SAUDI ARABIA The Forbidden Kingdom November 07 to 20, 2021 Led by professional Tour Lecturer Michel Behar - Spiekermann Travel
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
SAUDI ARABIA The Forbidden Kingdom November 07 to 20, 2021 Led by professional Tour Lecturer Michel Behar Can be combined with our Arabian Gulf tour (October 23 to November 07, 2021)
As the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia has been shielding itself from the eyes of the west for a long time, but time has come now that the
Kingdom is moving in huge steps towards modernization and openness. However, this is also a land with a vibrant cultural pedigree, aside
from its glitzy oilrich modern cities. Amongst the rock-hewn splendors of Madain Saleh and Madain Shoeb, you will explore Nabatean
heritage equal to what Petra offers. Most of the great empires of the ancient world traded with the Arabian Kingdoms that commanded
the important spice trade routes in the peninsula. Colorful markets, desert landscapes, coral reefs, rock engravings, ancient monuments,
traditional mud-brick cities, and imposing fortresses are abundant in a country that has so much to offer to those who choose to venture
in it &explore its enigmatic and intriguing side.
Ihab Zaki
Managing Director, Spiekermann Trave
Sunday, Nov 07 Arrival native development consisting of a stone tower and buildings;
USA - Jeddah including a museum that is replica of an Asir home two decades
ago, an auditorium, a traditional restaurant and a gift shop. Have
Upon arrival, meet, assist and transfer to the hotel for check in and lunch at a local restaurant in Bin Himsan Al Habala, the location
overnight. of the first cable car in Asir, named after an old village, located on
Note: Dinner provided only if you arrive to Jeddah prior to 8:00 a steep 400-meter cliff made famous by the people of Al Habala.
PM. (D) The inhabitants lived in stone dwelling clinging to the cliff-face
for the security and safety found in the rock walls. So sheer was
Monday, Nov 08 the Cliffside that the villagers, men and women- lowered them-
Jeddah selves down into ravine on ropes. Return to the hotel for your
overnight. (B,L,D)
Head for a morning visit to some of the old Ottoman houses,
mostly constructed from coral and reinforced with wood so that Thursday, Nov 11
beams crisscross the interior walls. The most beautiful & well Abha - Al Ula
known is Nasif House (from outside), which was built during
the 1850’s by the well-known Nasif Family, one of the most in- After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Al Ula via
fluential trading families in the history of Jeddah. In the 19th and Jeddah or Riyadh; arrive and connect to your next flight to Al Ula.
early 20th centuries the house was one of the most important Meet and transfer to our luxury camp for check-in and lunch. This
buildings in Jeddah. Here King Abdul Aziz spent his first night in afternoon you’ll visit the old houses, and the Lion Tombs from
Jeddah, as the guest of Mohammed Nasif, after he led his victo-
outside the magnificent iconic Elephant Rock. Have dinner and
rious army into the capital of the Western Province. Lunch at a
local restaurant, then continue to visit the corniche of Jeddah overnight at the camp. (B, L,D)
(sea-side promenade), a major attraction that acts as an open-air
museum displaying an array of modern sculptures and gather- Friday, Nov 12
ing social place for locals. Then head to visit Altaybat Int’l City for Al Ula (Madain Saleh)
Sciences and Knowledge also known as Abdul Rauf Khalil Art
Start the day with visiting the archaeological site of Madain Saleh,
Museum. Which is a very beautiful museum that houses endless
collections of arts, ethnography and archaeology artifacts. Return visiting the Nabatean Well, Qasr Al Bint, Diwan and Al Farid Pal-
to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D) ace. Continue to Wadi Al Ula, gateway to Madain Saleh, which is
known for its Lion of the Lihyanites - predecessors of the Nabate-
Tuesday, Nov 09 ans (100 to 500 BC). Madain Saleh known as “Al Hijr” in the an-
Jeddah - Abha cient times, and which served as a stopover on a very prosperous
trade route. The cities flourished over a vast area that is now quite
Today you’ll head to visit the colorful Fish Market, then transfer to isolated and it encompasses 2000 sq meters of relics and tombs.
the airport for your flight to Abha. Upon arrival, meet and transfer Return to the camp for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)
to the hotel for check in then head to visit the traditional baskets’
market and Muftaha Village Art Gallery. This evening, you’ll vis- Saturday, Nov 13
it a typical Saudi home to experience the interaction with local Al Ula - Al Jouf
people. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)
This morning drive to Al Jouf via Tima, were you will see the
Wednesday, Nov 10 Haddaj Water Well, Al Hamra Palace and Radham Fort. Continue
Abha (Khamis Mushayt) on the drive to visit Dowmat Al Jandal. This ancient stone fortress
is also known as Marid Castle, and is 2,000 Ft high and was built
Asir, with its capital at Abha, is mainly a highland province and with stones on a hill that majestically overlooks the old city. In
includes the entire area of southwest Saudi Arabia till the Yemen the city, visit Omar’s mosque, named after the second Moslem
border. Begin your full day excursion with a visit to Mount Souda, Caliph: Omar Ibn Al Khatab then drive to Al Jouf and transfer to
Khamis Mushayt, and Hamsan Village. We’ll first stop at the top the hotel for check in, dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)
ofMount Souda, located in the Hejaz Mountains. We continue to
Khamis Mushayt, an industrial city about 25 km east of Abha. The Sunday, Nov 14
city’s antique silver market is its chief tourist draw. Stop at Bin Al Jouf - Hail
Hamsan Traditional Village on the outskirts of town, an imagi-
We begin our day with a visit to Sakaka Fort, situated on high
ground overlooking the town of Sakaka from the northwest; it is small portions of the intricate caves. Continue on to the 17th cen-
the center of many legends, but it’s widely believed that this for- tury AD Ottoman Turkish Fort and the mosque it houses with-
tress was built in the 7th century BC and mud construction was in its walls, which was built in 1571 AD Also, visit Al Qausaryyah
added to it in the 3rd century AD. It is known as Zaa’bal Fortress Souq and the oldest Souq of Hafouf, before transferring to the
or Zaa’bal Palace, then continue to Al-Rajajil the site of a group hotel for check in and overnight. (B,L,D)
of standing stone pillars that date back to the Chalcolithic peri-
Friday, Nov 19
od. Continue to Hail via Nafud Desert, visiting on-route Jubbah
Al Hafuf - Dammam
to see the magnificent rock carvings and petroglyphs showing
camels, lions, and other wildlife that existed in these region mil- Begin your morning with a drive to Dammam, to visit the King Ab-
lennia ago. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for check in, dinner dul-Aziz Center for World Culture “Ethraa”. Afterwards, transfer to
and overnight. (B,L,D) the hotel for check in and overnight. (B,L,D)
Monday, Nov 15 Saturday, Nov 20
Hail - Riyadh Dammam - USA
In the morning, view the Oraif and Qishla Forts “from outside” (as Very early morning transfer to the airport for your flight back home,
some of the historical Forts might be under renovation), then transfer arriving USA the same day. (B)
to the airport for your flight to Riyadh. Upon arrival, meet and transfer
to the hotel for check in, dinner and overnight. (B,L,D) “We (STS) reserve the right to change hotels, restaurants or the
order of activities, cities visited, or sites if/as needed”.
Tuesday, Nov 16
Shagra - Ushaiger - Riyadh
Start your day by driving to Ushaiger, a small village 200 km NW
of Riyadh. The village is one of the oldest towns in the Saudi re-
gion of Najd and it was a major stopping point for pilgrims com-
ing from Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran to perform Hajj. Ushaiger historical
village is restored to preserve its heritage and has a museum,
which displays various relics and pieces from the village. We will
have lunch at a local restaurant then continue to Shagra to visit
the old walls that used to protect the city from attacks. It was
built in the early 18th century and was in use until the mid-20th
century. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)
Wednesday, Nov 17
Riyadh
Start your day by visiting Diriyyah, one of the most important
sites, from where the history of Al Saud Dynasty began. It is the
old townwhere you will walk through its ruins seeing the pal-
ace, the houses and the marketplace. Continue to Musmak Fort
which was built during the reign of Abdullah bin Rashid in the
year 1895 A.D. Afterwards, see Dira Souq then stop for lunch at a
local restaurant. Afterlunch, head to visit the National Museum,
meant to kindle pride in the Arab heritage and reverence for Is-
lam. This national landmark is composed of eight galleries telling
the complete story of Arabian History from the creation of the
universe to our modern era. Next visit the Murabba Palace which
is among the most important palaces built by King Abdul-Aziz
in the year 1937 A.D. to accommodate his family and was com-
posed of a number of a smaller palaces, service buildings and the
Royal Divan. This palace was built on the local traditional Najid
style by using local building material only. Return to the hotel for
dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)
Thursday, Nov 18
Riyadh - Al Hafuf
Depart in the early morning for Al Ahsa / Al Hafuf, considered the
largest oasis in the world. Visit the Al Qara Caves, which consist
of calcareous sandstone and sedimentary rock of clay and lime.
The Jabal Al-Qarah Hills rise about 225 meters (738 ft) above sea
level and include a complex set of passageways. The site has iron
railings and smooth walkways to allow visitors to safely navigate
About your lecturer... Michel Behar: “Lecturer Michel
Behar, boasts an impressive list of credentials and Tour cost (Land Only): $7,495.00
just reading through it makes you want to meet this per person sharing in double occupancy
person and share the road with him. A Dutch cit-
Single Supplement: $995.00
izen, after his studies of Russian and Arabic in the
Netherlands he took a course of advanced Arabic Price based on group size minimum of
at the University of Khartoum in Sudan. Fluent in 6 participants and maximum of 14 participants
12 languages including Farsi, English, Turkish, and Trip Grade: II Lodging Level: ***-****
French, he has an understanding of 7 others. He has
been a tour manager since 1987 leading groups for US, Dutch, Swiss,
German, and British companies. He has led custom tours as a leader/photographer/Lecturer for many prestigious museums, universities
and other institutions. He has traveled extensively throughout the world, and led tours to all 21 Arab countries and for the last 20 years
has turned his passion for photography into a second career. He also led tours to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Touring has afforded him the
opportunity to capture stirring images from out of the way places in Iran, Pakistan and Mongolia just to name a few. His work has been
exhibited in museums in the Netherlands and New York. He currently lectures on current affairs related to the Near East and the ethnic
groups inhabiting this region. During this same period he has dabbled in journalism writing for several European newspapers on topics
as varied as technology and economics.He writes travel blogs and has done freelance work for travel guides and likes of course what else
World Music. He also is an expert in Sahara led tours such as in Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Egypt, Ethiopia,
the Horn of Africa, and West-Africa.”
Tour includes: Tour does not include:
• All transfers with assistance and luggage porterage. • International air from New York-JFK/Jeddah and
• Transportation within country using A/C motor coach. Riyadh/New York-JFK, Roundtrip coach class. (Approx. $1,000).
• All mentioned accommodations in 5* hotels (or best • Saudi Arabia Visa - $249.00 at time of printing plus
available in smaller towns 3-4* in some places). handling fees. Passport should not include any Israeli stamps.
• All meals as listed (B: breakfast, L: lunch and D: dinner). • Beverages with meals and meals not noted.
• All entrance fees to visited sites (mentioned in the itinerary). • Trip surcharge to operate below required minimum participants.
• Service of professional English-speaking tour guide • Items of a personal nature, i.e. souvenirs, laundry,
along some local guides at various cities and sites. phone calls, emails, etc.
• Bottled water on bus during touring days. • Dayroom or extra hotel nights necessitated by
• Assistance in obtaining visa approval letter. airline flight schedule changes.
• All gratuities to guide, porters, drivers, hotel and • Transfers if arriving or departing on flights that are
restaurant staff etc at different times than the group.
• Travel protection insurance.
Trip Grade:
II Active: Some hikes, slightly more demanding walks at or to some
ancient sites; few elevations, comfortable but busy schedule and some
long rides and extensive drives.
Lodging Level:
*** -**** Superior: In large cities 5 stars’ hotels and in some small-
er towns, lodges and hotels with limited amenities, average service and
comfort level acceptable to western standards. (3 or 4 stars).
Special Trip Remarks: Saudi Arabia is a dry country. Alcohol is ab-
solutely forbidden (as are narcotics and pornographic materials). Dress is
modest and women do not need to cover their heads. They should wear
abayas at all times (which will be provided by the agency in Saudi Arabia
the next day after arrival). Be advised that you will be fingerprinted and un-
dergo a retinal scan upon arrival in the country. Also be aware that most
places in the Kingdom shut down between noon and 3 pm every day, as
well as, several other times during prayers and often the group will be re-
turned to the hotel for some free time during these periods. Women do
NOT have to cover their hair. In addition, sometimes sites can be closed
for no foreseen reasons or authorities can also deny visit of certain places
without prior notice and we (STS) are not responsible for any such events/
acts. Also note that some days entail very long drives along barren terrain.
.
Spiekermann Travel Service, Inc. 18421 East Nine Mile Road, Eastpointe, MI 48021
Phone: 1-800-645-3233 Fax: 586-775-9556 www.mideasttrvl.com info@mideasttrvl.com
You can also read
