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X-WR-CALNAME:Desert Dreams | Weekend in Alula + White Volcanoes of Medina, Saudi Arabia
METHOD:PUBLISH
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UID:b59b517f1f1b4e03e64a4a5123b1fd59
DTSTAMP:20260920T102151Z
DTSTART:20261002T163000Z
DTEND:20261004T183000
SUMMARY:Desert Dreams | Weekend in Alula + White Volcanoes of Medina, Saudi Arabia
DESCRIPTION: <div style="max-width: 650px; margin: 0 auto; background: #eeeeee; padding: 8px; font-family: Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif; text-align: center; color: #222222; border-radius: 12px;"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 100%; background: #ffffff; border-radius: 10px; overflow: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #000000; color: #ffffff; padding: 11px 10px; border-bottom: 4px solid #FDBB2D;"><strong style="color: #fdbb2d; font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px;">🇸🇦 SAUDI ARABIA</strong><br><span style="font-size: 12px; color: #eeeeee;">🕌 Medina &bull; 🌋 Harrat Khaybar &bull; 🏜️ Alula</span></span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 5px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">🗺️ Before becoming modern day Saudi Arabia, this land consisted of four distinct historical regions: Hejaz, Najd, and parts of Eastern Arabia (Al Ahsa) and Southern Arabia (&lsquo;Asir). These regions made up the Arabian Peninsula, that over centuries have played an important role in history as an ancient trade centre, the birthplace of one of the world&rsquo;s three major monotheistic religions, and our roots as a species.</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #fff7df; padding: 8px; border-radius: 7px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">🏺 About two-thousand years ago, the <strong>Nabatean Empire</strong> &ndash; the most prominent civilization in the Arabian Peninsula at the time &ndash; took control of local trade routes, developing their settlements into cities. <strong>They excelled at carving rocks made of sand</strong>, and eventually transformed the landscape on both ends of their empire into majestic metropolises.</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 5px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">🏛️ Jordan&rsquo;s Petra is typically associated with this great Empire, yet not many are aware that <strong>Hegra, Saudi&rsquo;s first UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong> - Hegra, is also a Nabatean relic, built in a climate and topography harsher than Jordan&rsquo;s; making what was accomplished in Saudi seem like an engineering miracle from the past.<br><br>🏜️ However, <strong>Alula is only a part of vast Saudi landscape</strong>, now fully open for explorations!</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #f2f2f2; padding: 8px; border-radius: 7px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">🌋 It&rsquo;s not widely known that parts of Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s landscape stretch across 2,000 dormant volcanoes dating back thousands of years.<br>Known in Arabic as <strong>Haraat, the lava fields</strong> are nothing uncommon here, reaching even a mere <strong>8.2km away from the mosque of the Holy Prophet in Medina</strong> &ndash; Saudi&rsquo;s fourth largest city and one of the holiest.'</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 5px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">🌋 One of such volcanic fields is Harrat Khaybar, spanning an area of 14,000 square kilometers. Located approximately 137 kilometers northeast of Medina, this volcanic field was formed over the past 5 million years through eruptions along a 100-kilometer vent system. <strong>The most recent eruption recorded here occurred between 600-700 AD.</strong><br>The landscape of Harrat Khaybar is marked by <strong>several towering volcanic cones</strong>. However, what makes it even more unique is the <strong>presence of white volcanoes</strong>, formed from a more viscous and silica-rich lava. A view of <strong>impressive 2 km wide crater is something that can not be missed while visiting Saudi!</strong></span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #1F4E79; color: #ffffff; padding: 9px 8px; border-radius: 7px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">🚙 For all its worth, we will start our weekend mini-expedition in Medina, take a sneak peak at Holy City before we head off to volcanoes, stretch the legs on white crater and continue to Alula, visit famous Hegra site with few stops at Elephant Rock and Arch. Given that Saudi&rsquo;s tourism is still in its infancy, there is no better time to go than now, so yalla!</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; padding: 7px 8px 4px; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; color: #1f4e79;">🚀 Let's go!</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #f2f2f2; padding: 8px; border-radius: 7px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><strong style="color: #1f4e79;">✈️ FRIDAY / DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN MEDINA</strong><br>Catch an evening flight to Medina airport, and upon clearing immigration check in to our accommodation for overnight.</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 5px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><strong style="color: #1f4e79;">🌋 SATURDAY / DAY 2: MEDINA - HARRAT KHAYBAR</strong><br>Shortly after breakfast we will head off to Medina for a quick view on its Holy Mosques, destinations for endless pilgrimages from around the world. Last coffee stop and we hit the road to Haraat for a proper 4WD off-roading across lava fields. As we arrive to the bottom of white volcanoes and start the hike, our team will set up a picnic camp with Saudi tea or coffee. In the afternoon, we leave the glorious Saudi&rsquo;s volcanic range and set the compass on Alula, where we will arrive on time for local dinner and overnight at farmhouse.</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #f2f2f2; padding: 8px; border-radius: 7px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><strong style="color: #1f4e79;">🏜️ SUNDAY / DAY 3: ALULA: HEGRA &amp; CO.</strong><br>After breakfast we head out to explore Hegra and the desert curiosities nearby. We will not hesitate to score a selfie with Elephant Rock, the Arch and take a look at petroglyphs, before we arrive to Pink Camel for a high tea. In the afternoon we will go the last desert drive, this time heading back to the Tabuuk airport to catch our flight home.</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 5px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">🥾 <strong>Activities:</strong> Trekking, sightseeing, off-roading.<br>📈 <strong>Grade:</strong> Easy, with short but steep hike up the crater. Available to everyone.<br>🏨 <strong>Room &amp; Meals:</strong> Hotel and guesthouse - double sharing. Meals excluded.</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #1F4E79; color: #ffffff; padding: 9px 8px; border-radius: 7px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">💰 <strong style="color: #fdbb2d; font-size: 18px;">Cost: AED 4,950 AED</strong> all-inclusive of flights <strong>until SEP 20.</strong><br>⏳ Past this date cost will change.</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #fff7df; padding: 8px; border-radius: 7px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">🚫 <strong>Specifically Excluded:</strong><br><br>- Evisa,<br>- Insurance,<br>- Meals.</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 8px 5px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">🛂 <strong>Visa:</strong><br>Visas not included in the trip budget, <strong>UAE / GCC RESIDENTS can now obtain E-visa</strong>: <a style="color: #1f4e79; font-weight: bold;" href="https://visa.visitsaudi.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://visa.visitsaudi.com/</a>. It is sole responsibility of participant to secure admission to the country of destination.</span><br><a style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #1F4E79; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; padding: 11px 8px; border-radius: 7px; border: 1px solid #163b5c; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;" href="https://visa.visitsaudi.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">🛂 CHECK SAUDI E-VISA &nbsp; &rarr;</a><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 7px 5px; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">✅ All details available to confirmed RSVPs.</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; padding: 6px 8px 3px; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">🇸🇦 See yah in Saudi x</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; padding: 5px 8px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">🥾 Trekkup Crew</span><br><span style="display: inline-block; padding: 6px 5px 4px; font-size: 12px; color: #666666;">💬 Need help with the trip?</span><br><a style="display: inline-block; width: 92%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #FDBB2D; color: #000000; text-decoration: none; padding: 10px 8px; border-radius: 7px; border: 1px solid #d99a00; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;" href="https://wa.me/971585506081" target="_blank" rel="noopener">🙋 CHAT SUPPORT &nbsp; &rarr;</a><br><span style="display: inline-block; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: #000000; color: #ffffff; padding: 7px; margin-top: 8px; font-size: 10px;"><strong style="color: #fdbb2d;">CLUB DUNES</strong> &nbsp; &bull; &nbsp; ALL NATIONS, ONE CLUB</span></span></div>
LOCATION:Terminal 2 Airport Road - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
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