Rawdhat Khuraim…Outing Opening 2013

3 January 2013

We longed to visit our favourite place during spring time.  Having the green in the middle of the desert sure is a wonderful thing to see. Since we are not going anywhere during this weekend and the kids is in the middle of their exam week, we decided to take a break visiting Rawdhat Khuraim hoping maybe they will be daisies earlier this year.  It’s been raining more often this year during winter, so we hope the flower will bloom earlier or at least the greens has started already.

We reached there at 1 pm and seems quite a few number of cars already park around the area.  We walk in the park with our picnic stuffs.  Alhamdulillah…the scenery were still great though daisies hasn’t bloom yet. Our eyes were served with green grass, trees and the whistle of birds chirping.  The weather were also nice, not so cold with wind whispering once a while.

We were hoping our two elder kids to do their studies in the great weather and view but seems the surrounding is more encouraging for fun. We run around, spending a great family quality time.  How the time felt short when we were enjoying it so much. We wish able to spend our family time together here every week.  Very relaxing.  This is what we always hope for when we decided to leave what we had behind…improving the quality of life.  

Watching the sun set, we knew we had to come out once we’ve done Maghrib or it will be very dark. Alhamdulillah…it was a wonderful day to be spent in the green of the sahara. –tw&

They felt like being in the forest sitting insides the trees and bushes….

 

 

 

 

 

Free and easy….

Time to go home….

Rawdhat Khuraim.. a camel safari

21st April 2011

Last week, we have visited the park in the morning and the scenery was astonishing.  So, this week we have come here again and we are surprised with a new scenery.

It is not that we are so obsessed with Rawdhat Khuraim, but not having much option of an outing for an instant plan, here we are again to continue our exploration.  This time our unplanned trip bring us to Rawdhat for an evening view.  We didn’t have any friends tagging along with us this time.  After finishing packing some snacks and drinks, we move from home at around 3 pm.

Once we reach the park at around 4.15 pm, the place seems hectic not only with people ‘but with camels!  Camels were everywhere! Our eyes couldn’t believed what we’ve seen today compared to the previous week.  It’s really like a camel safari.  The camels were more than the people!  There are hundreds of them brought by different shepherds. 

Walking in the field today became more challenging.  We need to be careful with each step that we took as there were so many ‘booby traps’:-).  We knew that coming during this hour would be busy with people but we’re not expecting with camels.  Nevertheless, we still enjoyed the experience of being in the middle of so many camels roaming freely.  Just forget for a while about the smell and the ‘poopoo’ :-).

We took pictures and enjoy watching various types and activities of the camels besides eating.  Sadly most of the daisies where eaten or step over by the camels.  Hoping to find a good spot to relax, we decided to search for a different spot at a different area.  We drove out from our previous spot and try to search at the rawdhat on the right of the road entrance. 

Sadly, it is also the same..full of not only camels but also goats.  Since everywhere was the same, we decided to get back to the old spot as we do not need to walk far to bring things to the picnic spot chosen.  As it was getting late, we walk around to find the best spot available to sit down.  Alhamdulillah, we able to enjoy our evening time together peacefully as most of the people and the camels have went back already.  Quickly eating our meal, it was already Maghrib prayer.

After completing our prayer, we start packing as it was getting darker and no more people around.  Looking again at the field and the number of camels that will be coming again for their delicious meal, surely there’ll be no more daisies and grasses that will gracefully dancing with the field.  Seems that we’ll be coming around next year hopefully to witness the beauty.  Though the beauty has lessen, still we get the chances to enjoy ourselves with another great experience. 

Maassalamah.. –tw

Wanna get my number??  I’m single and available ;-).

 

Hey..I’m the tough guy here.  That’s why they chained me!

 Go somewhere else!  This is our territory!

 

   

 

Rawdhat Khuraim..again in Spring

14 April 2011

This is our second visit to Rawhat Khuraim, a “forest” reserve by Saudi government.  The area which were full of daisies surely attract anyone whose eyes were always fest with sands and deserts.

We decided to visit the place again to see difference.  Our last visit was in December, during the winter season.  We went with our friend, Ezri and his family who just been in Riyadh for three weeks.  We surely want them to enjoy the new life in Riyadh.  So..we invited them to explore a place in the kingdom.  A country which is well known of its holy place in Mecca and Madinah and its sahara.  However, don’t underestimate the sahara here as the more we explore the country, the more we are attracted to its own uniqueness and beauty.

At around 8 am, we met at our housing area heading towards Al-Rumah.  It is about an hour journey from our home.  The weather today was not that nice.  The air still fill with sand storm that starts from last night.  Visibility is still quite low…maybe around 100 meter.  We hope when we reach the area, the weather will be nicer since it is full with trees. 

Once we reach Rawdhat Khuraim, there were few numbers of cars already park at the area though the time was 9 am.  The area looks  very different from our last visit.  Last time it was only full of trees but now the trees were in the middle of green grasses with white and yellow daisies.  The area were full of daisies and grasses about knee tall.  Wow, the scenery was amazing.  It really surprised us to see how the place has turn out to be in spring.  No wonder when we came during the winter season, no one was around.  It surely is a place to sit around during spring.

We walk in the fields which was like a fairyland.  Subhanallah, how great is Allah creation…having a place like this in the middle of a desert.  We were so overjoyed seeing the greeneries with the wind keep on blowing our face.  The grasses were gracefully dancing following the rhythm of the wind.  Everywhere seems so peaceful.  The kids even lay down on the field.  Even the boys enjoy running around and picking up flowers.  Green color really ease our mind and put us in a really good mood. 

Later on after satisfy walking around the fields and usual activity of taking pictures, we settled down for a picnic.  We hadn’t had our breakfast yet and good thing the kids were not complaining.  We guess the great surrounding really makes everyone in a peaceful mind which makes us a in a very good mood.  After completing our meal, the kids continue exploring the place.  As usual, mom will sit down chit chatting while sipping a nice cup of hot tea.  A great way of releasing mind from the normal housewife routines.

Sadly, today we can’t stay long to continue the relaxation at a very calm and peaceful place.  It is a good thing we came here today as we will be sadden again when our always ‘jom redah’ friend will be leaving the country later on in the evening.  We need to rush back home to meet them before sending them off at the airport.  Wonder whether we will still have our ‘jom redah’ geng after this. 

Surely we will come again to Rawdhat Khuraim before spring is over.  Guess what..we did came again the week after!  Surprisingly..we were surprised even more as this time we were relish with a safari experience!  Stay tune for the next story of our beloved Rawdhat. –tw&

 

  Rawdhat Khuraim in December..

…and look how it turn out to be in April during spring!

    The variety of flowers besides daisies…

 

Rawdhat Khuraim

 

03 Dec 2010

Need to warm up after our long break.  We need to start back our exploration.  How time runs so fast.  After coming back from hajj, recovering from the sickness one after another, kids with their mid-term exam, this is the first outing in the winter season.

We didn’t had much option of places nearby to go out to relax ourselves and just to break our legs.  This time we want to try a new place called Rawdhat Kuraim.  The place is a forest reserve by Saudi government because of it’s greeneries.  When we look from google earth, we can see it is the only spot with green color while the rest are mostly brown.

At about 8 am, we move out from our house.  The direction is to go via Dammam highway, taking exit to Rhumah.   The journey was less than an hour drive, about 100 km from Riyadh.  Once we reach there, we found the place was guarded by policemen.  We knew it is the right place as we can see many big trees from afar.

Maybe because it is a reserved forest, they have some sort of control over the place.  Good thing the police guarding the place could speak english.  He told us that we are not allowed to enter the area with our car.  We need to park our car outside and walk in.  With the kids and our picnic stuff, it surely be tiring for us to walk that far.  Hence, we decided to picnic not far from the car park where still there are many good location for us to settle down. 

The temperature were quite low. When the wind blow, we can feel the coldness biting our skin.  As usual, once settle with the picnic spot and had our breakfast, time to explore around the area.  I stay with Amzar on our mat, hugging him to get more heat plus lazy to carry him around.  Hubby and the kids starts to search around the place to find anything interesting to feed their  eyes. 

The actual green area were fenced.  From the fence we could see how green it was inside.  Our picnic spot wasn’t the actual spot.  Maybe the entrance required us to walk further in.  From the net, it was said that there were camping spot and people selling and renting camping gears, foods and stuffs.  However, we can’t see any trace of it around the area,  Not sure whether there are different entrance to Rawdhat Khuraim for camping, picnicking spot than the one we are now but the police guard didn’t say anything when hubby ask him of it.

At around 11 we decided to head back home.  When we were at the car park we saw three cars trying to enter the area with their car which we knew are not allowed.  They look like Chinese expat trying their best to get permission of driving in.  They were making a few calls might be calling people they knew that could help.  Waiting of around 10 minutes, seems like they still fail to enter the area with their car.  If they manage, we’ll try our luck as well. Since it looks like they failed to enter, off we go home.

Still, we get the chance of relaxing and enjoying our time together.  The kids enjoy running around freeing themselves from the walls of our house :-).  Every moment together and experiences are precious. 

 

 Getting to Rawdhat Khuraim

Easily to find good picnic spot here

Enjoying the surroundings..

 

Always had a great time out from the house.