First on asphalt, then on a good gravel road, we drive across the “Harrat Uwayyrid” volcanic plain until a narrow sandy road branches off from it. We follow this and reach the Harrat Uwayyrid nature reserve.

Harrat Uwayyrid Nature Reserve

Volcanic plateau

As in some parts of Saudi Arabia, we drive through a gigantic volcanic landscape. Later, the dark colors of the volcanic eruption change to yellow sand.
The sand track is narrow, but easy to drive on. We have lowered the tire pressure a little at first. The track gradually leads us slightly downhill and the wide plain begins to close more and more into a valley.

Rock labyrinth

Rock formations appear in front of us and we are curious to see how the track will lead us through this labyrinth of rocks.
In some places it really is tricky, with broken-off slope edges requiring great concentration. After a passage through deep sand, the slope bends sharply to the right into a steep incline and the like. On the other hand, such challenges are great fun and leave you with a deep sense of satisfaction when you have made it. And so every desert tour is also driving training for us and we learn more and more about what our beloved MAN can do. Last but not least, we also appreciate the solitude, the silence that we find on such stretches of road.

Mushroom rock

We actually want to drive past the mushroom rock on the other side of the valley, as we’ve been here before. But then two people wave their arms vigorously and from a distance we see an expedition vehicle. As we get closer, the two people turn out to be Tommy and Conny from www.mantoco.com, who are currently leading a tour group through the Middle East. However, they are alone and so we join them once again for a night at the mushroom rock.
Meanwhile, we have already seen several mushroom rocks in various landscapes in Saudi Arabia. This one is definitely one of the most beautiful and most photogenic mushroom rocks.

Deep sandy wadi

The sandy track leads us through the wide and deep sandy wadi to the end of the reserve. We always remember the one sentence that our off-road trainer in South Africa impressed upon us: “We don’t drive IN the sand, we drive ON the sand”. This means driving at high speed, on the one hand to have enough power and on the other hand to have enough momentum. And so we also manage this stretch without incident and without having to unpack a shovel.

Wadi Disah

Wadi Trban

We can’t get enough of the mountain backdrop of Wadi Trban and the evenings are particularly spectacular. Wadi Trban is a neighboring wadi to the world-famous Wadi Disah, but is no less beautiful in its own way.

Wadi Disah

An unparalleled feast for the eyes. Reddish, towering rock towers contrast with lush greenery at the bottom of the valley. The Disah stream carries water all year round, more or less depending on the season. “Disah” means “valley of palm trees” and this valley lives up to its name.
As we have visited the Disah Valley before, we only set foot in the valley for the first few hundred meters.

Hizma Desert

Together with two participant vehicles from the “Mantoco Travel Group” and under the guidance of Mantoco himself, we will drive through the Hizma Desert. The meeting point is “Al Shaq Canyon”, also known as the “Grand Canyon of Saudi Arabia”, on April 5, 2025.

Al Shaq Canyon

Hizma Desert South

We are a total of four vehicles of roughly the same size and with the same equipment and are heading from Al Shaq Canyon towards the beginning of the sandy areas of the Hizma Desert. Three vehicles from the Mantoco group have already driven ahead because they want to be faster. We join the group without any problems and are happy to be driving through the desert with such great colleagues.

At the beginning of the sand, we all lower the air pressure of our tires to get a larger contact surface. Driving in the sand is one of the best things – as long as we don’t get stuck. And we don’t get stuck either.

We take a leisurely drive through the southern part of the Hizma Desert. We enjoy the landscape – it often leaves us speechless – and driving in the sand. The first longer stop is at a double rock arch, which some of us climb. The journey then continues to a simple but striking rock arch, which we reach around lunchtime.
The mantocos suggest we stay here for the night. So we have a decent midday rest and then the group members climb over the rocks. We also decide to climb up to the rock arch, which is not so easy as you have to really search for the way up. But it’s worth it and a bit of exercise is also good for us. We couldn’t have imagined that traveling with Mantoco would be so comfortable and relaxed, and we’re thrilled.
Today is my beloved Verena’s birthday, her 70th. Conny Mantoco secretly bakes a cake and so Verena has an unforgettable birthday in a Saud Arabian dream landscape.

Hizma Desert Center

It is only a few kilometers to the main road no. 8784. Before that, however, we drive down a steep sand dune, cross the road and drive straight back into the sand of the middle and much larger section of the desert.
Tommy from Mantoco drives ahead and guides us between towering rocks. Suddenly we are faced with a beautiful, almost smooth and vertical rock face. Beautiful and clearly recognizable rock carvings can be found in the lower part of the rock face, which we would not have found or seen without Mantoco.

Tommy has chosen a beautiful double rock arch for our lunch break. However, I doubt that we will be able to drive up to it (see picture above). But, oh satisfaction, we all make it without getting stuck. But not without the rear axle slipping a little on a sloping section. This means maximum concentration – and a new experience in the sand.

In the afternoon, we come across a herd of camels and wonder once again what they do for a living here in the sand. Then the wind picks up and the air is full of dust and sand. That’s why Tommy and Conny suggest that we move to Wadi Alghwyl, to protect ourselves from the sand and dust. Here, in Wadi Alghwyl, we spend the night in a romantic spot surrounded by rocks.

Hizma Desert Day 3

A challenging day lies ahead of us, but we don’t know that yet. Today we have to climb higher dunes to get to the Badjah game reserve. We don’t get stuck, but we have to back up once and lower the tire pressure even further to get further. There are also sloping stretches in the sand today, with a tendency to slide sideways. But we make good progress and sometimes there is a tuft of grass at just the right time to prevent us from slipping.

The Badjah Wildlife Sanctuary serves to rebuild a wildlife population for the new centers of the NEOM project, which are also to have animal parks. The formerly indigenous game should be able to roam freely throughout the country again.
Unfortunately, we only see a few gazelles, which are difficult to photograph. Our time is very limited, we should have at least a whole day, if not more. We therefore concentrate on the “Tomb of the Pharaoh” – a narrow slit in the mountain that you can only walk through sideways (without a beer belly) and only reach the quarry behind it by crawling along the ground.

On the way to the overnight stop agreed with the group, we drive past the largest of all rock arches. But because of the worsening weather, we don’t feel like scrambling up.

Hizma Desert Day 4

A few more challenges today. Tommy and Conny drive up to a high and steep dune and we wonder where there is a passage for us. And indeed, we simply drive to the right and along the foss of the dune and then between the rock and the sand dune, continuing north on “secret paths”. Around lunchtime, we leave the group, which we will meet again in Aqaba, and drive to Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba, where we do some more shopping and enter Jordan from Saudi Arabia on April 10.

And here come our new travel companions in their 30-year-old Mercedes truck, Peter and Regina, who we always enjoy spending time with.

Haql

On the Gulf of Aqaba. Opposite the Sinai Peninsula and Israel. Now we cross the border into Jordan.