ジェッダとメッカ発、昼食付きタイフ一日ツアー

It was amazing to see the breathtaking and picturesque views of Taif. I also did horseriding, ziplining and bob slaying. More time is needed if you wish to do more activities as it is a long journey from Jeddah.

After a 6 am pickup from our hotel, this was a very long day, getting back after 8pm. So we saw a lot (although not everything on the advertised itinerary). Our driver was friendly and helpful, if not super-chatty, expert or with perfect English. We really appreciated the insight he was able to give us into Saudi life though. It was great to get up into the mountains, where the air is drier and in the evening much cooler. There are a number of areas in which Saudi tourism has still to optimise: the litter, the feeding of wild animals against the rules, the realisation that things which may appeal to Saudis might not have the same novelty to Europeans, and finally the cost. (Why does this very expensive trip cost twice as much for a couple as for one person, when the extra cost incurred by the company is negligible?) We did enjoy the trip as it enabled us to see things we could not have seen otherwise. We had a good Saudi meal at lunch time, and an excellent falafel at the end of the day. The cable car was peaceful and dramatic, the rose distillery was interesting, and it was nice to be able to walk around the public garden in Taif (unfortunately the many different trees are not labelled). A good trip.