Swimming has long been renowned for its calming effect on mind and body, but to elevate this wellbeing exercise, dive into the rock pool at at Banyan Tree AlUla, one of the most luxurious hotels in the Middle East. Utterly unique – and highly Instagrammable – this beautiful and relaxing infinity pool stretches out between two towering sandstone cliffs on either side to give swimmers an extraordinary view of Ashar Valley.
With its deep crimson and dark purple rocks, the volcanic landscape of Khaybar offers a geological and sensory experience that is unlike anything else you may have seen. Take part in the Khaybar Heritage Tour and prepare to be immersed in an ancient oasis that is barren and desolate yet beautiful and enchanting. Also sitting atop the viewpoint are stalls with Bedouin handcrafts that give a snapshot of a more traditional way of life.
Seeing AlUla’s canyons from the ground level is one thing, but to really switch up your experience of these majestic cliffs, strap yourself in for the Giant Swing. Helmet buckled and harness locked, brave adventurers step out onto a platform that perches 85 metres above the canyon floor below. Then, they drop down and swing effortlessly through the canyons in a heart-pumping arc that provides a truly unique perspective of AlUla’s golden cliff walls.
History and its many layers naturally create an aura of mystery and nowhere is this more keenly felt than in the deserts around AlUla where the seemingly otherworldly mustatils lie. Numbering more than 1,000, these neatly arranged, man-made stone structures are thought to date from the Neolithic Era around 7,000 years ago, but continue to puzzle archaeologists. Take a helicopter tour to get the ideal vantage point of these bizarre stones.
The rich history of Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been brought vividly to life for the modern visitor through a piece of pioneering technological trickery. Visitors on a vintage Land Rover tour of the landmark and its famous tombs can now explore previously restricted parts of Hegra by wearing augmented reality glasses for a breathtaking experience that fuses narration, music, sound effects and 3D content to paint a realistic picture of this ancient archaeological site.
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