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| Riyadh from above |
Wadi Namar located south of Riyadh is a popular picnic spot among friends and families who love to spend time with nature and relax.
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| Wadi Namar |
This beautiful valley runs down till wadi Hanifah
has separate amenities for both men and women like washrooms with ablution facilities and marked prayer areas with prayer mats.
The valley is equipped with more than 520 date palms across the pedestrian pathway, well light pathway, sitting area for picnickers overlooking the lake and pathways granting access for the picnickers' movement between the corniche and the lake.
This beautiful valley is a great place to take scenic photos and to unwind from day to day activities.
There is no entrance fee to this valley its a free access to the public. It is open throughout the week all-day. (source:arabnews.com)
Edge of the World or Jebel Fihrayn is located 90 km from Riyadh forms part of the Tuwaiq cliffs stretching over more than 600 km through central Saudi Arabia and once overlooked the ancient trade route used to cross the Arabian peninsula from Yemen into the Levant and Persia.
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| Edge of the World/Jebel Fihrayn |
Hikers can choose a range of routes but one must keep in mind to wear good climbing shoes as the path to get to the top has rugged terrain, steep climb and loose gravel. Keep an eye out for fossils- a holdover from when the region was once an ocean bed, camels and the remains of riverbeds crossing the valley below. It takes 15 to 30min to reach the cliffside with plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the view along the way.
The gates close at 6 PM so make sure you have plenty of time when opting to visit this site or choosing to camp in the acacia valley one can savour the sunset and star-studded night. The best time to visit is during the winter months as the sky is clear and temperatures are lower.
You can get there with an SUV with good GPS or choose to visit with tour guides offered by leading tour companies that have options of day-long excursions and camping overnight. This site is located on the Riyadh-Jeddah Highway. (source:visitsaudi.com)
Wadi Leban Bridge/ Suspension Bridge located at Exit 33 from the city of Riyadh has an awe-inspiring view overlooking Wadi Leban. Passing through the bridge one can feel at ease and amazed with the humongous suspended cables of the bridge.
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| Suspension Bridge |
This suspension bridge was designed by an Indian Architect, Mr Seshadri Srinivasan the very same who has designed the Bandra-Worli sea link or officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link in South Mumbai, State of Maharashtra, India.
One can go under the bridge by taking designated roads leading to Wadi Leban. Surely a scenic picnic spot with family and friends.
Al-Ha'ir lakes located to the south of Riyadh are 'in-line' with flows from the Wadi Hanifa a natural watercourse and wetland supplemented by groundwater and discharge from Riyadh, entering from the lake at the upstream end, and passing through the lakes and leaving at the downstream via a second weir.
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| Al-Ha'ir Lakes |
The depth of the stream in the valley ranges from 10-100 m and its width is approximately 1000m.
There are designated fire pits for barbeque and bonfire.
Fishing and swimming are not allowed and approach to deep waters is also prohibited. Please follow the instructions for your own safety.
The area does not have any food or snack carts available as it is still under development but nevertheless a beautiful picnic spot to spend with family and friends.
There is no specific entrance fee or timings to this place, one can spend their time as much as they like.
The park area is well-lit and has dustbins all over the place to dispose of your picnic waste and to keep the area clean. (source: Femiafz youtube channel).
Ain Heet caves or Dahl Heet is situated near Mount Al Jubayl in Wadi As Sulay in a small village called Heet situated in between Riyadh and Al- Kharj is only accessible caves in the vicinity of Riyadh.
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| Ain Heet caves / Dahl Heet |
The cave is called Ain Heet where Ain means 'eye' which can be clearly seen once you see the shape of the entrance of the cave.
As you go down the cave which has about 45 degrees descend you will find yourself a deep underground lake which is as clear as a crystal.
Diving in this crystal clear water is a fun activity but should be done only by trained professionals with proper equipment without these it can be dangerous to one's life.
The lake is about 30m deep and about 150m in length approximately.
To reach Ain Heet caves take an exit to Heet at Al-Kharj Highway, about 5km from the exit towards the east an off-road takes you these caves.
Make sure you plan your visit properly giving you plenty of time to reach and leave the place mostly when the sun is up so you can enjoy its serene beauty mostly during the day time.
(source: splendidarabia.com)
Thus, we have come to an end to another blog of ours and this time to a complete end of Riyadh: The Heart of Saudi Arabia blog series. In Sha Allah, in the near future, we are hoping to bring you the historical part of Riyadh which might take some time, nevertheless, you can always look forward to other blogs of ours.
For this part of the blog, we Thank Sara Sanobar for providing us with the beautiful Photos of Ain Heet caves and Al- Ha'ir lakes.
We hope you enjoyed reading this another adventure as much as we loved writing from our memories.
Until we meet again. في امان الله.
