The quick weekend getaway will take you to volcanic areas, caves, clear blue water, and black sand dunes in 3 days!

Day 1: Yanbu – Campsite

We were picked up from Yanbu Airport and driven to the campsite on a volcanic area. The area requires a 4X4 car.

The weather was pretty chilly and it picked up some wind in the middle of the night.

Day 2: Hiking

We started our day at 8 am for a 10km hike to explore 3 caves.

The trail is mostly flat ground with different terrains; hard lava, fine volcanic materials, flat sand.

To go down into one of the caves, we used a 6-meter ladder that’s already held in place. It’s safe!

You may want to consider taking an antihistamine and a mouth cover as the place is filled with heaps of bird waste.

We have been blessed with plenty rainfalls this year that plants grew in one of the caves.

We had our break with a warm cup of tea before heading back to the campsite.

Black Sand Dunes

Post lunch, we packed up and headed to an area known as “ارض القمر” which means the land of the moon.

As you can see, the volcanic materials are wearing off from the volcanic mountains. Over time, it created a vast area of black sand dunes

If you check google earth, you would be able to see the black area where we camped and the location of the black sand dunes located west of Al-Ais

Al Shabhah Town

As the sun sets, we visited the old town of Al Shabhah where we were greeted in the most traditional way by a group of kind locals.

The locals are putting together an effort to restore the old houses and artifacts of the area for visitors to enjoy.

They demonstrated a traditional way of making wheat bread which is by placing the dough directly on ash and covered with charcoal.

Then the bread is beaten to get rid of the ash and crumbled. Lastly, it is served with a lot of ghee.

It may not sound appealing but once you try it, you won’t be able to stop. It has a very distinct flavor and taste.

Then we camped by the seashore of Umluj.

Day 3 – Swim/Dive/Snorkel

We went to the boat rental spot in Umluj and hopped in one and went to the tiny islands spread around where we snorkeled.

Boat Rental Location: https://goo.gl/maps/v8srqfM9jp72

The water is crystal clear with many beautiful corals everywhere. 

I wanted to dive but there wasn’t enough time between diving and my flight.

We ended it with a feast of seafood!

It was one of the most exciting trips I experienced in Saudi and I recommend everyone to visit the locations mentioned!

Trip Organized by: Weekend Trip

Instagram: @weekendtrip1

Twitter: @weekendtrip1

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