first if it has birds nests in it. You don't want bird poo-sauce on your sandwich (or any other food for that matter, trust me on this)

-Before you leave, try to check the weather forecast for sandstorm warnings. Check this post to find out what happened to us once: http://blueabaya.blogspot.com/2012/03/stuff-that-annoys-me.html

-Pick up all the trash you can carry out, do a good deed and you will feel good, promise!