Venture out into the natural world under the cover of darkness and you’ll feel a deep connection to the landscape as you become enveloped in a captivating choreography of shadows. When daylight fades, your eyes take a back seat and allow other senses to come to the fore, opening up new pathways of thought. As your legs begin to move, your mind begins to wander.

Night hiking is a lesser-known activity that can be experienced in AlUla in the heart of the Sharaan Nature Reserve. Here, the mountains of the Hidden Valley welcome night hikers on a gentle 5km trek of 90 minutes through the ancient soft sands of northwest Arabia.

As people we are, of course, most familiar with hiking in daylight. But hiking at night offers an entirely different physical and emotional experience. Without daylight to illuminate your path, the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other suddenly becomes unfamiliar, it becomes exciting, it becomes an adventure.

Turn your gaze upwards and let your mind be overpowered by a rush of awe as you observe countless stars in AlUla’s dazzling night sky. Clear your thoughts, focus on the here and now, check in with your emotions, your body, your breath – and walk.