Naslaa desert and rainbow rock

3 months ago

As much as we enjoyed Al’Ula, we are now looking forward to more desert and less tourism, as there are still some romantic and scenically fantastic destinations ahead of us.
First we drive through a lonely desert landscape and the road traffic has also decreased.
We pass individual rock formations and the Naslaa Desert.

Naslaa Desert

At first, we are a little disappointed with the desert.
It seems so untidy to us.
Sand and small and medium-sized rock formations everywhere.
What’s more, we don’t really know where to get in and we only have a rough idea of the direction.
In any case, we let the air out of the tires and switch on the four-wheel drive, because the sand is soft and deep in places.
We follow one of the many tracks in the sand, which we assume could lead us in the direction of the rock formations we are looking for.
After a few kilometers, we find a spot that we like and where we want to stay for two nights.
The choice of place also has to do with the fact that we can’t get up the sand dune on the other side, but don’t feel like letting any more air out of the tires.
And to be honest, we haven’t driven on sand for a while now and want to avoid getting stuck in the sand.

The sun is shining, but scattered patches of cloud pass over us.
We are hardly disturbed.
Once a local drives around us, another time someone drives past.
Otherwise, total peace and quiet.
We really enjoy it.
We take photos of the landscape and some rock formations in the evening light.

The Saudi “Spitzkoppe”, which reminds us of Namibia
The dragon rock
The duck and the small elephant rock at sunset.

We stand outside in the fresh evening air and ponder as the shadows lengthen.
Such moments are simply wonderful.
And as retirees, we get to experience many such moments.
That is precious and makes us grateful.

Naslaa cleft rock

And here it is, the Naslaa Split Rock.
That’s why you drive into this desert.
Don’t ask me how this straight cut was created.
It probably has something to do with the structure of the rock and the cold and heat.
Either way.
The rock is mighty, stands on narrow legs and could collapse at some point.

Rainbow Arch

After driving about 110 kilometers, we find the next highlight, the “Arch Rock”.
Its inner width is around 35 meters.
We love watching rock sculptures in the changing light.
In the evening, the colors become even more intense.
Even after sunset, the rocks continue to glow for a while.
We are not completely alone here.
A not very sociable couple from Austria are standing some distance away in a spotlessly clean Mercedes Sprinter.
They scramble around the arch for the longest time, trying to get a unique photo of it.
But our motivation is not that great.
We don’t want to take the picture of the year here – but enjoy, enjoy.