Category: travel

Ten Things to do in Al-Balad Historical District, Jeddah

Al-Balad, which literally translates to “The City”, is the historical area of Saudi-Arabia’s second largest city Jeddah. Founded in the 7th century, Balad historically served as the city center of Jeddah until the big oil boom when most families started moving out the area. AlRead more

Gone Fishing in Finland

Blue Abaya has been MIA while enjoying a nice relaxing break midst the Finnish summer. Every year we visit my home country Finland, where my family speeds most of the time at a so called ‘summerhouse’, typical for Finns to retreat to during the very short-lived Finnish summer. NormallyRead more

Images of Saudi is back!

Some of the Blue Abaya readers probably remember “Images of Saudi” which is a photo journal-type photography blog I kept for a few years from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Images of Saudi is actually still online, but for a year now it’s been set for private invite-only viewing.Read more

10 Amazingly Cool Things from Lapland

This winter we were lucky to be able to spend quality time with family vacationing in Northern Finland. We flew all the way up to the Arctic Circle! It’s holiday season so we went to Lapland to enjoy the christmas holiday break in a winter wonderland white scenery. Lapland is truly aRead more

Top 10 Travel Destinations From Saudi Arabia

One of the perks of living in the Middle-East and particularly Saudi-Arabia are the amazing travel opportunities it opens up. Many places of interest become geographically closer for expats originally from the Americas, Europe and Asia. Travel is also relatively affordable and there areRead more

Memories Of Summer- 50 Images From Finland

My beautiful home country Finland. I often dream of those cool and breezy summer evenings in Finland. Sitting on the porch listening to seagulls and watching the water and skies turn pink, I am in no hurry to go anywhere. The air is fresh and there is no breeze, the sea is calm. I will go for aRead more

Guide To The Edge Of The World in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Your Ultimate Guide to visiting the Edge of the World outside Riyadh! Find out all you need to know about the amazing Edge of the World on your own with the help of this guide. Best times to visit, how to get there, opening times, where to hike, safety tips, driving directions and GPS co-ordinatesRead more

Expats Guide: Flying To Saudi

Many expats find themselves worrying about their arrival to the Kingdom. The first flight into Saudi-Arabia and the initial shock experienced at the airports can be eased a bit by this simple guide! Checking-in When boarding the plane at the country of origin, the passenger should have his/herRead more

10 Things I Miss From Finland

I find myself missing my family, friends and my country a lot lately. It’s been a while since I was last there (well ok 5 months..but still). I make sure to go to Finland every summer because I just love how the nature is so wonderful and the weather is at its best. Last summer I spent almostRead more

11 Ways to Cure the Dreaded Sandpit Boredom

Dear Riyadh, or ___(insert any city in Saudi Arabia here). We love you but you are so boring! There is nothing to do. No cinemas, no bars. What else is there to do anyways?   Does this sound familiar to anyone? Life in Saudi Arabia is of course different to what most are used to back home, butRead more

Saudi Road Trip Part One: Riyadh-Abha

Saudi-Arabia is a country full of beautiful places to visit for those willing to make the journey to get there..While there are regular flights from Riyadh to Abha, we wanted to show my visiting mother as much of the largely unknown countryside as possible, so we decided to go on a road trip aroundRead more

amazing places to visit in saudi arabia

Ten Amazing Places to Visit in Saudi-Arabia

Top Ten Amazing places to visit in Saudi-Arabia by Blue Abaya-Explore Arabia: 1. Hegra, AlUla If you visit only one place in Saudi-Arabia, let it be AlUla and its heritage gem Hegra (also known as Madain Saleh). The other-worldly scenery, breath taking nature, and rich history make it a destinationRead more