Saudi Arabia's Undiscovered "Petra" - AlUla & Hegra (An Unmissable Cultural Travel Guide)

AlUla (Al Ula) is destined to become the best known tourist attraction of Saudi Arabia. Travel magazines around the world have already paraded images of the spectacular rock tombs of Hegra and heralded the "new Petra". The tourists have started to arrive (a trickle now but soon to be a flood) and in this film I'll provide an insight into what lies in store for this new "bucket list" destination. What is special about Al Ula? Let me show you...

AlUla is located in northwest Saudi Arabia and for centuries has attracted people taking advantage of the fertile oases in an otherwise inhospitable desert. It became a vital crossroads along the legendary incense-trading routes running from Egypt and modern day Jordan in the north down to southern Arabia. Hegra, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the principal southern city of the Nabataean kingdom (better known for their capita city at Petra) , a civilisation famed for its spectacular monumental rock tombs.

But there is more to AlUla than Hegra. The town itself has a variety of districts but the tourist focus is on Old Town AlUla (an abandoned labyrinth of narrow streets now in the process of deep renovation) and Al Jadidah, which is fast becoming the arts district and the place to sip a latte or an iced tea.

In this film I take you on a short tour of Hegra (which can only be undertaken as part of a guided tour) as well as a stroll around the sights of AlUla itself. The surrounding landscape is also a key part of this destination's appeal. Erosion has carved a staggering array of rock sculptures , the most famous which is the staggering Elephant Rock.

The best resource for Alula, Hegra and the surrounding area is experiencealula.com. This is the local tourist agency through which all tour bookings should be made. I found them very helpful and the range of tour options is impressive and constantly growing.

#alula #hegra #experiencealula #visitsaudi

Filmed November 2023
Jonathan Wheeler
Travel Obscurer
www.travelobscurer.com
@travelobscurer
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