We arrived at the charming 15th-century stone village of Dana, which dangles beneath the King’s Highway on a precipice, commanding exceptional views of the valley below. That valley and the surrounding area make up the Dana Biosphere Reserve. The village of Dana has been occupied...
Cliffs of The Edge of the World (1131 m) dramatically rise from the desert just around 80 kilometers northwest of Riyadh. The Edge of the World (Jebel Fihrayn) is an unexpected and dramatic geological wonder in the rocky desert. It earned its nickname because you have an uninterrupted...
In Northern Oman, just off the road between Dibab and Bimmah, a limestone hole (known as Bimmah Sinkhole) is formed six hundred meters from the sea in an otherwise flat area, resulting in a turquoise mix of fresh and salt water. Geologists have confirmed the 20-meter deep pool is, in...
We stopped next to the deep sinkhole (100 meters wide and 211 meters deep), known as the Well of Birds, discovered in 1997 by a team of Slovenian explorers. It gapes without warning in a corrugated landscape of rock covered in thicket. A small path leads from the car park to a viewing...
We spent one night in Oman’s most spectacular bay with the azure sea, which ends in a set of sheer cliffs that reach towards the Yemeni border. We wandered towards Al Marneef Cave, where the rock pavement leads down to Mughsail Blowholes. There, seawater jets dramatically erupt from vents...
It is a fascinating place to witness the production of raw salt from a vast area of land bordered to its west by the massive dunes of the Ad Dahna desert. Although it has been famous since ancient times for its high-quality salt, it produces about 200,000 tons of salt annually and is...
We drove from Al Thamad for 70 kilometers through the extensive Harrat Khaybar lava field. At the Ranger’s Station, we had to turn right and drive off-road through the lava fields and hills to explore the area. It was tough to navigate because Google doesn’t know the area...
It is the largest and deepest volcanic crater on the Harrat Kishb basalt plateau. Al-Wa’bah Crater is 250 m deep and is 2 km in diameter. It is surrounded by Al Luhayan, Umm Rilan, and Zabna mountains, forming a scenic view. The bottom of the crater is covered with white sodium...
Our last stop in the beautiful World Heritage-listed Azat Valley was Garni Temple and the Symphony of Stones rock formation. Garni Temple (🎫1500 AMD) was built by Armenia’s King Trdat I in the 1st century AD. This Hellenic-style temple on the edge of a gorge overlooking the Azat River was...
The lovely and quiet tiny village of Soğanlı is 36km south of Mustafapaşa. We hiked for a few hours through its valleys – Aşağı (Lower) Soğanlı and Yukarı (Upper) Soğanlı. There are hidden several rock-cut churches carved from the soft tuff stone. Byzantine monks inhabited the valley from...