I have not been to Abha….yet, but it is high on my list of places to visit within the Kingdom. Abha is a popular destination in the Kingdom for vacationing for both Saudis and non-Saudis. Abha is located in the southwestern part of the Arabian peninsula and known for its mountains, valleys and fertile plains. It is a welcome respite from the searing heat of the arid desert. Abha is known for its many parks which include the Aseer National Park. The area also includes the Grand tourist lake project and Al Hebia Park which has cable car service! Additionally one can visit more than 56 different gardens when traveling to Abha. I’ve heard that one can also see monkeys (baboons) in their natural habitat in Abha and due to tourists feeding them, be careful as they have lost their fear of people.
If exploring nature is not ones favorite pastime, Abha also offers the Al Miftaha art village at the King Fahad Cultural Center. Here is where one can find and enjoy art works by Saudi painters and sculptors. Handicrafts, local honey, hand-woven products and many other souvenirs are available for those who enjoy shopping and finding a special memory of a trip to Abha. I should also mention that Abha includes the Shada archeological palace which dates to 1250 (Hijri) and is filled with numerous artifacts.
Abha hosts a five star Intercontinental hotel (966.7.224.7777) as well as the four star Al Bouaira (966.7.224.6458). No doubt once I have made my own trip to Abha I will be able to write a more descriptive post but I hope these musings have whet your own appetite about Abha. I have included a few pictures to show the contrast of this area with the traditional desert images of Saudi.
Filed under: Saudi Arabia, travel
Reasons enough to go there! I love the photo of the terraces.
I never knew Saudi Arabia had such landscapes.
Aafke,
I have been to the Asir province 2 times. The mountains and villages are beautiful. If you stray away from the cities and visit the mountain villages, you meet the most generous and pure people in the country. There is also old architecture homes and plenty of interesting artifacts.
I like the idea of developing tourism in the area to take advantage of the beauty. I hope it is done in a sensible manner as not to spoil the charm.
Just a small fact, the region receives huge amounts of rain as it is at the edge of the Monsoon system. Actually the high mountains in the area and West of Yeman are the reason Saudi is mostly desert. All of the rain is captured on the western part of the mountains and does not make it to the rest of the country.
very beautiful and great to see some Saudi country scenes. do you know what grows on the mountain terraces?
wow! Gorgeous!
just realized.. isn’t it 3:30 am there?
Refreshing change to read a story about Abha. Thank you Carol.
I have visited Abha few times, it is quite beautiful and enjoyed my summer vacations traveling the region. I really enjoyed the mountains and the warm hospitality of the locals.
Can anyone guess, who we must thank for developing the tourism industry of this region?
Here is another photograph from Abha:
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=2563861238&bg=white&size=large
p.s. do not worry, the picture is censor proofed…:)
I also did not realize Saudi had this type of landscape. I thought it was all desert.
Haleem,
It is amazing that Saudi does not advertise the southwest regions of Saudi. It is just a small part of the country, but it is still huge since Saudi is vast. These beautiful mountains cover an area of roughly 50,000 square kilometers which is 12 times as large as Lebanon (a tourist mecca). So definitely there is potential for tourism in the area. A lot of rules regarding entertainment and access have to be relaxed to get these benefits. If the government can overcome these issues, I think we can attract a significant number of visitors from the gulf countries.
You’ll see me continually writing, Saudi Arabia is full of contrasts and contradictions from the landscape and on!
I also suggest for those interested in seeing more than just desert in Saudi Arabia, do check out my flickr photos (on the right side scrolling down the blog for the various shots I took when visiting Maidan Saleh – also a must-see tourist destination).
Saudi in US: You could do it in Eco-tourism style. That is very fashionable, less of a strain to the environment, and attracts a very different class of tourists, not out to lay about in the sun all day do nothing, and get drunk in the evening.
However, they are the kind of people who would want to get out and hike, and interact with people, that might not be desirable to the more rigidly inclined.
It would also generate another positive outlook on the kingdom.
What a beautiful place!I’d love to come visit! Of course I’d have to win a contest or something,finances being what they are.Maybe some company will start one?Visit KSA the land of enchantment!Of course the ad would need to have an arabian nights theme…..
Seriously though,the pictures are stunning,I really wish I could visit.Keep us posted on when you go.
Eco-Tourism will not work fro Middle Easterners, hiking is not that big yet. Attracting large number of Westerners will mean relaxing many rules, which I do not see happening soon.
I was thinking more about family vacations for gulf countries. The rich families will still prefer European vacations, but there is a market for middle class families. It is not a major step to change a few rules like allow concerts, festivals and less segregation of men and women. In infrastructure you’ll need development of parks, hotels, Museums, amusement parks and theaters. People from Saudi and the Gulf love to go to places that have trees and green areas because they are not common. Saudi will get favorable status as it will be viewed as safe and has similar culture.
Saudi does have a surplus with the recent increase in oil to develop this industry. Even if we only attract internal tourist, it will be significant as a lot of money leaves the country for summer vacations.
ah, yeah, I was thinking of myself…. Your idea sounds vey good.
Always — thanks for your comment. I hope I can make it to Abha sometime after Ramadan for the weather will also be cooler then too.
Saudi in US — How I with the Ministry of Tourism would hire me… I’ve so many ideas on how to promote family oriented tourism in KSA. Ironically it seems that it is more of the expats in KSA who travel around and sightsee than the Saudis themselves. And yet, KSA has some outstanding sites and places to see.
I wish it were more common that one could rent an RV here and just travel around the Kingdom in your “hotel on wheels” for a week and have a great time!
You have opened a new view of KSA to me: complete with climate, people, and topography.
I am going through your entire blog site, but rarely commenting.
My view of KSA was very narrow- this is exactly what I was looking for to learn more.
Thank you- well done.
Oh, I agree the hiking visitor is far better than others- far less negative aspects to the host country and far more people to people understanding with that approach.
Thanks for your comment baguano and again, welcome.
When I saw the pictures the place looked very familiar. Having never been to Saudi, I know I hadnt been there before so I had to look it up on a map.
Now I know why it looked familiar, especially with the buildings, it reminds me a lot of some of the places I have traveled in Yemen that have the same high mountains, greenery, rain and buildings.
I’d love to visit this place!
We have been wanting to go to Abha for a while too after hearing so much about it from a friend who lived there for several years – I’ve heard that the summer temperatures are excellent – not really exceeding 30 degrees. Let me know when you go Carol, I’ll come too!
It looks so incredible…especially living here in the heart of Riyadh where everything is pretty brown at the moment! I hope to go after Ramadan.
But it seems you have to be muslim to see this wonderfull landscapes.
What if you are christian?
@Wolfgang – The only areas restricted to those of the muslim faith are the ‘Haram’ areas in the holy cities of Makkah and Medina. Therefore, the majority of the country is open to explore and discover.
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