5 experiences to have in AlUla’s Oasis

As it is today, AlUla has always been a place where people come together. Whether they were the badawi (bedouin) who lived in the desert, fatigued traders along the incense route or pilgrims on their way to the holy cities, AlUla was a crossroads of civilisations where people arrived to rest, eat and exchange stories. They were drawn here due what is, perhaps, the most important feature of the landscape – its abundantly fertile emerald paradise that is the oasis. Natural springs ran under the sands of AlUla and lush green palm trees, laden with dates, grew on the land providing not only a place to rest but also a welcoming climate and surroundings. Today, visitors can experience AlUla’s oasis for themselves. Here are five ways you can enjoy the oasis that has provided sanctuary for travellers for millennia…

AlUla’s oasis is a different experience after dark (Experience AlUla)

There’s a great deal to be said for experiencing the oasis after sunset. AlUla’s oasis is entirely accessible and its trails are gently lit after dark. This is an experience that is popular with both local families and tourists alike making it a great way for visitors to glimpse everyday life in AlUla. You may join the oasis from the top, middle or its base. Walking routes, which are clearly marked, will guide you to pathways where you may stop, sit and relax. Along the way, there are stalls selling fresh juice from the orange orchards of the oasis. Stumble on small squares decorated with bright carpets, scattered cushions on the ground and decorated with string lights where you can spend the entire evening if you wish. These are picnic spots for you to enjoy. The routes are also clearly signposted so even on your first visit, you will easily navigate the oasis after dusk. The lights within the oasis are gentle and soft enough not to interfere with the night sky and you can still enjoy the stars as you move through the oasis.

Guided tours show you AlUla’s farms in action (Experience AlUla)

An important thing to remember is that the oasis continues to be integral to the local community. As in the past, it still provides much of the produce eaten in the region. Date farms are spread throughout the oasis and the harvest season falls typically between September to October. There are over 2.3 million date palms in AlUla producing over 90,000 tons of dates annually and the dates grown here are eaten across the world. The tall date palms also provide a canopy for AlUla’s orange groves where 29 varieties of citrus fruit are cultivated.

In addition, around late summer, AlUla’s farmers begin to prepare other parts of the oasis for crops that grow through the winter season. Walk around the oasis during this time and you will see the land being prepared using traditional farming methods where the soil is turned over by hand and irrigation channels are set ready for planting. Onions, garlic, aubergines and a variety of other vegetables are planted at the beginning of the winter season. Take any one of the several farming and regenerative experience tours with a guide to hear of the traditional methods used and learn more about how the oasis continues to be a regenerative place in the valley.

The AlUla Oasis Heritage Trail (Shutterstock)

The Heritage Oasis Trail is a free activity that is open to all visitors and can be enjoyed at any time of day. The trail which stretches six km is designed with several entry and exit points offering visitors the chance to decide whether they would like a long leisurely walk or a short stroll. Follow the trail past shaded resting places, small working farms, gentle streams and many species of bird who have made the oasis their home. Stop at your leisure to take pictures or lie in one of the hammocks hanging from the trees.

If you would prefer a guided tour through the oasis, opt for a 90-minute walk with a rawi (local guide). They will take you past astonishing scenery while explaining the reasons why the oasis is an integral part of AlUla’s history and future. Your expert guide will take you through sunny clearings, past panoramic views, orchards and working farmland. End on a high note on one of the relaxing swings tied to the palm tree canopy.

See AlUla’s oasis regeneration first-hand on an eco-gardening workshop (Experience AlUla)

As the oasis is continuously cultivated throughout the year, to provide for the local community, the best way to support its regeneration is to gain first-hand experience of it. Which better way to do so than to take part in a two-hour eco-gardening workshop. This is an experience which can be enjoyed by all the family and children in particular may enjoy the chance to see plants and animals. A professional English-Arabic speaking guide will take you through the most picturesque parts of the oasis’ agricultural land and arrive at a place where you meet farmers. Here, you can discuss the importance of the native biodiversity, their plants and crops and the animals they keep. You will have the opportunity to plant seeds or saplings in preparation for winter. All of the planting equipment, plants and seeds will be provided as part of the experience.

You may work up an appetite as you finish tending to your new plants or seeing to the many sheep, goats or fowl around the small holdings or farms. As part of the experience tea, coffee and small bites of food, freshly-prepared on the farm, will be provided for you to enjoy exactly as workers on the oasis have always done.

Daimumah is a hip café in the oasis (Experience AlUla)

Unsurprisingly, most of the produce grown on the oasis is sold and consumed in AlUla. Enjoy a farm-to-table meal in nearby restaurants and you will likely be eating food grown on their doorstep. Here are a few farm-to-table eateries to add to your list:

Daimumah Restaurant is the latest hip offering which is a space combining art, nature and heritage. Pink Camel is a café within the oasis that offers excellent food utilising much of the local fresh produce. All are a great place to grab a quick coffee and a pastry or something more substantial. Heart of the Oasis, as the name suggests, provides diners dishes which capture the essence of the oasis. Saudi Arabian chefs have created a menu of egg plant rolls, avocado and broccoli dips and other mouthwatering choices to tempt you.

Somewhere restaurant serves a fusion of Mediterranean and Arabian flavours to bring a delicious menu filled with colourful dishes packed with surprises. Enjoy beetroot rice, Wagyu baos or kale tabouli as you dine under the canopy of the oasis surrounded by the gentle sound of the breeze. Tawlat Fayza, which translates to Fayza’s Table, is a relaxed dining restaurants with a menu inspired by the owner’s grandmother. Fayza grew up in a farmhouse in AlUla before travelling to France and the USA where her love of cooking was enhanced. Today her legacy is her delicious recipes, which are reflected in the menu and served with the natural hospitality of the region.