I learned about Mecca/Makkah when we discussed about the religions in the world in grade school. I can still picture out its simple textbook illustration where Muslims from all around the world flocked to the Holy Mosque to perform pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. I was fascinated by this place but unfortunately, only Muslims are allowed to enter the city to preserve its sacredness.
The city of Makkah may be closed to non-Muslims, but its neighboring cities deserve a visit while in the kingdom. We all crave for a different scenery sometimes, and the cities in the western region give just that. During the Eid al-Fitr holiday this year, my husband and I decided to take the long road trip to the Makkah province, specifically Ta'if and Jeddah.
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| The breathtaking Al Hada Road in Ta'if |
We left for the trip early morning. The landscapes along the highway during this trip were interesting and a little different. We passed by several farms and populated towns, unlike the Route 80M where it was all desert and a plenty of petrol stations. It was a long hot ride but we only took a couple of rest time because we wanted to be in Ta'if before it gets dark.
Here is the itinerary that I roughly arranged before the trip:
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| 3 Days 2 Nights in Makkah Province Itinerary |
Where did we stay?
We looked for a budget accommodation among many options through Agoda and finally booked a room with Al Saab suites. We booked two nights in the hotel for a fair price. Our experience in the hotel was good. The hotel looks old but generally clean. It also offers a free basement parking which came in handy since the hotel's location gets packed at night.
We noticed that the room was not well sound-proofed since we can clearly hear the noise from the lobby. During our last night in the hotel, we were waked by some loud baby cry from the lobby. We just went back to sleep and rested well. We didn't have any problem other than that.
We looked for a budget accommodation among many options through Agoda and finally booked a room with Al Saab suites. We booked two nights in the hotel for a fair price. Our experience in the hotel was good. The hotel looks old but generally clean. It also offers a free basement parking which came in handy since the hotel's location gets packed at night.
We noticed that the room was not well sound-proofed since we can clearly hear the noise from the lobby. During our last night in the hotel, we were waked by some loud baby cry from the lobby. We just went back to sleep and rested well. We didn't have any problem other than that.
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Double bed and entertainment space
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Where did we go?
Al Wahbah Crater, Ta'if: The first in our list is this 2 km wide crater located 250 km from the town of Ta'if. We followed the route going to the crater from Riyadh and arrived around noon. There were at least two cars checking out the crater. We took the rough road leading to one of the canopies to get a better view of the crater and the cliffs. It was hot when we went but the winds kept the temperature bearable. It would be interesting to take a hike down to the crater but preferably in the cooler months. After taking some photos, we headed to the hotel that we booked.
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| Al Wahbah Crater |
Al Hada Viewpoint, Ta'if: Most people, especially families with children, may opt to ride a cable car going to one of the roads located down the Al Hada Road, but not us. We are not comfortable with heights, especially my husband, so we checked out the amazing,winding Al Hada road at the designated viewpoint. The lights from the moving cars look great from above.
We also drove down the Al Hada road on the way to Jeddah the next day. And what a tense ride it was! Most of the cars sped up even along the curves. I also saw some baboons on the side of the roads waiting for food, but sadly, we didn't find a good place to stop.
We also drove down the Al Hada road on the way to Jeddah the next day. And what a tense ride it was! Most of the cars sped up even along the curves. I also saw some baboons on the side of the roads waiting for food, but sadly, we didn't find a good place to stop.
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| Al Hada Viewpoint |
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| Spell Jeddah |
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| Jeddah Corniche |
We then went to the Red Sea Mall and Mall of Arabia to check out where to eat. After roaming around the malls and taking lunch, we drove around Al Balad district. We didn't get down though because it was hot outside and we're not planning to buy anything there. There were more places worth checking out in Jeddah but we didn't have enough time since we had to go back to Ta'if that night (because our hotel was there).
Ta'if Zoo: Back in Ta'if, we went to the Ta'if Zoo before noon. A few families were in the zoo when we went. There were ongoing renovation and extension at the moment but they are still open to public. The animals in their display cages were limited and generally in poor condition. A few like the lion and the bear were suffering from open wounds. They looked malnourished. Some of the names were misplaced if not wrong, and some cages were crowded. I hope that the management took better care of the animals along the renovations that they're making.
Ta'if Zoo: Back in Ta'if, we went to the Ta'if Zoo before noon. A few families were in the zoo when we went. There were ongoing renovation and extension at the moment but they are still open to public. The animals in their display cages were limited and generally in poor condition. A few like the lion and the bear were suffering from open wounds. They looked malnourished. Some of the names were misplaced if not wrong, and some cages were crowded. I hope that the management took better care of the animals along the renovations that they're making.
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| This wounded lion looked lonely |
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| Gazelles eating zucchinis |
This trip to Jeddah and Ta'if turned out fun and we hope to visit other towns while here in the kingdom.
* Photos taken by my husband, Michael
* Photos taken by my husband, Michael
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