Looking back on my recent trip to Saudi, I can say with complete certainty that it wasn’t just one of the best “tourism” trips I’ve been on - it was one of the top 2 or 3 trips I’ve even been on in my life; and I say that being fully aware it was only four days long. Our days were packed full of adventures, education, meeting with local people, and being introduced to the culture and customs of this nation and region.

The culture of Saudi is unlike other countries I’ve visited before, even countries in the Middle East. The people surprised me more than anything. Everywhere I went, I was welcomed with open arms and greeted with traditional Arabic coffee or a meal. It was surprising and exciting to discover that the country is filled with rich heritage, vibrant culture and breathtaking natural beauty.

Our guide Samir. (a couple trips before us he was the personal tour guide to Leo Messi, wild)

Arabic coffee in and of itself was a trip highlight for me. In the world of coffee, there are two central strains of bean: arabica and robusta. Arabica, of course, originates in the Arabic world, and is the predominant bean used in coffee all around in the world. The major difference between Saudi coffee culture is in the roast, as well as in the serving and consumption techniques. Saudi coffee is about the lightest roast in the world, the beans ground alongside cardamom seed, and served by a traditional Arabic style coffee pot into small glasses several times smaller than mugs found in the west.

Sergio from Barcelona trying Arabic coffee for the first time

During the four days we were in country, we visited over a dozen key locations and equally split our time between the inland capital city of Riyadh and the coastal city of Jeddah.

Riyadh from the Skybridge June 4th 2022. In two years time there will be towering buildings to the horizon.

Riyadh is a bustling metropolis; one of the youngest cities in the world by age, and fastest growing cities in terms of population. Rising out of the centre of the an-Nafud desert, this city formerly known as “Hajr” is home to an impressive 7.7 million people, almost 3 million more people than my entire home province of British Columbia.

Being among the desert as it is, it was so impressive to see a city emerging. It speaks to the resilience of the Saudi people in a tough environment, and the creativity of construction methods used. And of course being so close to the vastness of the desert sands created opportunities for us to get out and enjoy dunes hundreds of metres tall.

Brand new 2023 Toyota Fortuner. Fully built for long days in the sand.

We were picked up at 3am by a convoy of SUVs and headed straight for the desert in search of the largest dunes we could find. After about 1 hour of driving from central Riyadh, we came to dunes the size of small mountains and drove straight up. Witnessing sunrise among this vast desert was one of the most stunning things I have ever seen, and was starkly unlike so many of the landscapes I have photographed in my life. This one spot would be worth the whole trip there and I certainly plan to return to the desert of Saudi, as well as the mountains.

After our action packed time in Riyadh we hopped on a short flight and headed for the coastal city of Jeddah, along the eastern shores of the Red Sea. We checked into the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed at, House Hotel Jeddah, and used it as a home base to explore the city.

House Hotel Jeddah - yes it has a cappuccino bar in the lobby

The light and colours in here are unbeatable.

If you have seen a nicer swimming pool in your life, let me know. I haven’t.

The history of Jeddah struck me even more than Riyadh. We visited several historic sites and buildings and only scratched the surface of what is available. Many of the older buildings are built on foundations of coral stone, a method I never expected to be possible even after my long career in the construction industry. And some of these coral stone structures are hundreds of years old now and still standing perfectly. You can see them for yourself at the Al-Balad UNESCO Heritage Site. Al-Balad is also home to the oldest mosques in Saudi, with roots as far back as the 13th century.

The buildings of Al-Balad carry so much history. I have never seen this style of architecture anywhere else.

Roof top tea to end a long day of exploring the old city of Jeddah.

Additionally to the history and scenery of Saudi, my trip was made enjoyable and exciting by the amazing team I was with.

Our team from top left to bottom left clockwise: Nathaël (@northernelg), Dalia (@daliaaadel), Nikita (@nikitabathia), Natalie (@mygreatescapes), Cili (@cilibling), Akash (@a_mehta), Addis (@addismiller), Sergio (@sergiocarvajal7), me, Kimie (@kimiefrengler), Kinga (@kingasawczuk), Olek - Bella - Lily - Ula (@herewegoagain.blog), and the top row is the general manager of @thehousehoteljeddah and beside him (in white) is our tour guide Samir (@samir.komosani)

Kimie and Dalia work with the agency that created the whole trip. Being part of their 21st trip to Saudi, it was absolutely clear to me they are amazing at their jobs, know how to create a thriving team, and love the Saudi culture. It was an absolute privilege touring this amazing country with them.

All in all, Saudi blew me away and I can’t wait to go back. Four days was great, but I want to return for much longer.

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