SAUDI ARABIA: BEHIND THE VEIL
A Cultural tour of Saudi Arabia & Bahrain

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has for many years been behind the veil. The history and culture of the various regions and people that make up the largest country in the Middle East, is a fascinating one. With limited access, the culture of the Kingdom has seen very little influence of the outside world making this one of the least influenced cultures in the world. This journey to Saudi Arabia culminates in the Arab Sheikhdom of Bahrain – add another perspective to our understanding of the culture of the region.

Day 01: New York / Jeddah
We take off from New York (connections from other cities in the US and Canada available) on what will be one of the most exciting, educational and memorable journey of our life time. Our destination is the land behind the veil – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Day 02: Arrive Jeddah
We arrive at the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia where we are warmly received and transferred to our hotel. Evening we have a welcome dinner and are introduced to the Kingdom, its culture and attractions.
Overnight: Red Sea Palace, Jeddah (2 nights) ( D)

Day 03: Jeddah
Our KSA experience starts with a tour of the old city of Jeddah famous for its ornate wooden windows and its colorful market. We visit El Beit Nassif - Prince Nassif House - one of the finest traditional Jeddah houses undergoing preservation. This will be followed by a visit to the well stocked Abdul Rauf Khalil Art Museum. Following lunch, we will have the opportunity to go snorkeling in the Red Sea. Equipments available on rent. Evening we take a cruise in the Red Sea where we will also enjoy dinner on board. (B, L, D)

Day 04: Jeddah / Madina / Al Ula
Early morning transfer for our morning flight to Madina. Upon arrival, we drive north via Khayber having lunch on route. At Khayber, Charles Doughty of "Arabia Deserta" fame spent 4 months in captivity. His comb, books, and compass were all investigated. The Acropolis is situated atop a rocky prominent overlooking the oasis of date palms and the old town of Khyber. Visits to Khyber are subject to permits. As we travel north, we parallel the Hijaz where Ottoman Turks built the Hijaz railway line. Originally a railway line existed only between Constantinople and Damascus. To continue to Makkah, pilgrims had to travel by camel caravan, which took 2 months. Once the line from Damascus to Madinah was completed the journey time was reduced to 3 days. Financial assistance for this railway line came from all over the Arab and Islamic world and it took 7000 men to lay the sleepers and rail tracks. Not only did this track help pilgrims it followed the path of the historical Frankincense trails connecting from Wadi Hadhramaut in Yemen. Caravans traveling this route carried spices from the Indies, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, gold from the Kingdom of Saba, and frankincense and myrrh bound for the churches of Rome and the Pharaohs of Egypt. The cameleers transporting these goods were guided through from well to well by the Nabataeans who took 25 percent of the value of their goods for safe passage.
Overnight: Arac Hotel (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 05: Al Ula, Madain Saleh & the Hijaz Railway
We spend the day visiting Mada’in Salah. First discovered by Charles Doughty in 1876 when he was granted permission by the Turks to travel with a camel caravan of pilgrims on route to Makkah. Mada'in Salah is sister city to Petra and the ancient capital of the Nabataeans. The inscriptions Doughty discovered over the doorways were not to be found at Petra in Jordan. Using wet blotting paper he took imprints, which were sent to Paris. Later, these were discovered to be Tomb deeds dating between 100BC to 75AD. We visit the various tombs including tomb of Qasr Al Farid - a spectacular, carved from one piece of rock standing alone in the desert, Al Diwan - the main site of worship, etc. Mada'in Salah flourished between 100BC and 100AD and grew rich on the caravan trade which passed through from the incense-growing regions of southern Arabia. The Nabataeans were a Semitic people, formerly nomadic, who wrote in an early form of Arabic script. The tombs are on a monumental scale, similar to those at Petra but with more eastern influence in the design of their facades. There are lions, snakes, and roses embossed on some tombs. In the Koran Mada'in Salah is referred to by its Arabic name Al Hijr and how it was destroyed because the people here worshipped false gods. Next to the Mada’in Salah railway station is Qaal’at Al Hijr a relatively new caravanserai. These were built for pilgrims who traveled on camel caravans to Mecca. Caravanserai is a Persian word literally meaning 'Inn' where travelers would rest for the night. It was usually built in an oasis with a courtyard in the center. Off the courtyard are arches that would lead through to the various quarters that housed camels and livestock for the night. Alongside would be blacksmiths, coppersmiths, and bakers. On the second level were the sleeping quarters.
The Mada’in Salah Railway station is the largest and most complete of all stations. There are several buildings here, the main workshop and a small fort to accommodate 25 men. There are underground stores for explosives, more housing, a Rheinland locomotive and 4 Belgian-made carriages along with a water tower.
The Hijaz Railway line became well known from T. E. Lawrence the archaeologist turned flamboyant desert warlord. During World War I Turkey sided with the Germans and wanted control of the Suez Canal. The British, French, and the Arabs of the Hijaz, under the Hasehmite King Sherief Hussein, prevented this by staging attacks on the line to prevent the Turks from accessing the desert Kingdom and the Red Sea. During this period Saudi Arabia was still divided and was governed by princes in the different provinces. It was not completely unified by King Abdulaziz until 1932. Picnic lunch today. (B, L, D)

Day 06: Al Ula / Hail in the Great Nafud Desert
Today we take a desert drive to Hail. Hails is in the heart of the Najd. We will have a lunch of traditional foods from the region in an old adobe style house. We tour the old city of Hail, situated in the heart of the country. The Al Rashid family of Hail was once the ruling family in Saudi Arabia. We visit the old fort of I’raif situated in a prominent position overlooking the old city, with a commanding view of the surrounding desert terrain and the mountains of Jebel Selma and Aja followed by viewing of the Al Qashla Palace, an old two-story structure of adobe architecture.
Overnight: Al Jabalain Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 07: Hail / Riyadh
We continue our drive to the Kingdom’s capital city of Riyadh. Enroute we cross Al Qassim Buraida and Majmaah seeing the rural scenery and landscape of the Middle East’s largest country. Upon our arrival at Riyadh we are transferred to our hotel. Evening we visit the largest camel market in Asia seeing not only how the cadillacs of the desert are sold and bought, but we also get the opportunity to ride on one.
Overnight : Riyadh Palace (3 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 08: Riyadh
We start our Riyadh tour with a visit of the National Museum situated in the downtown area close to the old city of Riyadh. The exhibit displays the various artifacts from the Kingdom's archaeological finds, its history, Islam and modern day Saudi Arabia. It gives us an excellent insight into the country and its people. After lunch, we visit the Muraba Palace - the administrative palace built by King Abdulaziz. It was built in 1936 when his old palace was no longer able to contain his growing household and administrative staff. The Muraba Palace at that time lay about one mile north of the old walled city of Riyadh. King Abdulaziz moved into the Palace in 1938 and this was the beginning of Riyadh's expansion. On the first floor is the royal suite of receptions, or majlis. (B, L, D)

Day 09: Riyadh
A different facet of Riyadh we start the day with a tour of the old city of Riyadh. We visit Fort Musmak which dates from 1865, and played an important role in the history of the Kingdom. The Al Rashid family ruled the central region of Saudi Arabia until 1902 when King Abdulaziz returned from Iraq with his friend Ibn Jiluwi. Together with a small group of men, they attacked the Rashids at Fort Musmak. They rushed the entrance to the fort and the hole in the huge wooden door from the spear of Ibn Jiluwi remains to this day. This marked the beginning of the current Saudi dynasty. During the reign of King Abdulaziz, Musmak served as an arsenal, jail and storehouse. Today it houses a permanent exhibition with artifacts on the history of the building, recapturing the dramatic capture by King Abdulaziz and the unification of the Kingdom. There are old photographs of Riyadh, maps, plans of the city etc. Later we visit D’ira souq – home to the antique souq, gold souq and carpet souq followed by lunch on Thalateen Street, known as the Champs Elysees of Riyadh, because of its designer boutiques.
Dinner in a traditional Saudi restaurant where we are joined by local Saudis. (B, L, D)

Day 10: Riyadh / Hafuf
Another interesting day ahead as we are transferred to the local railway station for a train experience to Hafuf. At Hafuf we are transferred to our hotel. Late afternoon we visit the Hafuf Oasis and explore the Ibrahim Fort and the local souq. Hofuf is the principal city in the giant date-producing oasis of Al-Ahsa – one of the world's largest oases. Along with an extensive petrochemical industry, the city is famous for camels. People travel from all over Saudi to attend the weekly camel market – it's a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. Camel riding a possibility here. But the shopping in Hofuf is certainly not limited to camels. Visit the covered market or the women's souk (assuming you're of the fairer sex). You can start a unique collection of Bedouin jewelry and crafts because, unlike other imports, these items are difficult to find outside of the country. Keep an eye out for locally woven fabrics, carpet, rugs (made from camel wool) and local jewelry. We also visit the19th-century Qasr Ibrahim Fort and its more ancient mosque (which was built in 1566 by the Turks) and the Al-Ahsa Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography.
Overnight: Al Has Inter Continengtal Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 11: Hafuf / Dammam
From the oasis to the city now instead of camels and dates we talk about oil. Bordering the Arabian Gulf this is where in the 1930’s oil was first discovered in Saudi Arabia – changing the history of the region and of the world. Before the discovery of oil, Dammam and Al-Khobar were tiny fishing and pearling villages. Dammam is the administrative centre of the province and on one end of the Dammam - Riyadh railway. The first recorded settlement was here in 1923 and after the first ARAMCO camp, this region started growing rapidly. In the earliest days of oil shipment from the Kingdom, oil moved from a pier at Al-Khobar to Bahrain, where it was processed. Today, Al-Khobar is at one end of the King Fahad Causeway, a 25km feat of modern engineering that links the Kingdom to the island of Bahrain. Afternoon we take a tour of Dammam to include the Dammam Museum and the popular Cornniche area
Overnight: Holiday Inn, Dammam (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 12: Dammam / Bahrain
Morning we visit the Aramco Exhibition and then proceed to Bahrain.
Probably the most spectacular road construction project of all has been the building of the King Fahd Causeway, connecting the Saudi Arabian mainland with the island of Bahrain. On 11th November, 1982, the cornerstone of the bridge was jointly placed by King Fahd and the then ruler of Bahrain, Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa. This is a four-lane highway, 25 meters wide and about 26 kilometers long. Building works, costing US$ 1.2 billion, financed entirely by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were completed in 1986 (1406/07 AH) and the Causeway was opened to traffic at the end of that year. In the year 2001, 2.7 million cars, carrying over 10 million passengers, had used this causeway. We take the causeway to Bahrain. Upon arrival at the Kingdom of Bahrain, we are warmly received and transferred to our hotel.
Overnight: Al Dara Resort (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 13 Bahrain
After breakfast we start for our city tour, which includes visit to the Al Ali Burial Mounds, Bahrain Fort (view from outside only), the Camel Farm, the First Oil Well and the Tree of Life. In the afternoon visit the Bahrain National Museum. (B, L, D)

Day 14: Bahrain / departure
After an exciting journey covering the kingdoms behind the veil, we are transferred to the airport for our departure flight home. (B)

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Departure Dates

2008 English Speaking Departures Jan 27, Feb 17, Mar 09, Apr 27, May 18, Jun 08, Jul 27, Aug 10, Oct 19 & Nov 30

Inclusions

Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include International Airfares from New York Border/Departure/Airport taxes Meal Plan as mentioned (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) Visa fees for KSA and Bahrain Accommodation as mentioned or similar, including hotel taxes Travel Insurances All sightseeing and transfers Drinks/Beverages with meals Services of local English speaking driver/guide Tips/Gratuities to Drivers & Guides Entrance fees to museums and sites included in the itinerary   Domestic Air tickets Jeddah / Madina and train tickets Riyadh / Hafuf

Tour Price

We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.

2008 Group Size Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement 02 - 05 US $ 7410 • CA $ 7410 US $ 1015 • CA $ 1015 06 – 10 US $ 7190 • CA $ 7190 US $ 1015 • CA $ 1015

Estimated International Airfare - International Airfare included

Canada - West Coast N/A USA - West Coast N/A Canada - East Coast N/A USA - East Coast N/A

Participants

This tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum of 15 participants.

Notes

Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.