However, through sweeping reforms that encourage foreign investment and tourism – the country is now inviting independent travellers past its portals.

My female partner and I travelled over 4,000km (2,485mi) in 90 days throughout Saudi Arabia. This took us from the Star Wars landscapes in the north to Al Naslaa rock (which looks like it was cut with a laser), to Maraya (the largest mirrored building in the world), to Medina (which is the burial site of the prophet Mohammad), to Abha (a city that’s situated at 2300m in the misty mountains), to Thee Ain (a spectacular fortress town), and to Riyadh (a truly sprawling city with some nice historic buildings).

Here is our GPX route if you’d like to take a closer look.

Note: Our impressions of Saudi Arabia are NOT government-sponsored. We were 100% free to travel wherever we liked and talk to anyone along the way.

Saudi Arabia Was Nothing Like We Expected

Before visiting, our entire perception of Saudi Arabia was based on what we had seen in the media, and frankly, it was never good news. We were actually quite nervous about crossing the border. What would the Saudi people think of us?

All of our worries and concerns were shattered in a matter of days because it turned out that Saudi Arabia was home to the warmest, kindest, most hospitable people you’ll ever meet. They are over-the-top hospitable!

Every single day, people invited us to stay with them, eat with them, people gave us tours of their towns, and showered us with far too many gifts. We honestly couldn’t believe the privilege we were afforded, we felt like foreign dignitaries wherever we went.

The difference between our perception of Saudi people and the reality just goes to show that you cannot judge the citizens of a country based on the actions of a government.

How Was Laura Treated As A Woman?

Another surprising thing was that the Saudis were shockingly open people considering their religious conservatism.

Men were always highly respectful of Laura, they addressed her directly, shook her hand, and invited her to join activities with the men, which is highly unusual in their culture. Laura and I were almost always treated equally.

We met four solo woman travellers on our journey who each told us they felt warm and welcome in the country, albeit with a few awkward interactions along the way – is it ok to shake a woman traveller’s hand? Can you invite them into your house for tea?

You see, Saudi society has historically been segregated between the sexes, and it still largely is – although this is rapidly changing. In recent years, women have been able to live independently, travel by themselves, drive cars, and work at night.

Yes, these should all be basic rights, but they are also big steps forward in such a conservative culture, and indicative of a hopeful future to come.

The Incredible Hospitality

Every single day we were invited to stay in people’s homes.

Actually, you don’t technically stay in their homes, as that’s strictly for the family members. Instead, you stay in a special part of the house called a majlis. This is a sitting room for guests with low couches and lots of pillows, and some had space for 60 guests! A majlis is often lavishly decorated, full of sweets, and if you’re lucky, it’s littered with historic artifacts.

A highlight was being invited to stay with a sheik, or tribal chief, who gifted me the full Saudi garb.

Saudi men usually dress very traditionally, almost always wearing a “thobe” (ankle-length robe) with a “ghutrah” (rectangular cotton headdress) and “agal” to keep the ghutrah in place. A “Bisht” is worn on special occasions such as weddings or festivals – the bisht I was gifted during the Eid holiday had exquisite gold detailing.

Women in Saudi Arabia

Women usually wear abayas with full face coverings in public. It’s no longer a legal requirement for women to keep covered, in fact, the religious police you might’ve heard of were disbanded a few years ago.

However, being covered is still deeply entrenched in the culture, and as a result, I saw few women’s faces outside of major cities. Laura was able to converse with women in small towns, including elder women with tribal facial tattoos, which was once common across the region.

It was refreshing to meet women in educated, specialised job roles – for example, in the medical or archaeological fields. Women actually make up 60% of all university students in the country. It’s clear that education is highly valued in Saudi Arabia – the best students even get fully paid scholarships to international universities with $2000 per month to cover their living expenses.

Many Saudis speak English in cities, but when you get to the small towns, you’ll need to use Google Translate. The language barrier was never, ever, in the way of great hospitality. We sometimes spent days with people in their homes who didn’t know one word in English.

Family Life

Saudi homes are very private. You cannot see inside any house from the outside as the windows are small, and they have reflective finishes. This is primarily due to the segregation of the sexes, but it also helps with the extreme summer temperatures.

The houses are ridiculously big, as Saudi families can be extremely large. “How many brothers and sisters do you have?” was our ice-breaker question, and it often resulted in a small laugh as some people have 20 or 30 siblings! The only way to practically make this happen is for men to marry multiple women.

We were told that the families usually arrange marriages, and that men can legally marry four women – although that’s less common nowadays. The ages of the wives are spaced out over decades, and each wife will often live in a different house with her children.

A refreshing thing is that Saudi culture does not revolve around alcohol for social events – alcohol is illegal in the country. Instead, Saudis are obsessed with socialising over tea, coffee, sweets, and sometimes shisha. Cafes replace bars in this Kingdom and often feel just as fancy.

Food and Supermarkets

Our favourite Saudi dish in restaurants was musagga’a, but if we had the option, we were hunting for South Asian restaurants.

Saudi citizens make up roughly half of the country’s population; the other half are largely expats from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal who work in unskilled jobs – and undoubtedly make the best food.

I should also note that whenever we needed groceries, they were always super easy to find because all supermarkets used the same trolley symbol. That’s very helpful when you can’t read Arabic.

Speaking of good food, picnicking is probably the number one pastime – everyone had a rug and tea set in their car. This allowed us to sit and relax in some of the most picturesque places on Earth, including underneath incredible rock formations, and on top of mountains.

The Environments of Saudi Arabia

The mountains are surprisingly large in Saudi Arabia.

The Asir mountains in the south-west of the country extend for about 600km between Jeddah to the Yemen border. There are dozens of towns and cities above 2000 metres (6,562ft) that are intermixed with fragrant juniper forests, waterfalls, large reservoirs, and spectacular views – this was undoubtedly our favourite region to visit.

While it was more than 40C/104F down at the coast, we were amongst snow and ice in the higher reaches. The highest peak is about 3000 metres high (9,843ft), and we summited it on our bikes, of course!

The mountain climate was a lovely change from the hot and dry desert areas. It’s green in these mountains thanks to jet streams that bring in moisture from monsoons on the other side of the Indian Ocean. This makes it a great place for baboons to live, which are far too habituated, and a bit terrifying when they gang up with overprotective stray dogs.

The Empty Quarter is the largest area covered by sand on the planet – it occupies more space than either France or Texas. Wadi Disah is another natural wonder to visit, as it’s a deep valley with palms and amazing rock formations all around – it’s Saudi Arabia’s Grand Canyon if you like. Another lovely place is the Edge of the World near Riyadh, with dizzying views into the distance.

And don’t forget the rich underwater sites – the Red Sea coral reefs are some of the least spoilt and most spectacular in the world.

Historic Sites in Saudi Arabia

In terms of historic sites, they are everywhere. The architecture changes significantly between historically tribal regions, with unique design features baked into every building. The oldest large-scale structures at Ma’dain Saleh date back about 2000 years and are tombs built by the people responsible for Petra in Jordan.

Najran, on the border of Yemen, has some truly incredible examples of mud brick fortresses from more recent times. Dhe Ain Village is one of the most spectacular historic towns, built atop a hill deep in the mountains. Rijal Almaa is another fascinating place with a truly impressive scale, and over 60 stone buildings, with some that are 900 years old. And the mudbrick city of Diriyah is currently receiving a huge revamp to turn it into the historic tourist site of Riyadh.

The VisitSaudi website is an invaluable resource for finding these attractions, with interactive maps that show places of interest all over the country.

Despite recent efforts, the country is not established for tourism yet, especially if you’re a budget traveller. This means you often need your own transport, and there are no backpackers or hostels either. Hotel rooms are often US $40-50 per night but are usually equipped with kitchens, washing machines, and lounge areas.

Camels & 4x4s

The camel-obsessed stereotype rings true in Saudi Arabia.

Camels serve no real commercial purpose, which makes keeping them more of a status symbol than anything. It was always fun to visit camel herds with their proud owners, as their passion for the animals is palpable. Some camels are also raced – we ended up at an event with a prize pool of $20 million. If that isn’t your cup of tea, you can always attend a camel beauty pageant.

Driving 4x4s through the desert is another Saudi stereotype that checks out. We spent many days exploring alien desert landscapes – it’s especially fun when you can pick any direction and drive. We also loved the graphics that are commonplace on the sides of 4x4s, this is an 80s and 90s trend that never went out of fashion here.

Cycling in Saudi Arabia

In terms of cycling, Saudi Arabia is a big place – it’s the 12th largest country by land area.

Our favourite sections of our trip were the 700km from Haql to AlUla as the desert landscapes are just so spectacular, and the 600km section from Missan to Abha as the mountain landscapes offer such magnificent views. Like any country we’ve visited, the mountain people were especially friendly!

Given the hot climate, we appreciated that free drinking water was found absolutely everywhere, often in machines on the side of the road.

The cities were truly horrible places to cycle across as the traffic moves quickly, the roads are wide, and there is zero cycling infrastructure. We often had to cross six or more lanes of traffic, which felt death-defying at times.

We felt very safe otherwise, and the country is very low for petty crime. I can’t say nothing will happen to you, but I suspect Saudi Arabia is safer than where you’re coming from.

Police and Safety

It’s worth noting that the police can be a bit overprotective in the South when you travel on a bicycle. We had a police escort for multiple days near the Yemen border, which was simply to ensure our safety. We were never restricted regarding what we could see or do, but we no longer felt independent.

Freedom of the press and speech are restricted in Saudi Arabia, however, especially if it’s critisising the royal family, so we had to be respectful of that at all times. We were also respectful of the way we dressed, as anything immodest is generally frowned upon.

But ultimately, it’s the responsibility of any tourist to follow the customs and laws of the land; I too would expect Saudis to be respectful of how we live in Australia.

Should You Visit Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia has been a mysterious, forbidden kingdom for a long time, and that makes the culture vastly different from any we’ve experienced. There were surprises at every turn, and as a result, we can genuinely say it’s one of the best countries we’ve had the pleasure of travelling.

The country is currently trying to work out how to balance its highly conservative culture with globalisation, new ideas, and tourism, and observing this change is fascinating. We think that right now is a great time to visit.

Ultimately, the Saudis have their way of doing things, and their culture is interesting to learn about. If you don’t love it, you can learn from it, or perhaps it will help you appreciate your own country even more. That’s the best thing about travel; you get to see how people live around the world and pick up new perspectives that might improve your own life.

The post My Unbelievable Cycling Journey Across Saudi Arabia (Nothing Like I Expected) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

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The Jordan Bike Trail website: HERE
The Jordan Bike Trail GPX: HERE
The Jordan Bike Trail video: HERE

MY BIKE: KOGA WorldTraveller: HERE
MY GEAR LIST: HERE
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + 100-300mm lens + iPhone 13 Pro + GoPro Hero 9 + DJI Mavic Air

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Route Info:
 Our Exact Route: RideWithGPS
Race to the Rock Logistics Sheet: HERE

Music (in order): Preservation of Arts (Cody Martin), I’ve Been There (Alsever Lake), Thoughts Unfolding (Kurtis Park), The True Path (Chelsea McGough), Lifeline (Shells By The Sea), Hypnotized (Cast of Characters), Finding The Answer (Alsever Lake), Radiant Garden (Cody Martin), Dialogues (Rest Settle), Don’t You Wanna (Mikey Geiger), Exhale (Reveille), Creeping (Daniele Musto), Handwritten Letters (Brent Wood), Neon Feel (Matt Wigton), Desiertas (Cast of Characters), Breezehome (Cody Martin), Take A Breath (JeesGuy)

Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction
2:38 – Ravenswood to Lake Dunn
10:47 – Lake Dunn to Boulia
15:31 – Boulia to Alice Springs
27:46 – West MacDonnell Ranges
34:39 – Meereenie Loop
38:22 – King’s Canyon to Uluru
42:10 – Uluru
44:56 – Our Bike Setups

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Route Info:
 Our Exact Route: RideWithGPS
Baldy Bruiser Route Information: HERE

Route Sections:
0:00 – Intro
1:05 – Joshua Tree National Park
5:25 – Pioneer Town to Big Bear
12:41 – Big Bear to Lake Arrowhead
18:52 – Lake Arrowhead to Lytle Creek
26:20 – Climbing Mt Baldy
32:37 – Glendora Ridge Road
37:02 – San Gabriel Reservoir to San Gabriel Peak
42:48 – Mt Lowe Road to LA

The post Video: America’s Hidden Bikepacking Paradise (Joshua Tree to LA) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

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Route Info:
Our Exact Route: RideWithGPS
Baja Divide Information: HERE
Baja Divide Route Guide + More: HERE

Baja Divide Sections:
1:30 – Santo Tomás to Cataviña
7:43 – Cataviña to Santa Rosalillita
12:37 – Santa Rosalillita to San Ignacio
17:17 – San Ignacio to Mulege
26:17 – Mulege to Ciudad Constitución
33:36 – Ciudad Constitución to La Paz
41:57 – Cape Loop
51:13 – Baja Divide Bike Setup

Bike and Gear:
My Bike: KOGA WorldTraveller-S
My Gear List: HERE
My Cameras: Panasonic G9 + 100-300mm lens + GoPro Hero 9 + DJI Mavic Air

Music Track List:
Desert Drives (Brent Wood)
Wild Ride (Ian Kelosky)
A Thousand Lakes (Sounds Like Sander)
Just Remember (Adrian Walther)
Rivers of Green (Third Age)
Oathkeeper (Four Trees)
Firestone (Pete Stewart)
I’ll Be With You (Moments)
HAGFD (Alsever Lake)
Wolfe’s End (Alsever Lake)
Still (Alsever Lake)
Swamp Ash (Crack Skippy)
This Love (Emorie)
Subtlety (Acreage)
Get Your Party On (Dr. Delight)
Wherever You Go (Emorie)
Storm The Castle (Andy Ellison)

The post Video: Our Full Experience Bikepacking The Baja Divide (2937km / 60 Days) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

We started at 3300 metres and dropped all the way down to 1500 metres (10800 to 4900ft). Hopefully, after seeing the terrain here, you will understand why I need a full-suspension bikepacking bike with 170mm travel.

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MY BIKE: Nukeproof Mega 290 Comp with Apidura Backcountry bags
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + 14-140mm Lens + GoPro Hero 9 + DJI Mavic Air
MUSIC: Standoff (Wastelander), Synthetic Minds (Delbony), Redemption (Snow Bones), Golden (Midnight Daydream), Reveille (Breathe In Breathe Out), Dusty (Makenna Susan), Touch My Soul (Dr Delight), Tropicana (Dresden), Remember (NOVVA), Crowheart (The Realist)

The post Bikepacking Mexico’s Wild Enduro Trails On My New Bikepacking Bike (Video) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

Ron Manganiello took up mountain biking in his late-60s, and has just started bikepacking in his 70s!

I’ve been cycling with Ron since October 2020 when we first met. I think some of my passion for bike travel has rubbed off because Ron has been slowly acquiring bikepacking bags and camping equipment over the last few months…

Ron is originally from Vermont (USA) but has decided to call Oaxaca (Mexico) home because this is the place on Earth where he’s happiest. Everyone here is in awe of Ron because he’s kind, funny and generous… but also because he can out-ride and out-hike people half his age.

In this film, Ron talks about how he only started mountain biking in his late-60s, why he decided to try bikepacking for the first time with me, and how he is in such great shape at 71 years old. I tried to portray how entertaining, relentlessly positive and playful Ron is in this film – I hope it comes through loud and clear!

It’s also worth mentioning that Ron started a not-for-profit in Vermont that has donated over 10,000 bikes to refugees and low-income workers. If you’re interested in finding out more about his project, check out this NPR radio interview.

Like my videos? Patreon supporters get early access to my films and exclusive access to my Q&As:
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 INSTAGRAM: HERE
 FACEBOOK: HERE

MY BIKE: KOGA WorldTraveller-S 2.0
MY GEAR LIST: https://bit.ly/2C1BCKF
MY ROUTE: Coming Soon
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + 14-140mm Lens + GoPro Hero 6 + DJI Mavic Air
MUSIC: With Open Arms (Alsever Lake), El Feo (Leon Nafate), Lough Leane (Alsever Lake)

The post Never Too Late: Ron’s First Bikepacking Trip At 71 (Video) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

I happened to be travelling within a few kilometres of my friend Gerardo one weekend while he was out camping, so I changed my route to join him and a few of his friends. While we were camping, he revealed he was interested in travelling by bike one day. I told him I was cycling south and he was welcome to join at any time…

The only issue was that he was studying at university and running a small business. Luckily, everything he needed to do was now 100% digital thanks to COVID-19! We made an agreement to stay in towns for 2-3 days per week, and travel the rest.

Gerardo purchased his bike and helmet for $450 and some panniers for $50 – all within five days and hit the road with me. That’s got to be some kind of record!

This documentary is partly about Gerardo’s first bike journey, but I’ve also made the overarching topic ‘how to cycle in dangerous countries’. It took a tonne of work to put this one together, but I’m stoked with the result!

I chose this topic because Gerardo was very anxious about joining me. Many of his Mexican family members and friends had told him he would be kidnapped or even murdered, as cartel crime has gone up a lot this year. But as you will see in the film, this couldn’t have been further from our reality. I hope you enjoy it!

Like my videos? Patreon supporters get early access to my films and exclusive access to my Q&As:
PATREON (Monthly rewards!)
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 INSTAGRAM: HERE
 FACEBOOK: HERE

MY BIKE: KOGA WorldTraveller-S 2.0
MY GEAR LIST: https://bit.ly/2C1BCKF
MY ROUTE: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34546514
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + 14-140mm Lens + GoPro Hero 6 + DJI Mavic Air
MUSIC: Boothill (Wastelander), Devil’s Doorstep (Wastelander), Grit (Wastelander), O Brother (Wastelander), Brushes (Pete Stewart), Hand to God (Clark Adams)

The post Is It Too Dangerous To Cycle Across Mexico? (Video) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

Like my videos? Patreon supporters get early access to my films and exclusive access to my Q&As:
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 INSTAGRAM: HERE
 FACEBOOK: HERE
GIL AND CAPI: HERE
MY WATER FILTER: HERE

MY BIKE: KOGA WorldTraveller-S 2.0
MY GEAR LIST: https://bit.ly/2C1BCKF
MY ROUTE: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34420961
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + GoPro Hero 6 + DJI Mavic Air
MUSIC: Better Than Two (Visitants), Brighter Deeper (Visitants), Crowheart (The Realist), Carry Me Along (Timber Choir)

The post Video: Meet The Man Who Travels BIG Distances With His Dog [EP.18] appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.