#i remember finding it somewhere on the internet around october 2019

[nautiscarader]

2019 in animation - very selected summary

So, I dunno if anyone’s noticed, but this year was crazy strong when it comes to animation, both in terms of amount and quality of it. No matter what type you liked - traditional...

...3D...

...cell-shaded...

...hyper-realistic...

 - oh, wait, wait, no, my mistake, that’s clearly live-action. 

Anyway, no matter what type of animation is your favourite, this year gave you something. and I’m gonna go chronologically, listing those that I have been able to see. Keep in mind, day only has 24 hours, so I couldn’t see every new season or premiere (for example, I had no interest in OK KO, or She-Ra). Some spoilers below. And Gifs. LOTS OF gifs.

In January: we were still riding on the Spiderverse bandwagon from last year,, which culminated with an Oscar in February. And though as I’ve said, the movie would have worked better imho as a, say, Netflix series, as only two of the spider-people were properly fleshed out, I have to admit, it was a well-earned prize.

Then we were hit by the finale of Steven Universe, and while some complained about the another redemption of cosmic regime, it was an incredibly satisfying ending to a great cartoon... so much so that a whole movie and an epilogue series was made.

plus, it had a segment animated by James Baxter, so it’s automatic win..

January also blessed us with a reboot of another old-forgotten property, Carmen Sandiego, with her second season arriving in October. And it proved that reboots do make sense, but only if you actually do something with it. The story was fresh, creative, and yet, similar in its serialised form to capture the imagination of viewers. Also, grappling hooks for the win.

February was the month of dragons. Not only we got the conclusion of How to Train Your Dragon franchise, but Netlfix gave us second season of The Dragon Prince. While I still consider HTTYD 1 as the best movie of the franchise, as it cleverly told the story of a conflict without any obvious villain, HTTYD 3 was a satisfying conclusion, strengthened by the Homecoming special in November. 

TDP S2 on the other hand, did everything season 1 did, except better. For once, the studio finally broke their piggy bank and bought a new graphics card, so the choppy 15FPS animation of S1 is gone. The story got darker, more mature, yet whimsical, and it only made us hungry for more. Luckily, S3 was just around the corner.

March gave us season 2 of Craig of the Creek. I have to admit, I missed out on this cartoon in 2018, and it was a humongous mistake. CotC is quite possibly the most wholesome cartoon out there, telling amazing story about a boy, his friends, and his family, glorifying the mundane adventures in the creek to truly epic proportions. The family is especially important part, I do not remember a cartoon where bonds between family members were as well written as here. Definitely a must-watch if you have missed it as well.

On 8th of March, the International Women’s day, DC Superhero Girls 2019, aka My Little Pony But Humans And With Superpowers, started, and it was a blast. Creator. Lauren Faust, has once again proven that whatever she touches turns into gold. The shorts were funny, clever, and changed just enough of the DC universe to feel familiar, yet show us new, interesting scenarios. 

 In April, Missing Link had its premiere, showing that traditional, stop motion animation not only has place in modern times, but it can deliver spectacular scenes, though of course, we expected nothing less of studio Laika.

In May, one of Disney’s long-running series, Star vs The Forces of Evil had its finale, and that brings us to the first screech of the list. Many people complained about the direction the show has taken, some claiming it has gone off-track in S3, some saying it was S4 that dropped the quality. Some, like me, saw nothing wrong with it, but the finale let people dissatisfied. If anything, it was too short, and definitely could use an epilogue movie that would tie some of the remaining plot threads in something bigger than one single pan-shot. 

Rest in piece, laser puppies

Wait, they’re alive? Well, then... rest in piece, Hekapoo and her puppies.

This month also presented a first contender for this Summer’s line-up, Twelve Forever. The cartoon took us into wild, bizarre land of imagination, and offered quite a few very mature lessons about growing up and acknowledging one’s responsibilities. It also provided much needed representation, both in terms of colour and sexuality. 

Sadly, amidst scandals with its creator, the show was canned, though it’s also Netflix’s fault for not marketing it enough.

A-and maybe the show was just a tad too... creepy....

Also somewhere in May some Games might have been lost and some Thrones burned, but no one cares about it anymore. i think it was popular for a while, though.

However, 12 Forever was just a start. June gave us Amphibia, my personal top-bingeable cartoon of the year. Disney has hit a jackpot, giving us an incredibly creative fantasy show with rich mythology and enough emotional conflict to create fantastic storytelling. The only slight complain was the scheduling, as episodes aired daily, meaning the season was over by the end of the month. But honestly, the amount of humour and adventures with Anne in the forg world we got compensates that thousandfold. Book 2, coming in 2020, can only makes thing more interesting. 

Going for a hat-trick, in August we got the premiere of a cartoon that I was betting would be my personal favourite, Infinity Train... Until I learned of its schedule, even weirder than Amphibia’s. While Amphibia took a right turn, and gave us 20 episodes, a perfect amount for both plot and filler stories, Infinity Train... turned out to be a mini-series with just ten episodes, airing daily, two per night. And that, in my opinion, was a fatal mistake. Not only we now know that the story is not over, as Season 2 arrives in January, but the short episodes and its density gave very little time to leave an impact on us. If it was at least spaced out, then maybe I wouldn’t be so judgemental, but for me it was a blow that deflated the balloon I was clinging to since 2016 pilot. Still, there is more to come, and the story was more than interesting, so we’ll see if I get used to the pocket mini-story arcs.

September. Remember Steven Universe? That cartoon that ended? SIKE, HAVE A TV MOVIE. And by gods, old and new, what a phenomenal movie it was. A musical telling its own, contained story of betrayal, trust and finding yourself, based on Rebecca Sugar’s mis-adventure with a phone that reset itself... I have seen this movie at least ten times, and its OST is one I come back to constantly on Spotify. The songs are amazing, catchy, incredibly-well written, deep, and, as usual, send very adult messages about growing up and finding one’s identity, which SU was already famous for. Must watch.

Continuing the theme of reboots that actually make sense, Ducktales finished its second season after duck-bombs in March and May, with a heart-breaking story of Della Duck and humongous finale, extending DT’s universe to other Disney Afternoon shows. Season 3 promises even more, and DT is a golden standard of making a reboot that stays faithful to a more than half-a-century old material, while adding enough material to keep things fresh and funny for modern audience. What I’m saying is, Disney could really learn from Disney (pictured below).

But while some things start, some have to finish. October saw the end of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, a show that has taken Internet by the storm in 2010 and...

...okay, cringy brony things aside, this was a clever re-imagining of the decades-old property, and its popularity, especially amongst the people outside the target demography is a proof of its quality. The ending was perfectly serviceable, nothing that stood out, in my opinion, but it definitely didn’t disappoint either. MLP FiM will live in history as the cartoon about pastel tiny horses that made adult men cry and gave them enough passion to create years of of visual crack. And porn. Lots of porn.

November:  Just In case if one season of human and elf adventures was enough, The Dragon Prince Season 3 arrived in November, and it provided a thrilling conclusion to its first smaller story arc. Though I wish the season was longer, and it dived into the history of Elves’ and Humans’ animosities, I would be lying if I said I didn’t binge-watch it all in one sitting, gripping my chair. 

Do you like Green Eggs and Ham? Yes, yes, I do, Sam-I-am. Question: how do you take a classic poem, made purposefully of limited vocabulary, and turn it into a thirteen episode series with a beginning, middle, and end? The answer: You add bunch of weird stuff and the mother of all complicated backstories... at least by the original’s standards. And here’s the thing: this is the first Dr Seuss’ adaption where it works. Somehow the writers were able to stretch each verse of the famous poem into a surprisingly emotional story about friendship, losing and restoring hope, as well as following your dreams. Plus, it gave us Fargo-esque team of Bad Guys. Come on. 

And just in time for Christmas season, we were blessed with Klaus, a clear contender for a Christmas classic in my opinion. This STUNNINGLY beautiful traditionally animated original Netflix movie is a very, very clever reinterpretation of St. Nick’s mythos, telling a deep, and very realistic story of greed and selfishness, and how can one turn their life around by changing their life, one present at a time.

We’re about to end the year, so HOW ABOUT SOME EMOTIONAL TRAUMA, KIDS? Yes, Steven Universe Future is here, and from the looks of it, Steven’s problems are just beginning, since they mature with him. The show’s too real, man. However, it also provided much needed levity, giving us a familiar taste. Nothing more to say, as the show is still airing, and it will surely give us more emotional moments.   

And that’s a wrap for 2019. As I’ve said, it is not exhaustive by any means, and from the looks of it, 2020 is gonna be as packed as its prequel. So yeah, the world might be on fire, but at least we got some nice cartoon to binge-watch.

Happy new year everyone! At least I have time until 6th of January when the first episode of Infinity Train Season two arriWHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S OUT ALREADY

[noble-pro]

I want to quit. I am angry with myself for wanting to quit - Cardiff Half Marathon

Charlie Spedding, age 28, is a good runner, but not a great one. He sits down in a pub one day, drinks his ale, and reads a story in the paper. A job had been advertised with a salary of £60k – no one applied. The employers re-ran the ad, but took down the salary to £25k – they received dozens of applications. Charlie sips his beer and realises that, up to this point, he was the guy who didn’t think he was worth the higher paid salary. His subconscious is the thing holding him back in races, not injuries, nor lack of training. He writes down some ridiculously lofty goals, leaves the pub, and goes on to achieve them. He becomes GB champ at 10,000m, wins the London Marathon, and gets a bronze at the Olympics in 1984 (incidentally, the last medal that Great Britain have won in the Olympic marathon).

Charlie came to grips with the importance of the mental aspect. He attributed it fully to his success, but also, to his downfall. Age 36, in the Olympic marathon again, Charlie is in 6th place, with 5 miles still to go. He is feeling terrible, and he is being caught up. He wants badly to quit, or at least slow down. In that deep dark point of suffering, on the verge of breaking down, he made a deal with himself. Just finish, and hold onto 6th place, and you will never have to run a marathon again. Charlie kept to his promise. He did finish 6th in the Seoul Olympics. But then, after that, he was still a top pro runner. Having finished 3rd and 6th in Olympic games, and with the running scene booming, he was hot property, and was being offered very lucrative fees to race marathons all over the world. Due to injury, illness, or (as he himself suspects) in honour of that promise, he never did managed to finish one again. 3 months ago, I promised myself I would quit running if I could just finish the Snowdonia Trail Marathon. I did finish. I reneged on that promise a week later, and have, to date, raced five times since. But, as soon as the race starts to hurt, I find myself whisked back on the dark, moody slopes of Snowdon, and I remember the deal I made with myself. I promised myself I wouldn’t have to go through this again. In each race, I start with all the optimism of the ‘old me’. This time I will be back to my old self, I have switched my brain back on now and everything is ok again. But, each race…hurts, want to quit.

Cardiff Half, the weather, the atmosphere, the organisation, it is all incredible. I have been put up by a lovely couple (Gwenno and Dylan), have had a great night sleep, training has gone well, and in the warm up I am feeling light and ready. On the start line, with 27,500 runners behind me, I feel great. 4 miles into the race, we go up a hill. It hurts. I want to quit. I want to quit. I am angry with myself for wanting to quit. I am 4 miles away, if I quit, I will just have to walk 4 miles back. Screw it! I will walk 4 miles if I want to, you think I won’t walk 4 miles? What the hell do I care?! I am a mountain runner, I LIVE in the mountains, why am I the one struggling up this piddly little hill?! I should be devouring this fucker. There are girls infront of me. There should not be girls infront of me. There are guys infront of me who shouldn’t be infront of me. Everyone around me is wearing 4%s. My mum and dad have come to watch, I don’t want them to see me quit again. I miss my little girl. I have to find a way to finish this race, and I have to find a way to enjoy it. The look my little girl gave me when I told her I was going away for the weekend, she might as well have ripped my heart from my chest and stamped on it. I have to find a way to make this all worth it. I will drop back, relax, enough until the pain subsides. I will convince myself I am running a marathon, and then I can drop out at halfway. The above line of thought, all takes place within about 1 mile. As we drop down off the hill and across the Cardiff Barage, a dam type pedestrian walkway over the sea, I am already starting to feel better. 5.20 miling is feeling easy, and I have got my breathing and my rythym back quickly. I let the group of leading ladies go, let any chance of a PB go, and let my ego go too. The mile markers seem to come quicker, I notice the crowds, hear the bands, and I am enjoying myself. I know I can run faster than this, at some points, I am almost overwhelmed with a desire to kick on. I want to catch the women back up, they are just up the road. No Russell, hold! I feel lazy, cruising around at 5.20 pace, I want to shout to the crowds, “I could go faster than this you know!”. I have to remind myself that, mile 4, I had nearly dropped out, so this is a million times good enough.

Somewhere around mile 10, I really start to tune into the simple feeling of my trainers gripping the tarmac, freshly dried by the morning sun. Man I am loving this. We get to mile 13, I am almost in a daze, I am only halfway through, my mum pops out of nowhere and screams at me “Russell you have to go now”. So I might as well, I kick as hard as I can for the last hundred meters and fly past the guy I had been running with, the lactic stings, but it feels good, I relish the pain this time. 68.53. This could be seen as a disaster, considering I was initially targeting somewhere around 2 minutes quicker. But, then, it’s a wonderful success compared to dropping out at mile 4. Maybe my body could have produced better, but my mind couldn’t. So if 68 is where my mind is at, then I’m happy enough with that.

After a wonderful Nandos with my folks, I set off on the stunning drive over and around the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia. I have time to think things through. I realise that, my mental state is fragile. It’s not a word I like to use, ‘fragile’, but none the less, I have to admit it is true. It needs time to heal, and a bit of self-compassion. I can’t expect to just flick a switch and be back to the old me, bulldozing through races and smashing through the pain barrier. I’ve tried that. It’s not working. There is some damage done, I need to realise that first, and then give it the space to heal. I feel like this was the first race that really started that process for me. There are still 3 months of the year left. Plenty of time to build on a 68 half. Maybe next time I can get to mile 5 before I think about quitting! 30/09/2019 AM PM Monday 5 5 Tuesday 6 3 miles @ 5.26 pace. (1km, 600m, 400m) x 3. 2min rest between reps, 5min between sets. 2.54, 1.44, 68. 10 miles total Wednesday REST 4 Thursday 12@ 20kmph tm. 5 miles total REST Friday REST 5tm @ 6min miling Saturday 5tm + volunteer at Academi Drive to Cardiff Sunday Cardiff Half. 68.53. 15 miles total Drive home TOTAL: 60 miles tm = treadmill Non-Running Related Highlight of the Month We take the kids out cycling on the dam underneath a brilliant rainbow

Thing I’m Digging This Week: Alberto Salazar, ex-marathon runner, now infamous coach, has finally been busted for drugs. I was walking from my car to the Cardiff Half start line, and heard lots of runners in the crowds talking about it. It’s a big thing. I am happy he has finally been caught, but a lot of heros were coached by him; Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, Alan Webb, Matt Centrowitz, the list goes on and on. It doesn’t look good for any of those guys. Great article on the subject here Best Thing On The Internet This Week: The World Athletics Championships in Doha. Stupid place to host the World Champs, the desert. The outdoor stadium had to be constantly air-conditioned to make it habitable to the athletes (how about that for a carbon footprint?). The women’s marathon had a third of the field drop out due to the heat. There were nights with less than 1000 spectators. I sat down with my little girl, El, and watched the women’s pole vault. At 3yrs old, she fricking loved it. She is still talking about how she is going to be a pole vaulter when she grows big. The IAAF is so corrupt, bloated and arrogant, that there may not be any pole vault by the time El grows big. But still, the athletes brought it. Dina Asher Smith, KJT, and Callum Hawkins, immense performances for which the GB team can be proud. You can watch all the highlights on the iplayer, if you watch one thing, watch Cal Hawkins come from nowhere to lead the mens marathon with 1km to go. Last night, Callum Hawkins finished 4th in the brutal heat of Doha desert World Champs! Incredible redemption after collapsing with heat exhaustion in Gold Coast Games last year. He did most of his training this summer in his shed with stacks of Aldi heaters. There are no excuses pic.twitter.com/m759UR69nL — Russell Bentley (@russell_runner) October 6, 2019 Read the full article

[topfygad]

Tips and how to travel to Saudi Arabia in 2020

Last year, I was one of the first very few tourists to ever travel to Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa.

Before, the only way to travel to Saudi was on a business visa, via a strong local connection who could sponsor your visit or by getting a pilgrimage visa to visit Mecca and Medina (only for Muslims).

Therefore, the fact that, all of a sudden, Western tourists can visit Saudi Arabia on their own, with a backpack, both men and women, is a very radical change.

This incredibly big change, however, didn’t come alone. 

During the last couple of years, a lot of their super strict Islamic laws have been softened or, at least, they have become more flexible. For example, allowing women and men to hang out together in public spaces was one of the most significant changes.

All these small changes will make things easier for future international visitors.

Moreover, you should also know that, despite everything that you may have read in the media, Saudi Arabia is an incredible country which is filled with loads of stunning sites, both natural and archaeological, hugely contrasting landscapes and some extremely hospitable people that could easily rival my beloved friends from Pakistan and Iran.

Personally, this country has been the most surprising country I have ever been to, especially because nobody had ever told me the good things about it.

That being said, after visiting all around the country for a little bit more than two weeks, I have compiled this comprehensive guide that contains plenty of tips and everything you need to know to travel to Saudi Arabia in 2019, one of the least visited destinations in the world.

By the way, if you want to keep track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @againstthecompass on Instagram. 

This guide contains all the practical information. For places to visit read my Saudi Arabia itinerary

    Index:

Visa Travel Insurance Getting to Saudi Tourism in Saudi Arabia Is it ethical? Blocked websites How to behave The people – The Saudis The food Solo female travel Safety Money Moving around Saudi Internet and SIM Card Accommodation More information

Hey, have you ever wondered how I make a full living from blogging? Learn here how I started monetizing my blog and get over 200,000 monthly page views in less than 3 years

  Check this introductory video from my friend Brian from The World Hiker! (I am also in the video!)

  Visa for traveling to Saudi Arabia

Amazing News October 2019 – E-visa finally available through visitsaudi.com – Continue reading to know more about it

In December 2018, the only way of traveling to Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa was by purchasing a ticket for a Formula-E event that would take place in Riyadh.

You could book your tickets through the website sharek.sa and, immediately after purchasing them, they would issue a legit and valid e-visa to travel to Saudi Arabia.

I paid 395SR (105USD) for the Formula-E ticket and 640SR (170USD) for the e-visa. In total, it was 1,035SR (275USD).

With my Spanish passport, the visa was valid for 30 days and it allowed me to travel anywhere but Medina and Mecca. 

My e-visa for Saudi Arabia

This was just a one-time event and, after that, they celebrated one or two more, the last one being in July 2019. 

The truth is that there were some rumors saying that the Saudi Government would introduce a regular e-visa system somewhere in 2019, so those events were just a test aimed at seeing how would the country handle independent Western tourists for the first time in their history. 

Apparently, their results and experience were rather satisfactory and, along with the fact that Saudi is trying to find alternative ways of not being so dependant on oil revenue, they finally announced the introduction of an e-visa system, starting from September 2019.

How to apply for Saudi tourist e-visa 

Applying for the e-visa is pretty straightforward and you can do it through this portal.

Which countries are eligible to get a Saudi tourist visa?

All EU countries within Schengen zone + Andorra, Monaco, United Kingdom and Ukraine, Brunei, China, Canada, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, United States

How long is the Saudi visa for?

With this visa, you can travel in Saudi Arabia for 90 days.

How much does the Saudi e-visa cost?

It costs 117USD + VAT. 

Can single women apply for the same Saudi e-visa?

Yes, you can, as long as you are 25 years old or more.

Don’t forget to read my 2-week itinerary in Saudi Arabia.

Outside of Riyadh, on the way to the Edge of the World – Tourism in Saudi Arabia

  Travel Insurance for Saudi Arabia

Remember to always travel with the proper travel insurance, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia where, for foreigners, the Health Care System is crazy expensive.

I strongly recommend World Nomads for the following reasons:

It is the only company that offers an unlimited budget policy, very useful for Saudi Arabia

It provides coverage for pretty much any nationality

It covers a wide range of adventure activities

  Getting to Saudi Arabia

By air – The easiest way to travel to Saudi Arabia is by flying in. There are loads of international flights, especially to Jeddah and Riyadh. Saudia Airlines has many direct flights from Europe and other destinations.

By land – Right before visiting Saudi Arabia, I was traveling in Oman, so my initial idea was to overland via UAE. However, in the visa application, I had to specify my port of entry and they didn’t give you the choice of selecting a land border entry point, so I preferred to just book a flight because, in any case, going from Muscat to Riyadh was a very long way and I didn’t even know about public transportation options.

The border between Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait should be open to anyone with a valid visa. The rest of the borders, however, are currently closed: Yemen, due to the ongoing conflict; Qatar, due to their current diplomatic issues; and Oman, due to it being under construction. I am not sure about the Iraqi border but, most likely, you won’t be crossing from there.

Read: Ultimate 7-day itinerary to Dubai and the UAE 

Another very cool canyon outside of Riyadh – Can you travel to Saudi Arabia

  Tourism in Saudi Arabia

As you may imagine, tourism in Saudi Arabia is in a very embryonic stage.

Random Saudi: Where are you from? Me: Spain Random Saudi: Where do you live, in Jeddah or Riyadh? Me: Nowhere, I am just visiting Random Saudi: No, I mean where in Saudi are you working?

I had this conversation over and over. They still don’t know that foreigners can now travel to Saudi Arabia.

When I was exploring the southern part of the country and was walking around the souk with my big backpack, people were asking me if I was carrying a parachute and one even said if it was an inflatable boat.

Read: Places to visit in Saudi Arabia – Complete itinerary

Rajal Almaa, a beautiful village in southern Saudi Arabia – Travel guide to Saudi Arabia

So yeah, the idea of having international visitors who are not expats or workers is still a concept they aren’t familiar with.

However, there is a relatively developed domestic tourism infrastructure, so you can find hotels pretty much everywhere, even though they tend to be expensive.

Moreover, as per things to do, you should know that there are loads, loads of things to do in this country. I mean, just check its size and you will see that it is bigger than any European country. I will publish a travel guide to Saudi with itinerary included very, very soon.

The beautiful Old City of Jeddah – This photo was chosen the 2nd best photo in Instagram by Lonely Planet in January 2019

  Is it ethical to travel to Saudi Arabia?

When I came back from Saudi Arabia, I received many, many messages from very upset people who claimed that traveling to Saudi Arabia implicated collaborating with a regime that doesn’t respect the basic human rights. 

Some messages were from friendly, skeptical people who wanted a response, while others were from really extreme haters who I blocked right away.  

Well, let me tell you something: like in any place around the world, you find good and bad people and, when I travel, I don’t meet with Prime Ministers but I visit places and hang out with humble locals. 

This a very long and controversial topic, so I recommend you read my article:

Is it ethical to travel to Saudi Arabia as a tourist?

Hanging out with local friends in Abha

  How to access blocked sites in Saudi

Something you should know is that, in Saudi, the internet is censored.

This means that some websites might be blocked and inaccessible for regular internet users.

Moreover, because of this censorship and, since there is no freedom of speech, the Government reserves the right to monitor your internet activity.

Therefore, if you want to access blocked sites and navigate anonymously, you will need something called a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

Don’t worry, it is less complicated than it sounds and, in this tutorial, you can find out everything about it:

What is it and how to find the right VPN for Saudi Arabia

  Saudi Arabia travel guide – Tips on how to behave

Heads-up.

Saudi Arabia is the most religious country I have ever been to.

In fact, this is the most religious Muslim country in the world. Everybody knows that. 

Most Saudis follow a branch of Islam named Wahhabism, which is characterized for having the most conservative interpretation of Islam and the law of Saudi Arabia strictly follows it.

This means that their penal code includes some very hardcore punishments such as public beheading or getting flogged. This is their country and we are not here to judge and unless you plan to kill someone, smuggle drugs or have sex in public, you shouldn’t be afraid of traveling to Saudi Arabia as a tourist.

Seriously, it is not even close to what you may think.

Note – Saudis prefer to be called Salafis, instead of Wahabis. In their eyes, Wahabism is a few steps ahead than Salafism when it comes to conservatism, meaning that it is really extreme, a term usually used to designate Islamic terrorists. Whereas Salafists are really, really conservative in nature, it is more socially accepted.  Thank you, Graham, from Inside Other Places for the clarification

A man reading the Quran is Jawtha Mosque, the second mosque the prophet Mohammed ever prayed at, in Hofuf, east of Saudi Arabia – Can you visit Saudi Arabia?

Some rules you need to follow when you travel to Saudi Arabia

Women need to wear an abaya – The abaya is a local dress that covers your body (not your head).

Some public spaces are segregated by sex – You will figure it out by yourself but some restaurants or cafés are still composed of two areas: men and family section. Women or men that go with women need to sit in the family section. This kind of segregation is slowly disappearing, especially in Jeddah and Riyadh.

Depending on where you are, during prayer time, you can’t be inside shops or restaurants – To be honest, this rule has become more flexible but, outside of Riyadh and Jeddah, they kicked me out from shops during the prayers and I could not even stand in front but I had to walk away. A very weird rule.

Don’t drink alcohol – Drinking alcohol in Saudi Arabia is not legal, not even in 5-star hotels.

Seriously, stay away from drugs – Drugs may lead to death sentence, so don’t play with them.

No public shows of affection – Same as when you travel to Dubai or Qatar.

Don’t say you are an atheist – Even if you were, say you are a Christian or any major religion in your home country. Being an atheist can be considered as blasphemy and this is a very serious crime in Saudi. Moreover, you came to Saudi to meet people and make local friends, so saying you are an atheist won’t help you at all.

The Old City of Riyadh – Saudi Arabia travel tips

Misconceptions about Saudi Arabia – Things you can actually do

Like I said before, in the last couple of years, the laws of Saudi Arabia have become more flexible. Well, this is not entirely right. According to my local Saudi friends, some laws haven’t been changed but the religious Islamic police (mutaween) has lost power, so they aren’t controlling what people do anymore.

Men and women who aren’t family related can hang out together, in public – Some years ago, you couldn’t go to a restaurant or a café with a friend from the opposite sex but now you can do it normally, like in any other country.

Foreign women can travel around the country independently, and alone – I have already lost count of all the women who asked me if they can go there by themselves. Yes, you can travel to Saudi Arabia as a woman, by yourself. Would it be challenging? It would be different from being a man, indeed, but it is definitely legal.

Single foreign women can also visit Saudi on a tourist visa – You can travel to Saudi with your unmarried boyfriend and even if you are single, no problem.

Women don’t need to wear hijab – You don’t need to cover your head but, like I just said, you must cover your body with an abaya. If you travel to Iran, you will see that the clothing rules are even more strict.

Women can drive, including renting a car – From June 2018, women can finally drive and, as a female tourist, you can also rent it.

Men can wear shorts – Nobody will say anything to you.

These are the things I could come up with so far. Do you have any more questions about the law in Saudi? Please, post it in the comments section.

with @nadaalnahdi and @esraarayes – Can I visit Saudi Arabia

  The people and the culture – The Saudis

Like in many Middle Eastern countries, in Saudi, you find loads of particularly kind people.

Typically, Saudis are so easy to recognize because they wear the thawb, which is the white traditional dress. They also cover their heads with the ghutrah, which can be of different colors but red & white seems to be the most commonly used.

A Saudi man – Can tourists visit Saudi Arabia?

Language – Arabic is the official language. English can be a sometimes problem when you travel in Saudi Arabia, as most people don’t speak it but you will always find someone who does.

Religion – According to the Saudi Government, 100% of the Saudis are Muslim, the large majority being Sunni Wahabbis. There is a large Shia population, as well. Remember that Saudis are very conservative, so try to be respectful and sensitive.

Saudis are extremely hospitable

Before traveling to Saudi Arabia, I knew a lot of people who had been there on a business visa and the truth is that I am extremely disappointed with all of them because they had told me:

Saudis are arrogant

Saudis are racist to anyone who is not from the Gulf

There is nothing to do in Saudi

Seriously, I don’t know where they have been but, from the moment I met the immigration officer who stamped my passport with a big smile while he tried to improve his Spanish, I have just had positive experiences with Saudi people.

Saudi people are extremely hospitable. From endless coffee and meal invitations to random people who insisted on showing me around the city, I seriously met some incredible locals, some of whom I can call now friends.

Honestly, the experience was no different from the blessings of hospitality in Pakistan, Oman or Iran, no kidding. I shared many short moments with so many locals but there were two Saudis in particular who really changed the perspective of my trip.

First, I met Abdullah, an English teacher from Kharj. He picked me up when I was hitchhiking and drove me to a city which was 80km away (and it was not his way). There, we met with one of his friends, we had lunch at his house and then we visited his camel farm. Abdullah taught me many interesting things about Saudi culture, especially their interpretation of Islam.

Do you like extreme destinations? Read: How to travel to Syria

With Abdullah – Can I travel to Saudi Arabia

A few days after, I met Ibrahim, a real Saudi from Abha. We met at the souk of Abha and, after having a chat, he invited me to his famous village named Rajal Alma. We had dinner, stayed at his friend’s house and showed me around on the day after. Ibrahim comes from a very traditional Saudi family (his father was actually a famous Imam from the region) but he married a Filipina girl, something quite unheard of from Saudis with a similar background.

Seriously, don’t trust anyone who has just been to Jeddah or Riyadh for business. First of all, you can’t judge a country by the inhabitants of a several-million people city. And second of all, don’t trust the judgment from someone who has traveled to Saudi Arabia for business because he hasn’t seen much beyond the office, the fancy restaurant, and the hotel.

Saudis are not happy about how the Western media portraits them

Our media doesn’t really do justice to Saudi people, as they portray them as religious fanatics who force women to submit to their Sharia rules.

The reality is miles away from this stereotype.

Like in any country, there are loads of awesome people and, like in any off the beaten track Muslim country, most of them are extra-nice with foreigners.

Saudi women

Most women in Saudi wear the black niqab, which covers the whole face except the eyes.

The reason they wear it is that, according to their interpretation of the Quran, women can’t show their face to any man who isn’t their dad, uncles, grandfathers, sons, and husband, of course.

For years, many pro-feminist groups in Europe have been claiming that the use of niqab is sexist, against the women’s rights and they wear it against their will.

Whereas I fully understand their point, I think that their argument is quite simplistic and it just lets you see one tiny side of the whole picture.

Please note that I am not trying to justify the use of the niqab but I just wanted you to know that many Saudi women actually choose to wear it. Really. They choose to wear it because they think that this is the right thing to do because the Quran says so. They believe they need to wear it as much as men believe it.

Obviously, there will be many cases of liberal Saudi women who will tell you a different story but I am just talking in generic terms.

My point is that this topic is way more complicated than we think and, as tourists, we shouldn’t be talking or trying to change it because you are traveling to Saudi Arabia to learn about their culture and visit beautiful places.

How to deal with women in Saudi – Now that every day you see more and more women working in public spaces, you are likely to talk to quite a few Saudi women who wear the niqab.

If you are a man, don’t try to shake hands and keep a reasonable distance with them but you can talk to them freely and you will see that they are as lovely women like any other. If you are a foreign woman, they will definitely be extra nice to you and, if you are on the countryside, expect them to invite you to their house.

When I visited Al-Jawf, 1,000km north of Riyadh, I went there to work on an assignment for a local company and I was very lucky to be received by two super nice ladies wearing niqab. I spent the whole day with them. They showed me around their province, we went to have some coffee and I even went to their house where they fed me until I exploded. They were as hospitable as any Muslim man I had met before and the only difference is that I didn’t see their faces. It was an enriching experience.

Chilling with a Saudi woman in Al-Jawf – How to travel to Saudi Arabia?

  Saudis are multi-ethnic

For centuries, Muslims from all over the world came to Saudi on their journey to Mecca and, at some point, decided to settle there.

Over time, they became Saudi citizens and that is why, today, you find Saudis from all types of ethnicities. From Bedouin to East-African-looking people and even the cultural-Yemeni-like people from the south of the country, in Jizan, Saudi is the most multi-ethnic Arab country.

For me, this was one of the most surprising things about the country.

A Yemeni-like Saudi man from Jizan – Traveling to Saudi Arabia what to know

  Food when visiting Saudi Arabia

The food was another extremely surprising thing about traveling in Saudi.

Before visiting Saudi, I was traveling in Oman for 1 month. In Oman, I felt that, after day 2, I had already tasted all the local food, which was always simplified to different variations of rice with meat, chicken or fish. Then, I tasted one or two different local dishes in some houses and the rest was all Indian food.

Saudi, however, is a different story. Since it borders with so many Arabic countries, its huge dimensions with many different geographical areas and its multi-ethnic population, the food in Saudi Arabia is a real blend of all the Arabic food you can think of.

From the Yemeni food-like dishes from the south to the olive oil-rich food from the north of the country, Levantine Arabic dishes such as vine leaves and makluba, foul and hummus for breakfast and, of course, the classic Gulf food that includes all sorts of rice with meat, the cuisine of Saudi Arabia also shows the cultural richness of the country.

By the way, traditionally, Saudis eat on the floor and use their right hand to eat. Eating like them is a sign of respect but if you are struggling, you can always help yourself with a spoon.

 – This is mandi, which is originally from Yemen – Travel tips for Saudi Arabia

  Solo female travel in Saudi

Since I left Saudi Arabia, I have been bombed with tens of questions from many women who are skeptical about traveling to Saudi.

Sure, Saudi is an extremely patriarchal country, so this kind of reaction is perfectly understandable. However, let me tell you that, as a woman, Saudi Arabia is much safer than you could ever think.

I am perfectly aware that, since I am not a woman, my opinion doesn’t really count here but, luckily, during my journey, I met Nada al Nahdi, a Yemeni / Indonesian girl who was born in Saudi, so she knows the people and culture very well and has traveled around the country extensively.

Nada wrote an article about this topic on my site, so if you want to know more, read:

9 misconceptions about traveling to Saudi Arabia as a woman.

Nada trekking in Saudi Arabia

  Is it safe to travel to Saudi Arabia?

From a crime perspective, Saudi Arabia is just another very safe place to visit in the Middle East. I mean, you should always be aware of your belongings but pickpocketing or being robbed is quite unheard of.

As per terrorism threat, I will not deny the fact that there have been some one-off terrorist attacks but even UK travel advice says that, except for the areas close to the Yemeni border, all Saudi Arabia is safe to visit. 

However, I also went to Jizan, the region bordering Yemen and everything was extra peaceful. The war is happening on the other side of the border, not in Saudi.

In my opinion, the only actual threat when traveling in Saudi Arabia are the extremely crazy drivers. Seriously, after all my years of travels, I can now confirm that Saudi people are the most insane people on wheels.

For a more detailed analysis, read this article from Joao Leitao: Is Saudi Arabia a safe country to travel?

Hanging out with some Saudis – Photo by @joaoleitaoviagens – Travel tips to Saudi Arabia

  Money in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Rial is the official currency – And, in January 2019, 1USD = 3,75SR

Exchanging money – Euros, United States dollars or British Pounds are widely accepted. You can even exchange Indian and Pakistani rupees and other Asian currencies, as there is a large Asian population living in Saudi. Of course, the currencies from other Gulf countries, such as Omani Rials or UAE Dirhams are also accepted.

ATM and credit cards – ATMs are available pretty much everywhere and credit cards are accepted in most modern cafés, restaurants, and hotels. However, bring always some extra cash, as the Indian-run cafés and other more local places don’t accept cards.

Cost of travel to Saudi Arabia – These are the prices of the most typical things:

Budget Hotel – Double room from 100 to 150SR (26 to 40USD)

Breakfast in Indian-run café – 5 to 10SR (1.30 to 2.60USD)

Breakfast in local Saudi eatery – 10 to 15SR (2.60 to 4USD)

Lunch in Indian-run restaurant – 10 to 15SR (2.60 to 4USD)

Lunch in local Saudi eatery – 15 to 20SR (4USD to 5.30USD)

Lunch in mid-range restaurant – From 30-35SR (8-9USD)

Short taxi ride in Riyadh – 15 to 25SR (4 to 6.60USD)

  Moving around when traveling in Saudi Arabia

Something you need to know: Saudi Arabia is the least walking-friendly place I have ever been to. That being said, here is what you need to know regarding moving around the Kingdom:

Moving inside cities – Public transportation in Saudi cities is awful and, except in some parts of Jeddah, you must drive with your own car or by taxi. You can’t seriously walk. If you aren’t self-driving, I recommend you download Uber or Careem, so you won’t have to deal with negotiating a price with a taxi.

Domestic flights – Another problem of Saudi Arabia is that distances are ridiculously huge and the nice places to visit in Saudi are scattered all around the country. For example, Al-Ula is nearly 1,000km north of Jeddah and Jizan is another 1,000 south of Jeddah. If you are short of time, a very good alternative is taking domestic flights.

I recommend you check on Saudia Airlines, as they have the largest number of domestic connections in the country. Actually, the most effective way to travel in Saudi Arabia would be taking a domestic flight and then renting a car in the destination itself.

Rent a car – In order to enjoy the country, renting a car is crucial. Gas is cheap, so are the daily rental rates. However, all companies offer limited daily mileage, around 250-300km a day I think, so if you drive to faraway places like Al-Ula or Jizan, you may end up paying quite a lot. By the way, most rental companies won’t rent you a car if you don’t have an international driving license, so remember to convert it before leaving your country.

I strongly recommend you look for the best deals on Rental Car, a search engine that shows you the best available options in each country and city.

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE BEST CAR RENTAL DEALS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Buses – You can also move by bus between cities. They are very cheap but the problem is that you will have to rely on taxis once you get to any destination. There is not a single city in Saudi which is walking friendly.

You check all bus schedules and buy tickets on this website.

Hitchhiking – As crazy as it may sound, I hitchhiked across Saudi Arabia. I actually hitchhiked from Riyadh to Jizan, 1,300km. I had some really good experiences but, at the same time, I had not so good experiences. On the one hand, it is relatively easy to get a ride and, normally, Saudis will be extremely helpful and, if you are lucky, they will invite you to their house.

On the other hand, most places in Saudi are connected with highways where people drive extremely fast and, sometimes, they overtake cars by the shoulder of the road, which is extremely dangerous if you are waiting there. Moreover, many Saudis are crazy drivers, more than in any other country I have been to. On one occasion, I refused to continue with a man because I was seriously afraid of dying. When I finally reached Jizan, I decided not to hitchhike anymore. It was too intense.

We had some issues when hitchhiking with these guys – Can I travel to Saudi Arabia alone

  Internet and SIM Card

Wi-Fi – It works pretty well all across the country, including in the budget hotels. You won’t find Wi-Fi in the cheap cafés but most malls or Western-Style cafés have public Wi-Fi.

SIM Card and 3G – I got ZAIN which, according to locals, has the worst network but it was the only company I found which you could buy just 1 or 2GB. Mobily is the most popular one but they asked me to buy 10GB, at least, which was around 150SR (40USD). With ZAIN, I think I just paid around 30SR for the SIM Card plus 1GB worth of data.

Remember that, in Saudi, the internet is censored and, if you want to access blocked sites, you will need a VPN. Read: How to find the right VPN for Saudi Arabia

  Accommodation

In Saudi Arabia, accommodation is quite expensive, especially for solo travelers.

Airbnb – The cheapest option would be finding a room on Airbnb and remember that, if you create an account through my link, you will get up to 35€ of FREE credit on your next booking. 

SIGN UP THROUGH THIS LINK TO GET YOUR 35€ OF FREE CREDIT

Hotels – Prices start at 25-30USD but, on the bright side, budget hotels are usually apartment-hotels with a kitchen and, for just a few more USD, you could have a 3 or 4-bedroom apartment, so if you are a family or travel with more people they are a great value for money.

You can find hotels all over the country. If you have a larger budget, all cities are filled with good accommodation options, especially in Jeddah and Riyadh, where you can find the most luxurious hotels.

If you are self-driving for long distances, most small towns you pass by will also have budget apartment-hotels which are always clean, at least in my experience.

You can find plenty of hotels in Booking.com

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE BEST HOTELS DEALS ON BOOKING.COM

Falconry is also a very big deal in Saudi – Travel Guide to Saud Arabia

  More information for traveling to Saudi

When to travel to Saudi – Winter is, definitely, the best time. Avoid summer, late spring and early autumn, as during day time, temperatures average 40-45ºC.

Weekend falls on Friday and Saturday – This is not different than many Muslim countries.

On Friday, everything is closed until Asr prayer, which is around 4 or 5pm – Not everything will be closed but some restaurants may open in the morning. However, at noon, during Dhuhr prayer, absolutely everything is closed.

Eat with your right hand, always – This is a generic Muslim rule but in Saudi is particularly strict. If you are sharing a meal with more traditional people, try to always eat with your right hand. I am actually left-handed and sometimes I forget about it and Saudi has been the only place where the locals got a bit upset when they saw me eating with my left hand.

Don’t travel to Saudi during the holy month of Ramadan – During Ramadan, the law is really extreme in Saudi, so all business will be closed during day time.

All my travel guides to Saudi Arabia

Places to visit in Saudi Arabia – 2-week itinerary 9 Misconceptions about solo female travel in Saudi How to visit Riyadh in 3 days Is it ethical to visit Saudi as a tourist?

And here you can find all my articles and guides to the Middle East. 

    from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/2XwMxoT via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

[ohsnapitssam]

To my almost. :)

It was 2016 when I first had a connection with you. First year tayo non, second semester. Naghahanap ako ng HYDRO Tickets para sa mga friends ko and I saw you posted in a freshie group na you were selling. Nag chat ako sayo sabi ko im interested and pinareserve ko muna. Pero in the end hindi ko na nabili kasi hindi naman kami tutuloy and nabenta mo naman na sa iba. And ayon. we became internet friends. And I was so mesmerized by your appearance, grabe. Hindi ka naman yung typical guy na kapogian and make girls and other gay guys drool or scream. Pero one thing that made me look back is your awesome personality. Yung usapan natin sa chat, I felt very comfortable even though hindi pa tayo nagkikita personally bale virtually crush palang kita non. 

Figure 1.0 First pic na sinend mo sakin. HAHAHAHAHA

Figure 1.1 2016 palang hubadero ka na pota ka HAHAHAHHA

Tapos diba umamin ako sayo non na crush kita tapos sabi mo may boyfriend ka na, w/c is Sid, i said okay and I bypassed this feelings and moved on. (Really?) Tapos ayun magkausap padin tayo through random times. FB, Twitter, texts, calls, etc. Sobrang comfortable talaga ng feeling kapag kausap ka araw-araw.

Figure 1.2 Ito yung unang picture mo na sinave ko sa phone ko non na ACER na bulok HAHAHA. Ito din yung picture na gamit ko sa images ng Messages sa phone ko. :) (Fresh mo pa jan teh)

When First sem starts again second year na tayo non. Hindi parin kita nakikita. Sinabihan mo pa akong cute nung napanood mo ako sa Wish Ko Lang nung segment nung bulag na student sa COC tapos nakita mo ko don lol sabi mo cute ako well ako na to char. Taposl COC Week came, Amazing Race. Blue Team ako non ikaw Green Team. We first interact each other sa main. Naka braid pa buhok mo non and you yelled my name and gave me that sweet smile. I was hardstuck to where I’m standing from that time. Tapos last kami nakatapos ng mga leg don then when we head back to COC andun ka nakatayo sa may puno kina ate Lourdes. Tinawag moko then you hold my hand. I smiled. :) It was the first time we hold hands and I was shocked that time lol pero masaya naman. Then after the event tinext mo ko non e di ko alam kung about saan basta nagtext text tayo non habang nasa byahe ako lol. Tapos palagi kong sinasabi kay ate Jess yung about sayo and kung gaano kita ka crush non that time kasi siya lang kausap ko non nung newbie palang ako 

Then everything was fun and awesome ok ok sige friends tayo and all casual lang na paguusap and everything then there’s this day na sabay sabay tayong kumain apat nila Ally and Brit kina ate Lourdes ayun na ata yung last na interaction natin nung 2016 idk, may mga times na nagkikita tayo sa lobby habang nagtetraining kami. 

2017, sumali kayo ni Ally sa pep, Natuwa na ako na sumali si Ally sa pep kasi someone close to you joined edi nasa isip ko shet, si Jeremy palagi na manonood samin kasi nandito na si Ally, tapos kinabukasan malalaman ko sasali ka na ring dishuta ka HAHAHAHA edi mas natuwa naman ako pero syempre lowkey kilig lang ako :(( Nung sumali ka, syempre di mo alam gagawin mo, tanga ka pa non e. Lol edi nagpaturo ka sa mga seniors namin kina Jess Alex ng mga ganap natin sa squad. Tapos nakasama ka na din don sa BPOlympics tapos binilhan mo pa ako ng donut surprise mo daw sakin sabi ni Jarem, yung mukhang aso na donut pero hindi ko na mamukhaan kasi pinipi niyo na ata. HAHAHA. Super kilig ako non kasi wala lang I love surprises. Tapos ayon, time came when something is happening between you and Jarem and naconfirm lang naming lahat after compet kasi medyo tinatago niyo pa during cheer season. The moment I knew na something is between you two, i said to myself. okay sige. No grudge, I was happy pa nga for the both of you, really, i am! :) It’s kust na very wrong timing lang talaga tayo and siguro mabagal din ako??? I think. Lol nevertheless, i was happy and shipping you both that time. Secretly and lowkey loving you from afar. Ew. And we were still pretty close since then. and even start kissing on the lips like very damn day we meet and parang wala lang sating dalawa. Just like a friendly gesture. Ganun. And I think sakin mo lang ginagawa and kay Kenji ang pagiging kisser mo? Ewan ko.  

2 years passed. 2019. It was still okay, yea keeping things flowy and whatsoever. Then on the second half of the year starting from July, I find out na medyo hindi na kayo okay ni Jarem. Sabi ko, “Anong nangyayari sa dalawa? Issues came up, a lot of things going on inside and outside social media, I know some of it but many of them, no because I’m keeping myself away from being involved. Tapos ayun nga, medyo hindi na kayo okay. Tapos palaging naggagala, staying late hours in Cubao, nag chi-chilltop every after weeks even after training days sa pep. Overnight everywhere, talking about stuff, and i mean EVERYTHING kind of stuff. 

Figure 1.3 Wala lang ang cute natin dito so hehehe 

Tapos ayun lets jump to this October after compet nung uminom tayo sa Chilltop Lacson to celebrate/mourn our loss sa PUP CLC, naalala ko non we are on the same line of seats pero we are one seat apart nakapagitna kasi satin si Ning, tapos nag CR sila ni Jarem so the seats are vacant and you decided na tumabi sakin. Then during the party you are just so so so sweet and clingy ang dami mong sinasabi sakin na about sa future ko na I’ll do great things and saying that you love me so much makes me feel like, putangina yung puso ko sasabog na sa mga pinagsasabi nitong katabi ko. GANON TALAGA YUNG FEELING, MY MINE! Tapos you are kissing me rin in random times which makes my butterflies in my stomach smother around even harder. Then nung natapos na tayo sobrang bagsak ka na non pota sakin ka pa nagpabuhat sobrang bigat mo, my mine :((( Sabi pa sakin nung katabi nating table non kasi nakasabay natin sila pauwi. “Ingatan mo baby mo ha sweet niyo kanina”. Natawa nalang ako tapos buhat buhat parin ktia non. Bwiset ka. Tapos naghiwa hiwalay na tayong lahat non pumunta tayo kina Chano na dapat kina kuya Jaja tayo tutuloy pero nag insist ka kasi di mo na kaya. Sinamahan kita kasi gusto ko safe ka and tsaka ako nagaalala sayo non. Tapos nung hiniga na kita sa lapag non and me myself sobrang bagsak na katawan ko and pa black out nadin. Tapos next thing I knew, ayun na. Alam mo na yon. Hindi ko na dito ilalalagay lahat ng nangyari ng gabing yon at ng umagang yon and na-open up ko na sayo yon before and hindi ko na isusulat yon dito kasi I have respect for you, my mine ko! :) And remember that time nung niyaya kita sa MOA kasama sila Rommel Ivan and Jarem pero hindi ka nakapunta, you said sorry and you appreciated my invitation pero u still didn’t chose to come kasi nga yung sa inyo ni Jarem that time. And that was also the time na umamin ako sayo na gustong gusto parin kita maging boyfriend ko. Sobrang tanga ko non kasi ang bad timing pero you were so honest and very transparent na hindi pa pwede kasi you have still high hopes with Jarem and I respect that sinabi ko naman sayo yun diba, my mine? Sabi mo pa nga hintayin kita and you will wait for our time to come and I was glad that you had that kind of mindset kasi pota 3 years na akong nakapila sa puso mo eh hahaha. Pero at the same time,  things are getting harder and harder on me kasi stage 3 na ako sa sakit ko, and I was so sad that time nung inamin ko sa inyong apat non nila Alli Rommel at Mekai and the whole night I was just staring randomly at people thinking about the one of the biggest decision I made, is to let you go, on your birthday.

Figure 1.4 Skl nilalagyan lang ako ng mga meds sa katawan. DONT BE BOTHERED PLEASE. DI NAMAN YAN CRITICAL ITS JUST NORMAL LOL 

Stage 3 Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is way damn hard to explain when you are in the situation, imagine yourself being neutral and not able to express emotions that much, as if you have your limit to do so. My mine, sobrang lungkot ko kasi feeling ko hindi na ako marerecover. Na hanggang dito nalang ako, so I did this decision to cut off ties with you. I’m not telling you na ikaw ang may kasalanan, kasi you aren’t. Wala kang kinalaman sa sakit ko or whoever person involved (eg. our common friends etc). It’s all on me. I’m sorry if ever I made you sad or angry(???). I deserve it. All the hate you can give, sige go. But one things for sure, I will never ever forget you as one of bestest (cuz best is not the right word to describe you lol) people I ever met in my life. Every memories we had and shared will always be inside me and will never vanish, I promise you that. 3 years I loved you more than any people I loved. As I’ve said to you, I tried finding love to other guys out there but I still end up falling in love with you kasi I see myself and imagine myself with you in the future way way more clearer than the others. And it saddens me to do that because you are the best thing happened to me and I chose to cut ties with you on your own birthday... Ang sama ko sa part na yon. Pero i dont know what you felt about that. Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. My mine, I love you always and what ever happens, I’ll still love you even from afar because that is my promise to you remember? :) 

Figure 1.5 Kina kuya Ja to. Cute natin nyakakakakka :) 

2020 is fast approaching. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, kakalimutan na kita, my mine. Pero that is the one thing na hindi ko na fullfill. Kasi I can’t and I won’t. I can’t afford to lose every single piece of our great memories just because I have this sickness inside me. Sana when we meet each other ulit somewhere out there, ikikiss mo parin ako, ihuhug mo pari ako, hahawakan mo parin kamay ko, magiging same persons pa rin tayo just like before. 

I love you so much, my mine ko! When you finished reading this, I just want you to know na I’m always praying for your safety and for your blessings to come to you and I’m looking forward to see you in your successful self! Isko ka na ulit pero sa UP na. Sobrang nakakatuwa and I’m so indeed happy for you. <3 Super salamat sa lahat ng good and bad memories natin. I appreciate you and your well-being. I’m excited yet nervous when December 31 comes kasi that will be the time when I’ll gice you this blog and siyempre natatakot ako sa kung ano man yung magiging reaction mo. But anyways, ayon lang. Ito na yon. I love you so soooo much, my mine ko! :) 

[fluentlanguage]

Clear the List November 2019: No-English Lessons as a Beginner?!

Clear the List November 2019: No-English Lessons at My Level?!

Hello and welcome to another blog post in the Clear The List series, the monthly language learning round-up about language learning goals and progress.

That’s right - NOVEMBER goals! October was a very interesting month for my language learning as I tried out something I had never tried before. Exciting stuff!

This check-in is part of the #clearthelist round-up hosted by Shannon Kennedy and Lindsay Williams.

What Happened in October?

I was busy signing up participants for the next Fluent German Retreat, and then I travelled to the USA again! This time, my time was spent at a retreat in Colorado and it took up about half of the month. So that means I had half of the month for studying languages.

I don’t usually allow a lot of my weekend to become language study time as I want to spend it with my husband and my inner lazybones, but this month I challenged myself and took several lessons on Saturday afternoons. It was actually great fun, and definitely a time of the week that now feels open for languages.

The Fluent Show in October

I travelled to London to record my first ever interview in person! The interview was with David Peterson, the remarkable creator of languages for TV shows like Game of Thrones, The 100, and Defiance. The resulting show is out on 11 November so look out for it in your usual podcast locations.

Recording in person was a new adventure for me and I travelled up to London with brand new microphones, cables, and mic stands! It’s worth it for a special recording atmosphere, I can’t wait to record in person again soon. If you listen to just one episode from October 2019, I recommend this deep dive into finding a perfect language teacher with my co-host Lindsay Williams.

Reminder: The Fluent Show has opened a Patreon page. This allows all listeners to become involved in making the show with a small monthly pledge. If you want to become a part of the community, please visit our Patreon page.

Language Goals and Progress

During the month of October, I pushed myself to take as many italki lessons as possible in the italki language challenge.

If you’ve never heard of italki, click here to find out more and get $10 credit - it is a platform for finding online language teachers, and it’s excellent.

Now before the big reveal, lemme tell you a thing: italki sets the challenge goals in lesson hours. But for me, language lessons are rarely an hour long when I’m crouching around somewhere at an early level. With the approach I took in Chinese, an hour would have felt very exhausting for me and the tutor so I chose to take lots of lessons but many of them were half an hour long.

And on that note, I totally didn’t meet the goal of 12 study hours. But I hadn’t expected to.

Instead, I took 6.25 hours of study time split over 9 lessons. The results were surprisingly positive, I felt reinvigorated and reminded how much I love languages! Here are the specifics.

Mandarin Chinese

Wow! Considering I was tutor-less a month ago, the italki challenge absolutely pushed me to find a new style and tutor that worked for me. And in Chinese, I tried a whole new approach this time.

Instead of choosing an experienced and formally qualified tutor, I decided to go with what italki calls a “community tutor”, i.e. someone who is ready to help and teach but who hasn’t formally studied the language as much.

This was 100% the right decision for someone like me who is

an experienced language learner

already working with 1 or 2 guiding resources

pretty confident about knowing what to do.

Going for a tutor who approaches teaching less formally suits my own informal style perfectly, especially since I tend to follow up after class and do my own homework without prompting.

By the way, you can learn more about the differences and what they mean in this month’s podcast episode about language teachers.

No-English Lessons at My Level?!

I took inspiration from Scott Young’s interview on the Actual Fluency podcast (episode 164). In this interview, Scott mentioned that he used to hire tutors and tell them beforehand that he doesn’t know a lot but he wants to eliminate English during the class, so he will heavily use google translate.

I had previously taken lessons that involved a tutor working through a textbook with me, and I did not enjoy them so much. So I figured “what the heck” and decided to throw myself in at the deep end and speak terrible internet Chinese to a few people. They get paid, after all!

And the result was totally positive! I enjoyed each class, had lots of fun, experimented, and understood almost nothing my partners said to me. But it didn’t matter! We came away after 30 minutes feeling like there had been some level of conversation.

I am NOT speaking well yet, but or the first time since I started, I was having fun in Chinese.

If you want to try this out for yourself, go for it! The key is having good follow-up.

Each tutor was very diligent about typing what they said for me, so that after the lesson I took time to copy it into my notebook and I reviewed it for myself. This added about 30 minutes of follow-up time to the lessons, but it’s how I was able to remember things, and it’s also writing practice. Worth it!

App and Book Update

I’m enjoying Lingodeer and Assimil’s “Chinese False Beginners” workbook.

LingQ has fallen by the wayside because I’ve now finished the beginner’s material and there is a big gap between beginner and intermediate. No one wants to review 50 expressions after every page.

Welsh

I also took online lessons with a new Welsh teacher, who was lovely! After my US trip I noticed that I was particularly rusty, so getting right back into an hour of conversation was crucial. Looking forward to more!

In other goals, I have finally booked my next trip to Wales! I’m going to Cardiff/Pontypridd for a Sadwrn Siarad on 23 November and I cannot wait. Love Cardiff, and it’s been too long.

Wildcard Language!

My wildcard language for the italki challenge was BSL (British Sign Language), and I loved each of my 2 classes so much that it left me very eager to learn more and more. In reality, this would come at the cost of either Welsh or Chinese…what to do? Maybe I end up being a learner of all my local languages?

Language Goals for November 2019

Let’s get into detail then! November is a month without international travel, and I’m grateful for it.

Listening

When I’m a beginner in any language, listening without the visuals makes me feel more lost than supported. So this is all about my intermediate/advanced language, Welsh. I regularly listen to the radio and watch TV in Welsh, so my goal is to continue the good work with radio 2-3 times a week and TV for at least 2 hours without subtitles.

When I’m in Cardiff, I’ll also see if I can’t make it to a gig in Welsh.

In Chinese I’ll take a bit of Yabla practice but it’s not my main focus.

Reading

In Chinese, I read a lot as it’s my main source of information. My goal is to complete 2 more chapters in the Assimil workbook and to review the handwritten lesson notes I make.

In Welsh, once again I will finish Ffenestri. I WILL!!! It’s an important goal because then I can take it to Cardiff, give it away to another learner, and get a new supply.

Speaking

I want to build on the good work from October and take another 4 italki lessons in Chinese.

In Welsh, I’m obviously going to a whole day about siarad (speaking), and will also try to hang out with local friends when I’m in Cardiff. I am so excited.

Writing

This is one for Chinese study, where I want to continue my discipline in terms of following up on each lesson with hand-written notes that I can review easily.

What About You?

How do you work with online tutors? How was your October? Leave a comment below or if you’re an Instagram fan, click on the post below to share your own goals in your stories with my template.

[stone-man-warrior]

October 26, 2019: 7:07 pm:

I ma completely isolated from contact with anyone.

Google/Twitter alienated me from Twitter.

Tumblr has me isolated from communication.

I have not received any mail in my postage box on the road in a about a week.

My telephone only receives call from terrorist numbers, no one ever leaves a message, and if I answer, it’s always a bullshit recording.

I am crying for help.

To stop mass murder.

The mass murdering is more offensive,, more gruesome, more cruel than what I learned about Adolf Hitler, and more devastating than that was.

No one is resolving any of it.

I am the only person on the planet that knows enough about the conditions to explain them, and the terrorists have isolated my ability to reach anyone, or even try to get help, and I am not able to receive communications because the phone systems are hijacked and in control of the terror army.

All of the blame needs to be placed somewhere, that is what the terror bastards want you to continue to believe. Blame, and the act of chasing around an individual or group of people is part of the terrorism.

News Media are the leadership command chain vehicle. They need to perpetuate a wide variety of different kinds of brainwashing techniques in order to control those who could stop the coup.

Blame: The idea that someone needs to be blamed for crimes or conditions works in such a way as to help those who are responsible for the advancement of Global Domination Crusade efforts.

We, in the television and internet news audience, are perpetually bombarded with reports that a crime occurred someplace, and that there is someone in custody, or on the loose, or is to BLAME somehow,

That constant bombardment of casting blame, is done to make sure that those who do public safety are always thinking about an individual to blame, or sometimes a small group of people is to blame.

That condition of blame is done so that the damage control operatives of  #SAGcoup will easily have opportunity to convince someone that they have a suggestion of who is to BLAME. A sort of supply and demand condition is perpetuated that way, the need for someone to blame, is proportional to the number of different possibilities of BLAME placement that are offered.

An example is a group of people said to be a “militia” and have the name “The Three-Percenters”.

There is no militia called “The Three Percenters” and there never was.

That group was put in place, like the group more recently called “Antifa”, another fictitious group of people that were invented from the imagination if a Hollywood Screen Writer.

The “Three-Percenters” was invented, and then fake news stories presented in response to ordinary people who reported to law enforcement, terror conditions that they had found out about.

The taking of three percent of the population has been happening for as long as I can remember, almost. My first experience with the knowledge of the Three percent taking goes back to the “Cal-Jam” music concerts in Southern California in the 1970′s.

Three Percenters is not a militia of armed US Military patriotic zealots, what the Three Percenters really are, is a the #SAGcoup terror army.

SAG media created the “label” so that there could be something to blame things on, while at the same time, that “label” makes it possible to announce on news media televised and otherwise, world-wide, to terror operatives, also world-wide, that the knowledge of the three percent taking of citizens has been made public somewhere at a law enforcement level.

Example: Someone goes to a Ted Nugent Rock & Roll Music concert. That person sees people being killed, large numbers of people being killed and carted away, at the restrooms on one side of the arena, for instance. That person gets away, and here’s the terror soldiers talking about:

“we already took the three percent we needed, what are our orders?“

That person could have been staff security at the Ted Nugent concert, or an off duty police, or a doctor, or lawyer, or someone that makes wheelchairs at a wheel chair factory, it does not matter who witnessed it, just that they reported it, and that SAG found out about the report that includes someone heard about the “three percent” and had the wherewith all to include that detail in the police report they made about the mass murders they observed.

After that, with SAG having taken over so many police stations, and having so many of their SAG friendly fake officers at the many police stations who have access to police reports and scan them, or, perhaps they have access to the 911 dispatch, who took the reports on the phone, after that, the fake police contact SAG Headquarters at Nancy Sinatra’s house. Then, she puts out a Damage Control request to Hollywood Screenwriters who come up with the term “The Three-Percenters”, who are an armed militia of US Military zealots, and are causing trouble. They present a few news stories, they do a “Bundy Takes over the Oregon Wildlife Refuge Bullshit News Story”, and that is all it takes to bury the report of real terrorists who are bent on Global Domination and are murdering the population three percent at a time at places where people gather.

Three percent can be taken from a population that gathers anyplace, and that amount of people will not be missed, for a short time, as SAG makes arrangements to replace the real ones that were killed, with impostor citizens that will vote for Nancy Sinatra’s friends that she puts on the voting ballots.

That all started a long time ago.

They were successful.

Millions of citizens have been slaughtered. The conditions of the coup are on a level that rivals the conditions of Adolf Hitler and all of those murders.

That story may in fact be part of the current Christian Crusades. We may find out later that the Hitler event never happened, but instead was used as a means to draw militaries to Europe, like bait, to take them with poison gas.

I don’t know, I was not there. I am here now, and I am right in the middle of a mass slaughter of human beings that includes lies and deception on news media by people the the entire world trusts and even worships.

It’s all fucked up, and now I have been isolated from reporting what I know, and from trying to reach helpful people.

[jewishandmore]

Truth, God, and Community

Truth, God, and Community Erev Yom Kippur - Kol Nidrei 5780 Tuesday, October 8, 2019 Temple Beth Zion, Buffalo, New York

by Rabbi Jonathan Freirich

A dark moonless night near a small, Jewish village, somewhere in Eastern Europe, sometime in the 1500’s.

The Jewish villagers were restless and worried. They heard from their cousins nearby that a mob in an anti-Semitic fury had been rampaging through the countryside. They had seen this before and worried that their village would be next.

The rabbi from the village, desperate to protect the people, worked on the banks of the river, in the dark. Fashioning a rough statue of person from the mud, turning it into a clay imitation of a person, the rabbi said a prayer and then a mystical formula. In the dim light of dawn, the rabbi inscribed three Hebrew letters into the forehead of the statue, writing the word “EMeT”, truth. Once completed, the word sunk deeply into the clay and transformed the statue into a Golem, a nearly indestructible magical creation that would defend the Jews of the town. The Golem would fight without tiring and would save our ancestors from the mob, from another pogrom.

The word that animated the Golem is “truth”.

Truth brings life. Truth protects us.

What is truth and what is true?

There is the scientific perspective. Truth is measurable and observable. A thing is or is not, it is this thing or that thing. This is Hydrogen and that is Helium. The temperature can be measured and is described as truly seventy degrees, no matter how it feels. A color can be measured as a wavelength, and is thus one thing or another. A fact, is a thing that is observable and measurable, and used to be something that most of us could agree upon. We used to be able to say: this is true, and that is the truth.

Now we can argue about everything.

Remember way back when, four years ago, when we were arguing over the colors of a washed out photo of a dress on the internet? Was it blue and black or white and gold? Turns out that the actual dress was in fact blue and black in a clearer photo, a surprise to me, I could have sworn it was white and gold, but this accelerated the idea that all truth is debatable.

While we may see colors as different based on our eyes and our brains, there are in fact “true” colors. They are measured in wavelengths. They can be described mathematically. There are objective truths to color that we rely upon, just as there are objective truths to everything around us that we must agree upon in order to do anything.

Truth is taking a beating.

Science is no longer accepted as reliable. Statistics are used merely to make a point and seldom to describe anything in a way that we can all agree about. Everything has become a matter of opinion.

We regularly validate our own perspectives as if they cannot be reconciled with someone else’s. Bias, individual brain chemistry, different ways of seeing blue and black and white and gold - we separate ourselves out from each other the more we think we can’t see eye to eye about anything.

We are in total agreement about a number of things that are only true because we agree about them.

Take time. We accept time as a standard that we create and uphold together. It is an agreed upon “fiction”. There is no objective nine o’clock. There is only the one that we say is nine o’clock, whether it is “Verizon Standard Time” or Jewish Standard Time - we have to agree upon when in order to all be there at the same time. I had a running group in Cleveland that met at 5:50 AM. They would say, “if you’re there, you’re there”. If I was late, I would be running fast to catch up. We set 5:50 AM by Verizon’s time on our phones.

Truth is the source of life.

And truth is dangerous.

After the Golem saved the small town, it eventually got out of control. A nearly indestructible protector become trouble-maker. When the rabbi admitted defeat at trying to make the Golem work after the crisis, the rabbi erased one letter from the Hebrew word for “Truth”. Rubbing out the ‘alef’ the word “truth” is transformed from “EMeT” into “MeiT”, “death”, and the Golem fell to dust.

Like the Golem, there can be too much truth. We can say too much, share too much of our feelings, and destroy the people around us by being overly truthful and lacking in compassion and kindness. Revealing things that need to be kept concealed can harm people, communities, and nations. Concealing too much that needs to be out in the open can do the same. Truth is like fire - the right amount warms, too much burns, and without it we are left in the dark, defenseless.

A seventh grade class once argued that all religion is just an opinion. Since it can be argued it can’t be a fact.

I asked them whether or not laws were facts or opinions?

Is “Thou Shall not Kill” only an opinion?

Eventually they were convinced that when we agree to hold something as truth - like a law, or an ethic, or a teaching, then it becomes truth, that is it is more than just an opinion.

That we can agree to make truth as a community means that we can agree to unmake it too.

Truth is fragile. Erasing only one letter erases it entirely.

When we attack the truth, claiming that there is no truth, we begin to destroy the common area that we hold together as a community. When that place between you and me comes under attack we not only stop sharing truth, we stop sharing common cause. We need that “true” place in the middle. This “truth” is not so simple.

In this shared space, we need to be kind and caring and we need to figure out how to tell the truth and how to preserve a relationship at the same time. No relationship can handle everything that we think, every truth that we observe. We must filter our thoughts and emotions so that we can get along, so that our relationships will survive and thrive.

The great Jewish sages Hillel and Shammai argued about truth. They argued about what we should say to a bride at her wedding.

Shammai was a stickler for the truth and insisted that we should describe her as she is - truth must prevail and anything else would be lying.

Hillel countered, that we must always say that the bride is beautiful.

The rabbis almost always agree with Hillel and remind us that we should always be sympathetic - meaning that we should say that a bride is beautiful.

[Babylonian Talmud, 17a-b, adapted]

Judaism teaches that a bride, and a groom, are beautiful because that is what defines them on that day. To get married is to be beautiful and our sympathy for the couple helps determine our presentation of the truth.

Truth is important and getting along with people is as well. We can even create a truth that we all agree on for the sake of getting along better. And yet we can destroy truth so easily that it will also destroy any sense that we have sympathy, that we are connected at all, with other people. We show our love for one another by calling all babies beautiful - it is absolute truth that there are no ugly babies. Who will argue with that?

And here we stand, on the evening of Yom Kippur, baring our souls before God, stripping away all of the filters all of the trappings so that we can be true to ourselves, true to our Creator, and then, hopefully, true to each other.

We declare truth a vital and central Jewish idea every time we recite Sh’ma and V’ahavta.

Most of you are familiar with these paragraphs that start: “Listen up Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One!”

What then follows is the commandment to love God and all the things that will help us behave in ways that show how we love God. We are supposed to make all the teachings of Judaism into everyday parts of our lives, speaking about them in our homes and when we are traveling, teaching them to our children, writing them on the doorposts of our houses. V’ahavta tells us that we do this so that we will always remember the place of God in our lives, to do the things that show that we love God, that elevate our behavior and our thoughts, that remind us that God brought us out of Egypt, and then we conclude with the statement, “Adonai Eloheichem Emet”, three words that we can translate as, “Adonai your God is truth.”

We tie the mandate to behave well with the idea that God and truth are the same. We come together to understand what God asks of us and we come together to declare truth to be a shared idea and value.

Good conduct, ethical behavior, and truth, are linked in our prayers, and linked in reality. We must agree upon truth in order to get along.

When we allow our conversations with each other to devolve into a debate about whether or not something is true we have left behind civil discourse. Without a reasonable agreement to talk about things in an area of agreed upon truth we are competing bullies, yelling at each other because the louder person wins since they must have a stronger feeling about their own sense of truth.

In the heat of the moment, I feel all sorts of things are true. If I give heed to these feelings then I might be both unkind and disrespectful to the shared space in which we decide upon truth together.

I want to be a good person all the time even when I don’t feel that way. I want to be kind and loving even when I am occasionally, admittedly, tired and irritable. So which is true?

I am what I do.

I practice the truth that I want to live.

I try to build habits that create a “me” that is truer to the person I want to be.

This evening, Kol Nidrei, when we disavow the promises that we made to ourselves that we haven’t kept, when we confess our flaws and mistakes out loud, to our selves, to our families, to our community, this is our moment of truth. When we strip away all that we have aimed at over the past year and missed, we find the core of our beings, all those values that we work so hard to uphold, and we return to that place of truth within ourselves. 

In that place of truth we begin again.

From this evening we start again on our true selves.

I must work on my truth, my sense of truth, refine my true self, and try again by putting it out there, better than last year. Both more loyal to the truth and kinder than before.

Remember the truths we share - from time, to wedding couples, to babies. This is easier than we think.

Truth is the source of life for the Golem, and it is the source of life in Jeremiah, who wrote:

Adonai, God is truth, the God of life… [Jeremiah 10:10] 

And truth can burn too brightly, too hot, and destroy as well.

Are we ready for the truth?

We come here tonight to find out.

The true self within each of us longs to evolve, to get better, to be the better person that Judaism and God asks of us, that we ask of ourselves.

Will we hold ourselves to a higher standard, a more truthful and more compassionate standard, a shared standard that lives in the intersection between our inner convictions about right and wrong and the communal lives that we must build together?

Can we set down the burdens of the past year? Can we leave behind the things that we thought were true that turned out not to be? Can we set down our pride in arguments offered in passion, and our self-interest, and admit that there is truth to be found between where we stood then, and where we might go together tomorrow?

The truth is out there and in here, in our hearts and minds and souls, and most importantly in the immense places in between you and me. Between us is something bigger and better than either of us could only do by ourselves. Between us is God who is truth. God who is asking us to love the world by doing with our best selves.

As we do at every Kol Nidrei, we start tonight, united as seekers of what is good and what is kind and what is true, together to uncover truth and build a better tomorrow.

[tamboradventure]

Is Bangkok Safe to Visit?

Posted: 10/5/2019 | October 5th, 2019

Bangkok can be an overwhelming destination for tourists, and it is depicted in many Western films as seedy, gritty, and intense, with wild nightlife and never-ending traffic.

Most visitors don’t stay there for long, but if you’re patient and begin to peel back the layers, you’ll discover a complex, beautiful city filled with some of the friendliest and most thoughtful people you will ever meet (Thailand is called the Land of Smiles for a reason!) and delicious street food.

But is Bangkok a safe place to visit?

Just like any major city, you must be alert and aware of your surroundings, but it is pretty safe, and the risk of serious danger is very low (unless you are up to something illegal). You are most likely to encounter small scams designed to get a few extra bucks from you (more on that later).

Here are a few ways to stay extra safe in Bangkok:

1. Be alert as a pedestrian. Traffic in Bangkok is chaotic — many motorbikes will run red lights or even drive on the sidewalks! — so it’s always a good idea to be cautious when crossing the streets and walking around town. Look both ways and stay alert. (And, remember, they drive on the left side of the road (British side) so be sure to look and stay alert!

2. Carry a photocopy of your passport with you. This is a no-brainer for anyone who travels overseas. Put your real passport away in the lockbox provided by your hotel or hostel, and carry around a photocopy or a digital version on your phone or in your email.

3. Never leave your drink unattended. This is another universal safety tip. Drinks can be spiked at any moment, so always keep yours close, or hand it to someone you trust if you need to.

4. Do not take or accept any recreational drugs. Thailand has a strict no-drugs policy; anyone caught using or carrying illegal substances will go to jail, or in rare instances receive the death penalty.

5. Don’t talk about the royal family. Under the lèse majesté law, you are forbidden to speak negatively of the king and the royal family. If you are caught insulting the monarchy, you will be sentenced to 3–15 years in prison. Other countries may have lèse majesté laws, but Thailand’s enforcement is the world’s harshest. Over the years, people have faced lèse majesté charges over minor offenses: a woman who wore black on the king’s birthday, a man who mocked the king’s dog on the internet, and individuals who have liked Facebook posts regarding the king, to name a few.

It’s crucial you not discuss the king or royal family publicly or with locals, or you will face major consequences that all the travel insurance in the world will not protect you from!

6. Buy travel insurance. No one wants to think about things going wrong on their trip, but being prepared and buying travel insurance is something I do before every trip. You should have it whenever you travel, but in a country where petty theft and scams are, unfortunately, a little more common, it’s extra important. And of course, it’s also important for covering any medical or other emergency situation you might encounter. Be a smart traveler — buy travel insurance.

How to Avoid Scams in Bangkok

Bangkok is generally safe for travelers and backpackers, but it’s also incredibly hectic. Petty theft (including bag snatching) is the most common type of crime you’ll face. Also, some people will try to rip you off, including taxi drivers who refuse to turn on their meters. Avoiding travel scams requires a lot of common sense and a healthy dose of suspicion. (Also read this post on travel scams to avoid.)

Here are the two most common scams to be aware of:

Taxi scams: You hop into a taxi and realize the meter isn’t running. You mention this to the driver and their response is that the meter is “broken,” and he quotes you a price that is outrageously high. Or you might notice that the meter is working but the fare is increasing as fast as a bullet train in Japan.

To avoid this scam, do your research and get an idea of how much a ride should cost from your hostel or hotel staff before hailing a taxi. In my experience, if the cabbie tries to negotiate the rate, I use the one quoted to me though my prior research, and if he refuses, I get out and find someone who will turn the meter on. (Ideally, use only taxis with working meters.)

If the meter looks as though it’s rising unusually fast, ask the driver to pull over and get out immediately.

Another situation you may encounter is your taxi driver “taking the scenic route.” You’ll end up sitting in traffic, and the cabbie will make money at your expense. We live in the age of technology, so if you’re suspicious of your driver’s route, pull your smartphone out and use Google Maps to find the quickest way to your destination. (Better yet, find out the optimum route ahead of time.)

Don’t hesitate to show the phone to your driver and insist on taking this route. Download a map of the city using Google Maps or MAPS.ME so you always have access to it offline.

If you end up with a bad taxi experience, take a photo of the driver’s ID/registration number and report him to Thailand’s tourism board. And always, always use only official taxis.

The tourist site is “closed”/tuk-tuk ride scam: This is probably the most common scam in Bangkok. When visiting tourist attractions, often around Wat Phra Kaew, the Grand Palace, or Wat Arun, someone will randomly come up to you and say that the place is closed for a special ceremony or for lunch hour. Then, this overly helpful individual will offer to take you to places that are open. While touring the attractions, the driver will take you to a gem shop, a souvenir shop, or a tailor where they receive a commission.

A few hours later, the driver will drop you off at your original location once it’s “reopened,” and by that time you’ve realized that the site was open the entire time — you were just in the wrong part of the building.

This is where your good sense and confidence come into play. Avoid talking to these locals, or firmly say “no thanks” and walk away. Or find the main entrance or ticket counter and see for yourself!

Another thing to note is that most attractions don’t close for lunch — they close for the day. Look up the hours of operation before you go, so you know what to expect — opening and closing times are almost always available online.

FAQ on Bangkok Safety

Below is a list of some of the common questions I get on safety in Bangkok, so you can be better prepared for your trip!

Is street food safe? Yes, absolutely! Bangkok is considered the street food capital of the world, and you will not find a shortage of stalls selling delicious local dishes on every corner. With that said, if there is something that doesn’t smell or look “kosher,” then it might be best to avoid. If a street vendor has local customers, you can usually trust that it’s safe. (If you are overwhelmed with where to start, I’d recommend reading this blog post on how to tackle the street food culture in Bangkok.)

Is the tap water safe? According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, it follows the World Health Organization standards for providing safe drinking water for the population. However, although the water is treated in plants, the pipes it travels through can be very old and dirty, which can lead to contamination. Locals usually boil the tap water first before drinking it, or they will purchase bottled water. Use a Steripen or Lifestraw to ensure that your water is safe to drink. Also, bring a reusable water bottle to cut down on your plastic consumption.

Are taxis safe? Taxis are safe and affordable and my preferred way to get around town. However, you will come across the occasional meter or “scenic route” scam. When you get into a cab, always check that it has a working meter and agree on a route prior to the start of your journey. (If you’ve read the section on taxi scams above, you will be well prepared for this type of situation.)

Is Bangkok safe for solo travelers? Bangkok is safe for solo travelers, and a great first city to solo-travel in. I’ve been going there for the past 15 years and have rarely encountered any problems.

However, there are areas of Bangkok that are all about partying and drinking, and the biggest incidents happen when people are drunk and stupid. Don’t get too drunk. Also avoid illegal substances at all cost — Thailand is very, very strict on drugs, and you’re going to be screwed if you get caught. Always trust your gut instinct; if you don’t do it at home, don’t do it when you’re in Bangkok.

Is Bangkok safe for solo female travelers? Solo female travelers should feel safe touring the city. It’s very easy to meet other travelers, especially female ones, in Bangkok. Some precautions and planning are in order, though: Always have a downloaded map and translation app so you can find your way home or ask for help if you need it. Don’t flaunt any valuables, and avoid taking taxis alone at night. If you’re still nervous about heading somewhere, ask to join a group at your hostel; groups are less likely to be victims of scammers or theft, and you’ll feel safer that way.

Here are a few helpful posts on safety written by our solo female travel experts:

How to Stay Safe as a Solo Female Traveler

8 Myths About Solo Female Travel Debunked

10 Common Questions About Solo Female Travel

***

Bangkok has an electric energy to it, and with its endless supply of things to see and do, you will never be bored. I finally began to love the city when I got know it beyond the temples and the typical tourist sites. Once I found hidden markets and amazing street stalls frequented only by locals, became friends with residents, and understood how Bangkok operated, I understood why people loved it so much.

Like any major city, Bangkok comes with its fair share of scammers and unruly drivers. If you are smart and alert, trust your instincts, and follow this safety guide, you’ll have an unforgettable experience while staying safe.

Get the In-Depth Budget Guide to Bangkok!

My detailed, 80-page guidebook is made for budget travelers like you! It cuts out the fluff found in other guidebooks and gets straight to the practical information you need to travel and save money while in Bangkok, a city I used to call home (so I know it really well!). You’ll find suggested itineraries and budgets, ways to save money, on- and off-the-beaten-path things to see and do, non-touristy restaurants, markets, and bars, and much more! Click here to learn more and get started!

Book Your Trip to Bangkok: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Get Your Guide Check out my detailed guide to planning a visit to Bangkok with suggested itineraries and information on places to stay, things to do, where to eat, and how to get around. Just click here to get the guide and continue planning today!

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com, as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use it all the time. My favorite hostels in Bangkok are:

Lub d Bangkok Silom – Lub d Silom is more of a European-style hostel than a traditional Asian guesthouse. It’s in a popular spot for backpackers looking to stay somewhere other than Khao San Road, is safe (they use electronic key locks), and the staff speaks fluent English.

Golden Mountain Hostel – This small, family-run hostel is one of the newest and nicest hostels in the city. The dorm beds are actually cubbies built into the wall for added privacy, and each room sleeps eight people. This is a great hostel if you want some peace and quiet.

Mad Monkey – Mad Monkey is a backpacker institution near Khao San Road. It’s is probably the best hostel in Bangkok if you want to party. It has a restaurant, pool, and tour desk with some of the cheapest and most competitive prices in town. 

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money — and I think they will help you too!

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[cumstricbusrie-blog]

Dating and advanced seduction techniques

Advanced Seduction Techniques In a nutshell, Fractionation relies heavily on hypnosis, psychology, and persuasion—tricks Freud likes to use as we all know—in getting the job done when it comes to unlocking the brain and all its deepest, darkest secrets.  And hey, if you at any point feel you already know this stuff? Anyone that has been looking for a mentor who documents everything in the process of picking up hot chicks will find Neil Strauss and The Game everywhere they go.  Originally published as an e-book that became a controversial media phenomenon, No More Mr.  Now back to David… He was hanging on my every word to what I said because it was pretty enthralling to find all these new information… stuff that he had never heard elsewhere before.  Groom yourself Get your hair cut, shave your beard, trim your beard, spray a bit of something nice and make sure you look the part.  I am here to tell you that you do not have to look like a supermodel to be the most beautiful, sexy and attention getting woman in the room.

7 [MUST HAVE] Seduction Books for Every Stallion & More (Jan. 2019) Why not just train your self confidence and be who you are? Working for it may mean actually doing the opposite and sitting back and being patient on occasions.  The entire success of better relation with woman starts inside you and that what is emphasized in this program.  There are secrets to attract men, as well.  You might remember me as a dating columnist from a few years back.  But almost 60% of the women in bars are emitting signals you have to be aware of.  Get good grooming habits: Believe it or not, a poor personal hygiene is one of the earliest dating dealbreakers for most women, while looking well-groomed and sharp makes a great impression on any girl! It is such a bad feeling not knowing how to attract women…generally to me, I would say that it really sucks.

Fractionation Seduction Technique Learn how they think, and you will boost your chances of dating and sexual success in the process.  A woman that is hard to impress is going to be hard to seduce.  Looking for seduction techniques for your specific skill level? Does she like urban settings or is she more of a countryside girl? Fractionation Seduction features effective steps that should be done in order to create an attraction between its practitioner and to almost any woman in the quickest amount of time.  Worse, some had fallen into deep depression because of their inability to attract women of their choice.  These are not new… and they remain relatively unknown because they have been kept under wraps by people in the know… for their own benefit, of course! Move within one foot of her while not paying any attention to her whatsoever.  After a happier topic, you can transition to another sad topic again.

Fractionation Seduction: What Is It? • Fractionation Seduction Things that you can do to be instantly more attractive to men.  Here is an example of a visualization technique that I teach my clients: Imagine that it is the end of the night.  I say, what's wrong with asking a girl or a guy their name and telling them yours? As a woman, it has gotten me to rethink all the effort I put into being attractive, all the bells and whistles.  A truly seductive woman has many tools in her arsenal.  Always follow these steps in your pick up: Approach-Show value-Attract-Rapport-Extract There should be touch throughout.  Help her with something Perhaps she needs something moving at home or help with something around the house, maybe she wants someone to give her a lift somewhere.  Be true to yourself: Walk your talk.

Dating: Flirtation Techniques ; Female Attraction Techniques Give him a smile or nod your head at him in passing.  Your attitude is what you think of yourself… your belief systems you hold about who you think you are… Do you consistently reframe situations and events in your life in a negative way? Mainly in cases where you are both strangers.  You must be absolutely convinced that you are the most beautiful woman out there.  And let me tell you, once the intrigue is created, women become putty in your hands.  He specializes in the subject of Interpersonal relationships, love, finding a partner.  But no matter what your troubles are with women.

David DeAngelo And for this reason I figured that I will manually email the technique out personally, but I reserve the right not to share it with anyone at my discretion.  Well, for starters, there have been reports that master seducers have been using the technique to bed women successfully in 15 minutes — from start till finish.  Trying to work out what makes her tick will come from getting to know her and making her want to know you.  She has to get used to your touch.  It will help you land beautiful women and ensure that you are a chick magnet, but it is so much more than that! What does flirting really mean? Only do handwriting analysis, palm reading or strawberry fields type stuff after you have gained some prizability in her eyes.  You will be on the fast track to dating success with this technique… it is indeed really powerful stuff.  Seduction4Life is a search engine of Online Dating Tips Seduction Materials Dating Materials Pickup Courses Pickup Materials Courses Database found over the Internet Novafile.

Dating: Flirtation Techniques ; Female Attraction Techniques Keep your body language indifferent to begin with and reward her with closer proximity as the conversation progresses rather than jumping straight in and putting a lot of pressure on her to respond.  A good number of guys are afraid of raising their game, this is a major setback and you have to overcome it.  Another method is called negging.  The true inventor of Fractionation as used in seduction, not hypnosis is Derek Rake.  There are some first date tips in there too, so check it out! The margin of error is so wide that most people who try it without practicing will fail.

Dating: Flirtation Techniques ; Female Attraction Techniques Part of this is confidence, gained from living the part of seduction diva, and part of it is the use of visualization techniques.  They will also hold and extended gaze with you if you are willing to hold it.  In other words, you want a woman to be emotionally addicted to you.  This book will show you — how to have confidence; attract ladies by understanding them; be truthful, charming successful, and attractive; deal with anxiety, physical aspects of dating, success, and failure.  After all, Derek Rake or his band or merry clients will absolutely crucify me if they read this! I am already getting some hate mails from people who know the Shogun Method for revealing too much.  Being authentic is a big turn-on for women! Having a good conversation is so important for a woman that it is on the 10 best dating skills to master — if you want to make your interactions with women easier, more rewarding and joyful, make sure you get really good at this! If her value is lower than yours, do not need to use negs.  I think what this man wrote is brilliant.

Learn How to Seduce a Woman with Some Seduction Techniques Basically they are flying blind.  Because behaving in a romantic way makes women feel special; all women want to feel special. The simple acts of flirting work, and are the least creepy of all seduction techniques.  Women feel more attracted to a person they feel they can connect with.  I know how you feel buddy: although I learned the seduction techniques I use from my friends? The Art of Seduction presents an all-rounded life guide and philosophies.  There is also information on similarly designed dating techniques such as the Dark Rake Method as well as the October Man Sequence and its improved version, the Black Rose Sequence.

Advanced Seduction Techniques He told me he used the Black Rose Sequence on her.  This is the right place for you and all that is required of you is to go through my entire review and get to unfold more about this product? We do this naturally, even unconsciously.  Since then, I hated how powerless guys can be when it comes to love and relationships.  When all is said and done if she is worth it, then go for it and give it everything you have.  The strong emotions that you elicited from the exercise serves as a connection she can draw from.  The Formula to Seduction Hypnosis or mind control in general can be a very touchy subject.

[furederiko]

Lots and lots of news to catch up folks! Unfortunately, despite my desire to post more (I kept getting distracted by this and that since the start of the month), this is inevitably the first and also last Random-News-Digest for October...

(Images courtesy of Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Marvel TV/Hulu, LEVEL-5, The Pokemon Company/GameFreak, and CAPCOM. Taken from Official Trailers, Official Sites, and Entertainment Weekly.)

Pacific Rim

The much anticipated sequel "Pacific Rim: Uprising" released its first full-length trailer earlier this month (October 6th, to be precise), and well it... felt similar but also different? Unlike many people in the North American region, I'm among the few who thought the first movie was okay... but not as mindblowing as those people claimed. I guess, robot fighting giant beast... can be considered a norm for Japan afficianado like yours truly. We get that on a weekly basis through Super Sentai and Ultraman. That's probably why I didn't feel as big of an excitement when I saw this one too. In fact, somehow I'm inclined to agree with both Birth.Movies.Death and Collider, that likened this to two other big franchises: "Power Rangers" and "Transformers".

But still, if this movie IS your thing, then don't let some subjective comparisons bring you down. John Boyega is leading as Jake Pentecost, with the charming (but can't seem to find his groove, relegating him to be bland supporting character in like... every movie) Scott Eastwood shadowing as his Jaeger partner Nate Lambert. Other new actors include Cailee Spaeny as young hacker Amara, Tian Jing, Adria Arjona, and Burn Gorman. Charlie Day nerdily returns as Dr. Newt Geiszler, and Rinko Kikuchi is back as Mako Mori, who seems to be taking over his adopted-father commanding role this time around. By the way, please don't expect Charlie Hunnam character to be in this movie. LOL. From the hands of Stephen S. DeKnight, "Pacific Rim: Uprising" arrives on March 23rd, 2018.

Star Wars

Aaaah, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi". Winning the battle of trailers (against Warner Bros, who previously released one for their upcoming team-up movie) earlier this month (October 9th. Yeah, I kept track), Lucasfilm stole every attention through a cool looking poster, and a neat official trailer that pretty much riled up everyone in the world, fans and non-fans alike. Hey, the brilliant editing of this trailer got me highly interested, so indeed it was the winner of the not-really-a competition.

Part of it was due to the Porgs, to be honest. A creature specially created by director Rian Johnson for the movie. Seriously, that shot of Chewbacca and the little planet Ahch-To native screaming together, instantly numbed down plenty of weak hearts. The reason why they are headlining this post. LOL. That's not all. This movie will be the last appearance of the late Carrie Fischer as well, a swan-song to her General Leia. So it's clear that Lucasfilm consciously honored her with this trailer. If anything, I believe that would be a great reason to see this movie. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" arrives on December 15th, 2017.

Somewhere else, Ron Howard has completed his work on that Han Solo spin-off. And he has personally (via instagram and/or Twitter) revealed its official title: "Solo: A Star Wars Story". I actually prefer 'Han Solo', but I'm not complaining. It's still short, easy to remember, and follows the pattern of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" nicely. Beside, it might also meant to describe Han's solo adventure (get it?), before he met his lifelong partner Chewbacca. Before Chewbacca ends up with Porgs, that is. LOL. You can expect this movie to arrive ontime on May 25th, 2018.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Gear up for a speedy adventure in ultimate velocity. Tim Miller's big screen adaptation of SEGA's initial mascot has moved from SONY Pictures to Paramount. Miller is still attached as executive producer, and his buddy Jeff Fowler as the director. This time around, Neal Moritz has joined the party as the other producer, alongside Toby Ascher, Dmitri Johnson, and Dan Jevons. The movie remains to be a hybrid of live action and CG animation.

As far as I know, SONY hasn't had good success with their animated projects lately, while Paramount has fared better. So this move might be a good thing. Of course, there's still that video-game adaptations curse to put into our concern. It's looming not just Hollywood, but even other countries like Japan. But you know what? If the team can at least produce something along the line of "The Angry Birds Movie" (which was highly enjoyable, albeit not doing so well with critics), and are able to keep the characters faithful to the source material, I'm totally down with it.

Dark Universe

Oh NO. Bill Condon's "Bride of the Frankenstein" has been officially delayed!

This news was a bit of a bummer, especially for several few (like me) who somehow curious to see what Universal would do next with their Dark Universe. Sure, "The Mummy" was a seriously flawed movie, and that it should and could have been WAAAAAY better. But is that hard for me to see more of Russel Crowe's Dr. Jekyll? Anyway, "Bride of Frankenstein" was already in pre-production, set for a February 1st start, but the crew has been dismissed. Good thing is, the movie has NOT been cancelled so far, but only postponed temporarily. Meaning, it might still be released somewhere late 2019. Just not in February as it was intended to be. It also doesn't mean that it's a sure thing though. Oh well... we'll see.

Akira

New Zealand director Taika Waititi confirmed to IGN (October 10th) that WB has indeed approached him to work on a Hollywood "Akira" adaptation. As it turns out though, the deal is not yet set in stones, at least for now. Waititi still has an array of projects on his sleeves, not including the potential of a 4th "Thor" movie that has been making the rounds through the internet lately. One which I'm sure is totally happening some time after 2019.

The director however, didn't hesitate to offer his thoughts on the movie. He said that IF he does take the job, then it will be based on the original 6-volume manga, and not the popular classic 1988 animated movie. More importantly, he would definitely be looking for Asian leads. "Yeah. actually Asian teenagers would be the way to do it for me and probably no, not, like no name, I mean sort of unfound, untapped talent. Yeah, I'd probably want to take it a bit back more towards the books.", he confirmed. That's reassuring, isn't it? After seeing the latest "Thor" movie under his guidance, I have complete confidence that Waititi would be able to bring an anime to life in a grand but personal way. Let's just hope his vision is inline with WB...

DC Films

Aaaaah yes, WB. The one studio that never ceases to amaze me.

Remember that time when I used to be soooo confused to why many people are calling their recent DC movie adaptations as DCEU and not DC Films? You don't? Don't worry, I forgive you. It was posted in January 2016 anyway, and I'm too lazy to look for it to provide a link. Anyway, as I've long suspected, DCEU was NEVER the name of this movie universe that began with the dull and boring "Man of Steel". It's nothing more than a fan-made term! LOL. To be more specific, it was courtesy of Keith Staskiewicz of Entertainment Weekly back in July 2015. Beside, surely I wasn't the only one who remembered that CW Special thingy with an over-excited Kevin Smith and bashful Geoff Johns, right? The branding "DC Films" was used heavily in that TV special, so it's clear that's what the bigwigs have always wanted to call it.

What's baffling to me, is that WB also NEVER tried to openly correct this, to the point that even I have started using the term despite my initial reluctance. Ouch. As for how this truth was finally revealed? Through a thorough article released on September 29th by Abraham Riesman of Vulture. Go ahead and make a detour to read that fine article, because it's truly an eye-opener. Ironically, reading this article gave me a clear mind of what went wrong with DC Films, and why its movies just didn't work for me. As I've suspected, WB has indeed been the culprit, by being bullish and ignoring the advice from DC Entertainment. And I'm not even kidding here. The studio greedily wanted to copy Marvel Studios, a studio developed by people behind the comics, yet ridiculously refused to accept feedbacks from DC Comics. Well, DUH?!! No wonder "Man of Steel", "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", and "Suicide Squad" could never reached the heights of their respective source materials. They were given to people who did NOT understand the comics from the start. DC Comics was sidelined, to the point that they turned head towards developing TV shows instead. It wasn't until "Wonder Woman" that Johns and the folks from DC Entertainments were given the reign to provide input and assessment. Look what happened to that movie!

Could we be seeing the same result with next month's "Justice League" then? There's no certainty about that, but one thing for sure, Zack Snyder is no longer directly involved since Joss Whedon came in to tackle the movie's reshoot and post production. Apparently Whedon even cut the movie from a rumored 3 hours duration to mere 121 minutes! Yep, that running time has indeed been confirmed, officially making this title as the shortest DC Films movie to date. Naturally, the response to this was easily mixed (some segment of the 'DC fans' just can NOT change, huh?), which was relatively understandable considering this movie has not one nor two, but FIVE major characters to put in the spotlight. SIX if Henry Cavill's Superman is included. Can they all be given a proper screentime, alongside Ciarán Hinds' CG antagonist Steppenwolf, and those hordes of supporting cast (assuming they haven't been cut off) in such a limited duration? Let's just wait and see. I can only hope this does NOT mean WB is planning to release another 3-hours 'Ultimate Edition' later on. They HAVE done that before, haven't they? TWICE. That's like giving audience a major reason NOT to watch this movie right away.

For now, here's a new and possibly final trailer (actual one, not quick TV spots... expect loads of that fairly soon) to help you decide whether you want to see this or not. I know I won't, but don't let that stop you from going. "Justice League" arrives in less than 3 weeks on November 17th.

"Shazam!" has found one half of its leading actor! Zachary Levi, the actor formerly known as "Chuck", and has appeared as Fandral the Dashing in the "Thor" series, as well as the mischievous Flynn 'Eugene Fitzherbert' Rider in Disney Animation's "Tangled" and its TV series, is set to portray the hero form of young Billy Batson. This news hit the internet not long after director David F. Sandberg confirmed on a Reddit thread, that the movie will be released in April 2019. I think Levi has the right personality, but probably the body to portray Shazam. Naaah, that can be tweaked.

It remains to be seen if this movie will be in the same continuity to "Justice League", considering New Line Cinema is in charge on this. Not to mention, that article above HAVE mentioned and confirmed that there WILL be movies outside of the unified universe. I have a inkling feeling that "Shazam!" will be a stand-alone series, but as always, we'll see.

One last thing! Remember how Joe Manganiello was cast to play the super-villain Deathstroke, and was meant to show up in both "Justice League" and "The Batman"? It seems both ideas have been scrapped, leaving his poor Deathstroke without a home. But that's where Gareth Evans swoop in. Yes, according to The Wrap, the acclaimed director known for his gritty and bloddy "The Raid" series, has entered talks to develop a stand-alone Deathstroke movie. Well, how cool is that? Of course, in talks does NOT mean that it's a done deal. But it's a fitting marriage, if you ask me. Manganiello gets to play his version of Slade Wilson, the movie can be a gruesome R-rated assassination flick, and it can even exist outside of the continuity. So no need for unnecessary call-backs to the "Justice League" characters, am I right?

X-Men Universe

F**K continuity! That might be the message that FOX was sending through the first official trailer of Josh Boone's "The New Mutants". In particular, to a certain segment of audience who can't seem to stop complaining about that massive lingering issue that's been plaguing the studio for a loooong time. You know, folks like... yours truly *grins*.

So there you have it, a very HORROR-styled X-Men movie, inline with the director's promise. Ooookaay, I get that FOX badly wants to 'differentiate' itself to Marvel Studios, but is this really a good way to work with this particular material? I can't really answer that. It didn't come close to what I've expected, and I'd be a huge hypocrite if I say I can finally ignore its whole continuity angle. THAT part is still bugging me, because I'm literally confused to where and when this takes place in the X-Men universe. So much of wanting something akin to "X-Men: First Class", huh? I'm not even sure if I like this or not, because it tried to be creepy and spooky but... it did not. Sure, I'm a fan of that supernatural Netflix show that has a bunch of kids encountering creature from a dark realm and all. But an X-Men movie that feels like a copy paste of it? Hmmm... hold on, now that I think of it, this DOES feel inspired by that "LEGION" TV show. That could be the reason why it feels strangely... repetitive. "The New Mutants" arrives on April 13th, 2018. Here's hoping the 2nd trailer would do... better.

"Gambit" is moving forward! That's a surprise, huh? I actually thought the studio would eventually shelve this title after numerous delays. Nope, because Gore Verbinski has been hired to work on it, and Channing Tatum is still very much attached as titular character Remy LeBeau. From the looks of things, "Gambit" might also exist in its own separate continuity, inspired by the success of "Deadpool" and "Logan". FOX has even given an official release date! Yes, this movie will be released on February 14th, 2019. That day was initially booked by Universal's "Bride of the Frankenstein", but now it's an empty slot for superhero movie. "Deadpool" did wonders in the same week last year, can "Gambit" fare the same or even better?

Speaking of the Merc with the Mouth, "Deadpool 2" has completed principal photography. Ryan Reynolds hit his personal social media to thank everyone involved. In the spirit of Wade Wilson's character, obviously. Josh Brolin was mentioned in the post, as it should be, because the actor had almost turned down the role, if it wasn't due to a certain personal persuassion. Not surprising, because an actor of Brolin's calliber has the tendency to go with indie drama, and was already involved with Marvel Studios at the time. Director David Leitch got a mention, but sadly Tim Miller didn't get one. That's a shame really, because if Miller didn't go all out to make the first movie, this sequel and potential more wouldn't even existed. Miller doesn't have any hard feelings, and has since moved on to other grand projects instead. I guess all's well ends well, right? I hope so. "Deadpool 2" will arrive on June 1st, 2018.

I'm not done. There's one more project on the horizon, and it's a spin-off for "Logan". Dafne Keen's X-23 was a standout in that movie, and it's safe to say she has inherited the legacy of Wolverine from Hugh Jackman. So it's natural that she's being eyed for her own solo movie. Director James Mangold shared this news to The Hollywood Reporter, confirming he's currently writing a sequel for Laura. Mangold referenced director Patty Jenkins and her success with "Wonder Woman" that led to this step. Indeed, my sole hope for that DC movie, was that it paved way for more female-led comic book adaptations, so I'm glad that ended up to be the case.

IF, and it's a big if, this X-23 spin-off gets made, producer Hutch Parker admitted that it will have its own tone or genre not similar to "Logan". But you know what? FOX is being ambitious lately, always trying to be one-upping WB in terms of doing things 'different'. That's why I'm positive this spin-off WILL be made. Just look at "Gambit" as the best example. Beside, unless FOX eventually decides to re-cast Wolverine (since Hugh Jackman has approved of that), they can only rely on Keen as the successor, right?

SONY Marvel Universe

Eventhough many people are still doubting this project, the Spider-Man-less Spider-Man spin-off "Venom" has actually begun production. The movie even had its own official Twitter account, created to boldly announce this news just last week. We can see Tom Hardy among other guys there, presumably the director Ruben Fleischer. No sign of Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, or Jenny Slate who were said to be in talks for the movie, nor Reid Scott and Scott Haze. But I guess it's enough to prove the doubters that this movie is definitely in the works.

Additional detail has been revealed as well. This time, courtesy of Andy Serkis, whose The Imaginarium studio might be involved as motion-capture consultant. Apparently, Hardy would be portraying Eddie Brock, but his Venom form will be achieved through motion capture CG. Serkis' work is phenomenal though, as proven through how realistic Mark Ruffalo's Hulk has become, so it looks like we can expect more of the same for this movie. "Venom" is expected to be released on October 5th, 2018, which is less than a year from now. Do you think it will be a success? Hmmmm...

Marvel Studios

Let's start with "Thor: Ragnarok" first. The movie opens in North American this very weekend, but has already landed in international markets since Wednesday last week. Go ahead and read my Non-Spoiler Review if you somehow don't believe me.

Reviews from various critics have also been published in pretty much every entertainment sites you could encounter in the internet. Had this Random-News-Digest was released much earlier (prior to last week), I would've gladly detailed some of the responses. Whether it's the early social media responses, or the actual full-length reviews (two weeks ago). However, doing so now while every site has already published their own digest, would be too redundant. So I'll stop right here and give that a pass. For the record, the movie started at 98% on RottenTomatoes (October 21st, 2017 01:20AM local time) when the first 47 critics submitted their scores. It has fluctuated since then, but just like the other Marvel Studios releases, I'm predicting it will end at above 80%. It's really fun and Hela Good, so it would make sense...

Second trailer (but actually the first full-length one) for Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" has been released on October 16th. It was dropped without any warning, startling pretty much every Marvel fans on the planet. A new fancy poster was also released online on that same date. If you haven't seen both, then what are you waiting for?! All signs are indicating that this is going to be a special movie, and well... I think every scenes in this trailer only amplified said notion. Those entertainment journalists weren't kidding when they compared this to a 007 movie, because it DOES feel like one. Direct comparison to DC's Batman was also inevitable.

Quite surprisingly, the Prelude Comic for the movie revealed something more interesting. Remember how "Iron Man 2" somehow hinted at the location of Wakanda? Many seems to think that it was a continuity error, but as it turns out... it's NOT. Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa had already received his rights to use the Black Panther suit... the same time Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark came out as Iron Man in his first solo movie. Black Panther's appearance in last year's "Captain America: Civil War" was NOT his debut outing. That's T'Challa's 8TH year already! It might also be the same reason why Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger somehow has his own gold-colored suit. Daang it, this movie is going to be grand. "Black Panther" arrives really soon on February 16th, 2018, so you better mark that date!

Possible new details for "Ant-Man and the Wasp" MIGHT have been revealed. Specifically, its time setting among other Marvel Studios releases. If this report is to be believed (grain of salt please, because this kind of report usually does NOT pan out), the movie will take place over a very short period of time following Paul Rudd's Scott Lang's breakout from The Raft. Remember that ending of "Civil War"? Yep. Stuck in house-arrest, Scott will spend most of the first arc with his daughter Cassie, played by Abby Ryder Fortson. Michael Douglas' Hank Pym and Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne on the other hand, will be busy finding a way to rescue Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne from the Quantum Realm. It looks like they might be on the run as well, presumably from Randall Park's Jimmy Woo. If I'm getting this right (again, assuming the source is credible), the theme of the movie will no longer be about heist. Of course, things might play out very differently, being just a rumor and all. So let's just wait for the first trailer to get the answer. Hopefully soon, because turns out the movie had just wrapped production!

Actor Ben Mendelsohn, is said to be in negotiations to join Brie Larson's Carol Danvers in "Captain Marvel". According to Variety, Mendelsohn is being approached to play the main villain. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck apparently had him in mind for the role, which led them to arrange a meet up. If the movie is indeed about the war between Kree and Skrull, that means highly likely he will be playing a Skrull Leader. But I digress. Again, this type of obvious speculation can sometimes be... red herring at best. He could always play a Kree gone bad, right? Mar-Vell himself, or, even Yon-Rogg, the Marvel supervillain who's responsible for Danvers' Kree powers. Until we have official announcement from the studio, all we can do now is speculate. "Captain Marvel" arrives on March 8th, 2019.

Untitled "Avengers 4", a movie that writer Jim Starlin has called out to be "delightfully different", continues filming. That means, more and more details as well as actors are confirmed on set. As usual, this could be spoilery, so if you're avoiding one, stop right here and skip to the next category. Still here? Okay then, let's go.

Remember how Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton has been rumored to be taking a new moniker in the movie? Well, there's a photo of him sporting this new look, partially confirming this report. Apparently, Scarlett Johansson will also have her own new hairstyle. Letitia Wright's Shuri has also been spotted on set, alongside Boseman's T'Challa, confirming that she will be in the movie as well.

Meanwhile, during a promotional tour for "Ragnarok", Mark Ruffalo shared to Cinema Blend that his Hulk will have his own three-part character arc. The character re-inventing, which is a collaborative effort with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, has already begun in "Ragnarok". It will then continue in next May's "Avengers: Infinity War", and seemingly concludes in "Avengers 4". Does this mean Ruffalo will be ending his appearance as Bruce Banner by then? It's hinted that way, though I badly sure hope NOT. I would love to see him and Chris Hemsworth's Thor teaming up for more galactic adventure. Trust me, I'm sure you'd totally want that after watching "Ragnarok".

Speaking of future movies, "Avengers 4" will mark the end of Phase 3, and also a long-running arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It will serve as a conclusion, but not exactly the end of MCU. Feige confirmed this to Uproxx, by saying that the studio "will go places beyond that. And, of course, we have ideas of where we go beyond that. But, really, it is all good stories.". Even director James Gunn affirmed that the report of "Avengers 4" being the 'grand finale' of MCU was highly overblown. "It’s the end of one long story & the beginning of another", he stressed. He might be stepping back from doing a potential 4th Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but that doesn't mean his working relationship with Marvel Studios will end after "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3". After all, his "Vol. 3" (its first draft might have been completed, by the way) will be wrapping the current "Guardians" franchise, while also serving as one of the important movies to kickstart the next story arc. Kind of like, "Ragnarok" then...

Last but not least, Marvel Studios held a not-so-secret (it's public secret really) massive photo shoot earlier this month. It featured most if not all major actors, directors, and also producers who have been involved with the studio, quite possibly to commemorate the Studios' 10 Years Anniversary. Several big names like Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, and even the Russo Brothers have even shared some quick scenes from the event through their social media. Will us, the fans be able to see the result of this event, alongside the official timeline of the movies, as promised by Feige himself? I'm sure, but who knows when. Perhaps, sometime around next year, in Marvel Studios' very own Comic Con? *grins*. Hey, it doesn't hurt to dream BIG, right?

Marvel TV

Marvel's "The Inhumans" is close to ending its first (and possibly ENTIRE, due to the huge loss it's causing IMAX?) season run. Just two or three more episodes, I think. I can't say that for sure because I'm not even bothered to follow the show. LOL. That means, the 5th season of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is just weeks away from starting.

Indeed, during their panel at the recent New York Comic Con, Marvel TV announced that the new season will start on December 1st, 2017, with a 2-hour premiere. Actress Natalia Cordova-Buckley has also been promoted to series regular before hand. Her Yo-Yo has always been a fun addition to the show, both in character and as person of color, so it's a great thing to know she will mostly be around now. Too bad we couldn't say nor haven't heard anything about Juan Paulo Raba's Joey though. Such a wasted potential right there.

The NYCC panel included several details that teased some fun changes in the new season. First, the team has been abducted by aliens, and are placed in a space station filled with all kinds of aliens. Ian de Castecker's Fitz will be the only member on Earth, which could lead him to work together with Nick Blood's Lance Hunter somehow. The two Brits had fun chemistry back then, so it would nice to capitalize on that. There's time travel twist in place, a horror/sci-fi vibe, and the return of the Inhuman Monolith in form of Obelisk too. Those who expected S.W.O.R.D. however, would be disappointed, because the space organization won't be featured. I doubt Marvel TV has the rights, anyway. The Kree on the other hand, will definitely show up. Does this mean, the season will be tied to "Captain Marvel"? Hmmm.

For the time being, I'm still on the fence of following this new season. Unless it's a final season, in which I will literally force myself to watch, I'm not sure I have extra patience and time to spare for a long 22 episodes that leads to... nowhere, not Knowhere. It still depends on the trailer though, because if it manages to capture my attention, then... the rest is history.

Take for example, Marvel's "Runaways". Its first teaser that was officially released during NYCC week was just okay, but the air of mystery it exuded was enough to grab my attention. Its follow up trailer was even better, by showcasing the lead character's various abilities. And then there's that positive reaction from its initial screening. These are the kind of buzzes that snatch everyone's attention... in a good way (looking at you, "Inhumans"). Anyways, the first three episode of "Runaways" will premiere on November 21st. Don't be surprised if Hulu doesn't drop every episodes at the same time like Netflix. This is just the way they roll...

Meanwhile, Marvel's "Cloak and Dagger" will air weekly on Thursday night, as part of Freeform's Winter lineup. The show doesn't have a premiere date for now, but I'm guessing Marvel TV is pending the announcement until after "Runaways" hits the road.

Netflix

Joining the array of new Marvel TV shows, Marvel's "The Punisher" will also arrive in November. As it turns out, the Jon Bernthal's leading series was supposed to come out early October, but it has been delayed in the wake of the terrifying Las Vegas shooting tragedy. Not just the series, the NYCC panel was also pulled from schedule, to respect the victims. This new series will now debut on November 17th, 2017. Do check out the new trailer to wet your early Thanksgiving appetite. You are free to choose your allegiance (Marvel TV or DC... who is releasing a movie in the same date) when the day comes.

Meanwhile, Finn Jones' Danny Rand (with better hair-cut) will at long last show up in the 3rd season of Marvel's "Luke Cage". EW even has the official image to back up this news. Looks like we might be getting a discount "Heroes for Hire" show we've always wanted after all. Which is nice I guess, because the chemistry between Jones and Cage's Mike Colter was undoubtedly strong in Marvel's "The Defenders". It was one of the highlights of that disappointing mini-series.

Things are looking good with the 3rd season of Marvel's "Daredevil" as well. Vincent D'Onofrio has been confirmed to reprise his iconic role as Wilson 'Kingpin' Fisk. Considering Marvel TV actually went all out to announce this, that means we can expect him to be more than a mere cameo (Season 2, anyone?). Hmmm... is it just me or Marvel TV is desperately trying to attract audience to COME BACK to their shows? Hmmm... can Loeb, the man of many excuses, be trusted this time around? That remains to be seen. One thing for sure, "Daredevil" will join "Luke Cage", and definitely the 2nd season of Marvel's "Jessica Jones" in 2018.

Have you seen the much-anticipated 2nd season of "Stranger Things"? I was actually going to talk about this series in preparation of its release, but I guess I'm a little late for that am I? LOL. I have only seen the first episode so far, and though it was mostly set-ups, it's definitely as good as the 1st season. If you're a fan of this supernatural thriller, then you might want to visit Netflix' official Youtube channel and check out some of its weird promotional materials as well. There's one to celebrate Friday the 13th, and also one featuring... Nose Bleeds. Yikes!

If you haven't had the chance to watch the new season though, you might want to refrain from seeing its Final Official Trailer. That's NOT a good trailer IMHO, because it literally spoiled soooo many things happening in the later episodes. Even the mystery of Eleven's whereabout was easily revealed, just like that! Unless you're among those folks who's okay with spoilers of course. But even so, just watch the season instead. All 9 episodes have already been made available since October 27th anyway.

DC Television

"Titans" have found its Beast Boy! And it's a Disney alumn. Well, technically that is, considering Ryan Potter voiced lead protagonist Hiro Hamada in Disney Animation's "Big Hero 6". Potter actually publicly campaigned to play Batman's third Robin Tim Drake (after Dick Grayson, and Jason Todd) in the movies, something more inline with his role in Nickelodeon's "Supah Ninjas". But looks like DC saw him fit as Garfield 'Gar' Logan instead. Hmmmm... I would actually prefer to see the Japanese-American young actor portrays, I don't know, someone like Amadeus Cho in Marvel Studios movies... but sometimes we can't expect too much with casting. I wish the best for Potter nonetheless.

Super Sentai

We got more rumors surrounding the 2018 Super Sentai series, "Keisatsu Sentai Patoranger" and "Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger". Courtesy of the ever-informative Dukemon, of course. Since we haven't gotten its official look, reports surrounding both titles have been changing and shifting by and by. One rumor claimed there will be 7 members between two teams, with the usual colors of Red, Blue, Yellow, Pink, Green, Black, and White. Latest one said that Lupinranger will consist of LupinRuby, LupinSapphire, and LupinEmerald, while Patoranger will Include PatoFire, PatoWater, and PatoThunder. That's Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Blue, and Yellow. Whoops? That can't be right. LOL. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" has Kyutama, so the collectibles for both titles will be in form of COINS. A nod to "Kamen Rider OOO" then? Hmmm....

Professor Layton

International version of "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy" has been released for the Nintendo 3DS. Layton fans who have been waiting for one since the Japanese version was released on July 20th, and somehow couldn't purchase it on Smartphone (either due to preference, or space limitation), can now begin their puzzle-solving spree right away. LEVEL-5 celebrated this by releasing a special launch trailer, depicting the characters, main cases, and also main features from the game.

But if you think this spin-off is the extent of the franchise, then you're mistaken! In an interview with License Global magazine, senior Vice President of Marketing and Licensing Simon Waldron shared that there are two major releases arriving in 2018. The first was none other than another Professor Layton game, set to be released in Summer 2018. Since Nintendo 3DS is reaching its final years, it's most probably being developed for Nintendo Switch. As for the story, I suspect it will be a direct sequel to Katrielle's adventure, especially if we put into account the overwhelming response to that Global Puzzle Hunt marketing. I totally would LOVE to be involved in another one of that.

The second project, was what completely stole my attention. A 26-episodes TV anime series is being developed to start broadcasting next year! How cool is that? *grins*. Of course, there's a common concern that video game adaptations are plagued with bad reputation, and this news doesn't escape such concern. Even the anime adaptation of "BlazBlue" and "Gyakuten Saiban" were generally... sloppy and disappointing. I sincerely hope Layton will not be affected by this curse. On the other hand, the "Inazuma Eleven" and "Youkai Watch" series rangeg from above average to actually really good. Those are the other big titles produced by LEVEL-5, as extensions and/or alternatives to the video games. That gives me hope that Layton will be as good, if not better. Can't wait to hear more details about this one!

Dynasty Warriors

As has been promised by producer Akihiro Suzuki, the release date for "Dynasty Warriors 9" was announced on October 26th. The new open-world styled iteration for the franchise, will arrive for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 8th, 2018. Several special editions have also been announced, like the "Treasure Box", "Ikkitousen Box", and also "Digital Deluxe". Visit Gematsu to read more details about them.

Pocket Monsters

Several new trailers have been released by The Pokemon Company, to raise awareness and hype for their upcoming "Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon". The two titles that have been confirmed to be the last core Pokemon games released on Nintendo 3DS, once again marking the handheld console's imminent retirement. My oh my, how quick time flies by, huh?

The first trailer came with a startling tagline, "This is Not the Alola You Know Anymore". It indicated that the region have gone through significant changes during the gap of years following "Pokemon Sun & Moon". In fact, producer Shigeru Oumori and director Kazumasa Iwao shared to Famitsu, that the new scenario for this new titles is said to be twice the volume of "Sun & Moon"! An English-language version were also released several days after, to provide ease of understanding for international players.

Three new Ultra Beasts; Adhesive, Assembly, and Burst; were revealed through a follow-up second trailer. The more important reveals however, was the 'Ultra Wormholes', as well as 'Ultra Megalopolis'. These new games will allow players to use Legendary Solgaleo and Lunala to travel to another realm! The Megalopolis also heralds the arrival of several new characters. Dulse, Zossie, Soliera, and Phyco who are part of the 'Ultra Recon Squad', will appear early on in the game, altering the core of the story. They are pretty much people from alternate reality! These are first in the Pokemon franchise, that I'm not even sure how to feel about their addition.

Another trailer unveiled special new additions to the game. There are Z-Crystals called Solganium Z and Lunalium Z, that led to new Z-Moves called "Searing Sunraze Smash" and "Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom" (get it? SSS, and MMM... Sun and Moon?). They are exclusive for the new Necrozma Forms, the Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrozma. Rotom will also received its own Z-Move called Z-Power, that will allow a second Z-Move to be used in battle.

I think we can expect more trailers coming very soon, ahead of the games' November 17th release. There are rumors of new Alolan forms, and also possibly new Pokemon to be added in these game. Let's just see if they do pan out, okay?!

Marvel vs. Capcom

"Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" has been released. And the response to the game was... mixed at best. Having seen the Story Modes and Ending online (hey, that's what Youtube is for, right?), I can personally attest this. Those complaints are totally not exaggerated, because the game feels and mostly looks... unappealing.

CAPCOM can still count on the arrays of DLC characters, to boost the reception for this title. Following Black Panther, Sigma, and Monster Hunter (all of them released on October 17th), three other characters of the "2017 Character Pass" have been confirmed. Complete with their designs, as datamined from the game's data.

Quite surprisingly, all three are coming from the Marvel side: Winter Soldier, Black Widow, and Venom. Exciting characters, but even I would argue that Winter Soldier is nothing more than a clone of Captain America and/or Chris Redfield, Black Widow could very well be a clone of Gamora and/or Jill Valentine, and Venom... is well Venom, a brutal version of Spider-Man. I can't help but wonder why CAPCOM doesn't use more colorful characters like Ant-Man (NetherRealm has already gone one step ahead by debuting DC's shrinking hero Atom), Vision, or Scarlet Witch, among others. Oh well, perhaps they are being saved for the "2018 Character Pass", inline with the release of "Infinity War"? Here's hoping...

Street Fighter

Sixth and final Season 2 DLC character for "Street Fighter V", has been released. As has been rumored, and speculated over and over again, it's indeed Guy's Bushinryu master Zeku who debuted in "Street Fighter Alpha 2" many years ago. Nope, let me correct that... FORMER master. Apparently he resurfaced after starting his own ninja group, with his own fighting style as well. The character has already been released on October 24th, but here's his reveal trailer anyway, in case you've somehow missed it (like yours truly)...

Zeku's arrival felt like an after-thought now, because there's an even bigger news from the franchise. CAPCOM will be releasing "Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition" early next year! Yes, the rumor and report based on fan's datamining discovery as well as listing on online stores have been confirmed, by none other than executive producer Yoshinori Ono himself. To be released on January 16th, 2018 for PlayStation 4 and PC, this updated version will add various new contents like Arcade Mode (with numerous endings, if the latest report is to be believed), Extra Battle, Gallery, new V-Triggers for every characters, and more. The 12 DLC characters from Season 1 and 2, will also be included as unlockables in game. Best of all, true to their initial promise for this series, players who own the original "Street Fighter V", can obtain their upgrades free of charge. This is a great opportunity to those who have been interested in the game, but decided to postpone their purchase due to various reasons (bad launch reviews, to name one?). They can get everything, all in one package now.

In a way, CAPCOM might also be using this release to prepare for Season 3 of DLC characters. You know, the one rumored to contain fan favorites like Sakura Kasugano, Sagat (there's an icon reserved for him in the datamining result), and some others. It's not confirmed for now, but that's certainly the general assumption among fans. Let's just wait and find out if that's the case when the "Arcade Edition" hits the market next year. For now, you can watch the official announcement trailer and start preparing for more "Street Fighter V" in the future...

[topfygad]

Tips and how to travel to Saudi Arabia in 2020

Last year, I was one of the first very few tourists to ever travel to Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa.

Before, the only way to travel to Saudi was on a business visa, via a strong local connection who could sponsor your visit or by getting a pilgrimage visa to visit Mecca and Medina (only for Muslims).

Therefore, the fact that, all of a sudden, Western tourists can visit Saudi Arabia on their own, with a backpack, both men and women, is a very radical change.

This incredibly big change, however, didn’t come alone. 

During the last couple of years, a lot of their super strict Islamic laws have been softened or, at least, they have become more flexible. For example, allowing women and men to hang out together in public spaces was one of the most significant changes.

All these small changes will make things easier for future international visitors.

Moreover, you should also know that, despite everything that you may have read in the media, Saudi Arabia is an incredible country which is filled with loads of stunning sites, both natural and archaeological, hugely contrasting landscapes and some extremely hospitable people that could easily rival my beloved friends from Pakistan and Iran.

Personally, this country has been the most surprising country I have ever been to, especially because nobody had ever told me the good things about it.

That being said, after visiting all around the country for a little bit more than two weeks, I have compiled this comprehensive guide that contains plenty of tips and everything you need to know to travel to Saudi Arabia in 2019, one of the least visited destinations in the world.

By the way, if you want to keep track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @againstthecompass on Instagram. 

This guide contains all the practical information. For places to visit read my Saudi Arabia itinerary

    Index:

Visa Travel Insurance Getting to Saudi Tourism in Saudi Arabia Is it ethical? Blocked websites How to behave The people – The Saudis The food Solo female travel Safety Money Moving around Saudi Internet and SIM Card Accommodation More information

Hey, have you ever wondered how I make a full living from blogging? Learn here how I started monetizing my blog and get over 200,000 monthly page views in less than 3 years

  Check this introductory video from my friend Brian from The World Hiker! (I am also in the video!)

  Visa for traveling to Saudi Arabia

Amazing News October 2019 – E-visa finally available through visitsaudi.com – Continue reading to know more about it

In December 2018, the only way of traveling to Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa was by purchasing a ticket for a Formula-E event that would take place in Riyadh.

You could book your tickets through the website sharek.sa and, immediately after purchasing them, they would issue a legit and valid e-visa to travel to Saudi Arabia.

I paid 395SR (105USD) for the Formula-E ticket and 640SR (170USD) for the e-visa. In total, it was 1,035SR (275USD).

With my Spanish passport, the visa was valid for 30 days and it allowed me to travel anywhere but Medina and Mecca. 

My e-visa for Saudi Arabia

This was just a one-time event and, after that, they celebrated one or two more, the last one being in July 2019. 

The truth is that there were some rumors saying that the Saudi Government would introduce a regular e-visa system somewhere in 2019, so those events were just a test aimed at seeing how would the country handle independent Western tourists for the first time in their history. 

Apparently, their results and experience were rather satisfactory and, along with the fact that Saudi is trying to find alternative ways of not being so dependant on oil revenue, they finally announced the introduction of an e-visa system, starting from September 2019.

How to apply for Saudi tourist e-visa 

Applying for the e-visa is pretty straightforward and you can do it through this portal.

Which countries are eligible to get a Saudi tourist visa?

All EU countries within Schengen zone + Andorra, Monaco, United Kingdom and Ukraine, Brunei, China, Canada, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, United States

How long is the Saudi visa for?

With this visa, you can travel in Saudi Arabia for 90 days.

How much does the Saudi e-visa cost?

It costs 117USD + VAT. 

Can single women apply for the same Saudi e-visa?

Yes, you can, as long as you are 25 years old or more.

Don’t forget to read my 2-week itinerary in Saudi Arabia.

Outside of Riyadh, on the way to the Edge of the World – Tourism in Saudi Arabia

  Travel Insurance for Saudi Arabia

Remember to always travel with the proper travel insurance, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia where, for foreigners, the Health Care System is crazy expensive.

I strongly recommend World Nomads for the following reasons:

It is the only company that offers an unlimited budget policy, very useful for Saudi Arabia

It provides coverage for pretty much any nationality

It covers a wide range of adventure activities

  Getting to Saudi Arabia

By air – The easiest way to travel to Saudi Arabia is by flying in. There are loads of international flights, especially to Jeddah and Riyadh. Saudia Airlines has many direct flights from Europe and other destinations.

By land – Right before visiting Saudi Arabia, I was traveling in Oman, so my initial idea was to overland via UAE. However, in the visa application, I had to specify my port of entry and they didn’t give you the choice of selecting a land border entry point, so I preferred to just book a flight because, in any case, going from Muscat to Riyadh was a very long way and I didn’t even know about public transportation options.

The border between Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait should be open to anyone with a valid visa. The rest of the borders, however, are currently closed: Yemen, due to the ongoing conflict; Qatar, due to their current diplomatic issues; and Oman, due to it being under construction. I am not sure about the Iraqi border but, most likely, you won’t be crossing from there.

Read: Ultimate 7-day itinerary to Dubai and the UAE 

Another very cool canyon outside of Riyadh – Can you travel to Saudi Arabia

  Tourism in Saudi Arabia

As you may imagine, tourism in Saudi Arabia is in a very embryonic stage.

Random Saudi: Where are you from? Me: Spain Random Saudi: Where do you live, in Jeddah or Riyadh? Me: Nowhere, I am just visiting Random Saudi: No, I mean where in Saudi are you working?

I had this conversation over and over. They still don’t know that foreigners can now travel to Saudi Arabia.

When I was exploring the southern part of the country and was walking around the souk with my big backpack, people were asking me if I was carrying a parachute and one even said if it was an inflatable boat.

Read: Places to visit in Saudi Arabia – Complete itinerary

Rajal Almaa, a beautiful village in southern Saudi Arabia – Travel guide to Saudi Arabia

So yeah, the idea of having international visitors who are not expats or workers is still a concept they aren’t familiar with.

However, there is a relatively developed domestic tourism infrastructure, so you can find hotels pretty much everywhere, even though they tend to be expensive.

Moreover, as per things to do, you should know that there are loads, loads of things to do in this country. I mean, just check its size and you will see that it is bigger than any European country. I will publish a travel guide to Saudi with itinerary included very, very soon.

The beautiful Old City of Jeddah – This photo was chosen the 2nd best photo in Instagram by Lonely Planet in January 2019

  Is it ethical to travel to Saudi Arabia?

When I came back from Saudi Arabia, I received many, many messages from very upset people who claimed that traveling to Saudi Arabia implicated collaborating with a regime that doesn’t respect the basic human rights. 

Some messages were from friendly, skeptical people who wanted a response, while others were from really extreme haters who I blocked right away.  

Well, let me tell you something: like in any place around the world, you find good and bad people and, when I travel, I don’t meet with Prime Ministers but I visit places and hang out with humble locals. 

This a very long and controversial topic, so I recommend you read my article:

Is it ethical to travel to Saudi Arabia as a tourist?

Hanging out with local friends in Abha

  How to access blocked sites in Saudi

Something you should know is that, in Saudi, the internet is censored.

This means that some websites might be blocked and inaccessible for regular internet users.

Moreover, because of this censorship and, since there is no freedom of speech, the Government reserves the right to monitor your internet activity.

Therefore, if you want to access blocked sites and navigate anonymously, you will need something called a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

Don’t worry, it is less complicated than it sounds and, in this tutorial, you can find out everything about it:

What is it and how to find the right VPN for Saudi Arabia

  Saudi Arabia travel guide – Tips on how to behave

Heads-up.

Saudi Arabia is the most religious country I have ever been to.

In fact, this is the most religious Muslim country in the world. Everybody knows that. 

Most Saudis follow a branch of Islam named Wahhabism, which is characterized for having the most conservative interpretation of Islam and the law of Saudi Arabia strictly follows it.

This means that their penal code includes some very hardcore punishments such as public beheading or getting flogged. This is their country and we are not here to judge and unless you plan to kill someone, smuggle drugs or have sex in public, you shouldn’t be afraid of traveling to Saudi Arabia as a tourist.

Seriously, it is not even close to what you may think.

Note – Saudis prefer to be called Salafis, instead of Wahabis. In their eyes, Wahabism is a few steps ahead than Salafism when it comes to conservatism, meaning that it is really extreme, a term usually used to designate Islamic terrorists. Whereas Salafists are really, really conservative in nature, it is more socially accepted.  Thank you, Graham, from Inside Other Places for the clarification

A man reading the Quran is Jawtha Mosque, the second mosque the prophet Mohammed ever prayed at, in Hofuf, east of Saudi Arabia – Can you visit Saudi Arabia?

Some rules you need to follow when you travel to Saudi Arabia

Women need to wear an abaya – The abaya is a local dress that covers your body (not your head).

Some public spaces are segregated by sex – You will figure it out by yourself but some restaurants or cafés are still composed of two areas: men and family section. Women or men that go with women need to sit in the family section. This kind of segregation is slowly disappearing, especially in Jeddah and Riyadh.

Depending on where you are, during prayer time, you can’t be inside shops or restaurants – To be honest, this rule has become more flexible but, outside of Riyadh and Jeddah, they kicked me out from shops during the prayers and I could not even stand in front but I had to walk away. A very weird rule.

Don’t drink alcohol – Drinking alcohol in Saudi Arabia is not legal, not even in 5-star hotels.

Seriously, stay away from drugs – Drugs may lead to death sentence, so don’t play with them.

No public shows of affection – Same as when you travel to Dubai or Qatar.

Don’t say you are an atheist – Even if you were, say you are a Christian or any major religion in your home country. Being an atheist can be considered as blasphemy and this is a very serious crime in Saudi. Moreover, you came to Saudi to meet people and make local friends, so saying you are an atheist won’t help you at all.

The Old City of Riyadh – Saudi Arabia travel tips

Misconceptions about Saudi Arabia – Things you can actually do

Like I said before, in the last couple of years, the laws of Saudi Arabia have become more flexible. Well, this is not entirely right. According to my local Saudi friends, some laws haven’t been changed but the religious Islamic police (mutaween) has lost power, so they aren’t controlling what people do anymore.

Men and women who aren’t family related can hang out together, in public – Some years ago, you couldn’t go to a restaurant or a café with a friend from the opposite sex but now you can do it normally, like in any other country.

Foreign women can travel around the country independently, and alone – I have already lost count of all the women who asked me if they can go there by themselves. Yes, you can travel to Saudi Arabia as a woman, by yourself. Would it be challenging? It would be different from being a man, indeed, but it is definitely legal.

Single foreign women can also visit Saudi on a tourist visa – You can travel to Saudi with your unmarried boyfriend and even if you are single, no problem.

Women don’t need to wear hijab – You don’t need to cover your head but, like I just said, you must cover your body with an abaya. If you travel to Iran, you will see that the clothing rules are even more strict.

Women can drive, including renting a car – From June 2018, women can finally drive and, as a female tourist, you can also rent it.

Men can wear shorts – Nobody will say anything to you.

These are the things I could come up with so far. Do you have any more questions about the law in Saudi? Please, post it in the comments section.

with @nadaalnahdi and @esraarayes – Can I visit Saudi Arabia

  The people and the culture – The Saudis

Like in many Middle Eastern countries, in Saudi, you find loads of particularly kind people.

Typically, Saudis are so easy to recognize because they wear the thawb, which is the white traditional dress. They also cover their heads with the ghutrah, which can be of different colors but red & white seems to be the most commonly used.

A Saudi man – Can tourists visit Saudi Arabia?

Language – Arabic is the official language. English can be a sometimes problem when you travel in Saudi Arabia, as most people don’t speak it but you will always find someone who does.

Religion – According to the Saudi Government, 100% of the Saudis are Muslim, the large majority being Sunni Wahabbis. There is a large Shia population, as well. Remember that Saudis are very conservative, so try to be respectful and sensitive.

Saudis are extremely hospitable

Before traveling to Saudi Arabia, I knew a lot of people who had been there on a business visa and the truth is that I am extremely disappointed with all of them because they had told me:

Saudis are arrogant

Saudis are racist to anyone who is not from the Gulf

There is nothing to do in Saudi

Seriously, I don’t know where they have been but, from the moment I met the immigration officer who stamped my passport with a big smile while he tried to improve his Spanish, I have just had positive experiences with Saudi people.

Saudi people are extremely hospitable. From endless coffee and meal invitations to random people who insisted on showing me around the city, I seriously met some incredible locals, some of whom I can call now friends.

Honestly, the experience was no different from the blessings of hospitality in Pakistan, Oman or Iran, no kidding. I shared many short moments with so many locals but there were two Saudis in particular who really changed the perspective of my trip.

First, I met Abdullah, an English teacher from Kharj. He picked me up when I was hitchhiking and drove me to a city which was 80km away (and it was not his way). There, we met with one of his friends, we had lunch at his house and then we visited his camel farm. Abdullah taught me many interesting things about Saudi culture, especially their interpretation of Islam.

Do you like extreme destinations? Read: How to travel to Syria

With Abdullah – Can I travel to Saudi Arabia

A few days after, I met Ibrahim, a real Saudi from Abha. We met at the souk of Abha and, after having a chat, he invited me to his famous village named Rajal Alma. We had dinner, stayed at his friend’s house and showed me around on the day after. Ibrahim comes from a very traditional Saudi family (his father was actually a famous Imam from the region) but he married a Filipina girl, something quite unheard of from Saudis with a similar background.

Seriously, don’t trust anyone who has just been to Jeddah or Riyadh for business. First of all, you can’t judge a country by the inhabitants of a several-million people city. And second of all, don’t trust the judgment from someone who has traveled to Saudi Arabia for business because he hasn’t seen much beyond the office, the fancy restaurant, and the hotel.

Saudis are not happy about how the Western media portraits them

Our media doesn’t really do justice to Saudi people, as they portray them as religious fanatics who force women to submit to their Sharia rules.

The reality is miles away from this stereotype.

Like in any country, there are loads of awesome people and, like in any off the beaten track Muslim country, most of them are extra-nice with foreigners.

Saudi women

Most women in Saudi wear the black niqab, which covers the whole face except the eyes.

The reason they wear it is that, according to their interpretation of the Quran, women can’t show their face to any man who isn’t their dad, uncles, grandfathers, sons, and husband, of course.

For years, many pro-feminist groups in Europe have been claiming that the use of niqab is sexist, against the women’s rights and they wear it against their will.

Whereas I fully understand their point, I think that their argument is quite simplistic and it just lets you see one tiny side of the whole picture.

Please note that I am not trying to justify the use of the niqab but I just wanted you to know that many Saudi women actually choose to wear it. Really. They choose to wear it because they think that this is the right thing to do because the Quran says so. They believe they need to wear it as much as men believe it.

Obviously, there will be many cases of liberal Saudi women who will tell you a different story but I am just talking in generic terms.

My point is that this topic is way more complicated than we think and, as tourists, we shouldn’t be talking or trying to change it because you are traveling to Saudi Arabia to learn about their culture and visit beautiful places.

How to deal with women in Saudi – Now that every day you see more and more women working in public spaces, you are likely to talk to quite a few Saudi women who wear the niqab.

If you are a man, don’t try to shake hands and keep a reasonable distance with them but you can talk to them freely and you will see that they are as lovely women like any other. If you are a foreign woman, they will definitely be extra nice to you and, if you are on the countryside, expect them to invite you to their house.

When I visited Al-Jawf, 1,000km north of Riyadh, I went there to work on an assignment for a local company and I was very lucky to be received by two super nice ladies wearing niqab. I spent the whole day with them. They showed me around their province, we went to have some coffee and I even went to their house where they fed me until I exploded. They were as hospitable as any Muslim man I had met before and the only difference is that I didn’t see their faces. It was an enriching experience.

Chilling with a Saudi woman in Al-Jawf – How to travel to Saudi Arabia?

  Saudis are multi-ethnic

For centuries, Muslims from all over the world came to Saudi on their journey to Mecca and, at some point, decided to settle there.

Over time, they became Saudi citizens and that is why, today, you find Saudis from all types of ethnicities. From Bedouin to East-African-looking people and even the cultural-Yemeni-like people from the south of the country, in Jizan, Saudi is the most multi-ethnic Arab country.

For me, this was one of the most surprising things about the country.

A Yemeni-like Saudi man from Jizan – Traveling to Saudi Arabia what to know

  Food when visiting Saudi Arabia

The food was another extremely surprising thing about traveling in Saudi.

Before visiting Saudi, I was traveling in Oman for 1 month. In Oman, I felt that, after day 2, I had already tasted all the local food, which was always simplified to different variations of rice with meat, chicken or fish. Then, I tasted one or two different local dishes in some houses and the rest was all Indian food.

Saudi, however, is a different story. Since it borders with so many Arabic countries, its huge dimensions with many different geographical areas and its multi-ethnic population, the food in Saudi Arabia is a real blend of all the Arabic food you can think of.

From the Yemeni food-like dishes from the south to the olive oil-rich food from the north of the country, Levantine Arabic dishes such as vine leaves and makluba, foul and hummus for breakfast and, of course, the classic Gulf food that includes all sorts of rice with meat, the cuisine of Saudi Arabia also shows the cultural richness of the country.

By the way, traditionally, Saudis eat on the floor and use their right hand to eat. Eating like them is a sign of respect but if you are struggling, you can always help yourself with a spoon.

 – This is mandi, which is originally from Yemen – Travel tips for Saudi Arabia

  Solo female travel in Saudi

Since I left Saudi Arabia, I have been bombed with tens of questions from many women who are skeptical about traveling to Saudi.

Sure, Saudi is an extremely patriarchal country, so this kind of reaction is perfectly understandable. However, let me tell you that, as a woman, Saudi Arabia is much safer than you could ever think.

I am perfectly aware that, since I am not a woman, my opinion doesn’t really count here but, luckily, during my journey, I met Nada al Nahdi, a Yemeni / Indonesian girl who was born in Saudi, so she knows the people and culture very well and has traveled around the country extensively.

Nada wrote an article about this topic on my site, so if you want to know more, read:

9 misconceptions about traveling to Saudi Arabia as a woman.

Nada trekking in Saudi Arabia

  Is it safe to travel to Saudi Arabia?

From a crime perspective, Saudi Arabia is just another very safe place to visit in the Middle East. I mean, you should always be aware of your belongings but pickpocketing or being robbed is quite unheard of.

As per terrorism threat, I will not deny the fact that there have been some one-off terrorist attacks but even UK travel advice says that, except for the areas close to the Yemeni border, all Saudi Arabia is safe to visit. 

However, I also went to Jizan, the region bordering Yemen and everything was extra peaceful. The war is happening on the other side of the border, not in Saudi.

In my opinion, the only actual threat when traveling in Saudi Arabia are the extremely crazy drivers. Seriously, after all my years of travels, I can now confirm that Saudi people are the most insane people on wheels.

For a more detailed analysis, read this article from Joao Leitao: Is Saudi Arabia a safe country to travel?

Hanging out with some Saudis – Photo by @joaoleitaoviagens – Travel tips to Saudi Arabia

  Money in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Rial is the official currency – And, in January 2019, 1USD = 3,75SR

Exchanging money – Euros, United States dollars or British Pounds are widely accepted. You can even exchange Indian and Pakistani rupees and other Asian currencies, as there is a large Asian population living in Saudi. Of course, the currencies from other Gulf countries, such as Omani Rials or UAE Dirhams are also accepted.

ATM and credit cards – ATMs are available pretty much everywhere and credit cards are accepted in most modern cafés, restaurants, and hotels. However, bring always some extra cash, as the Indian-run cafés and other more local places don’t accept cards.

Cost of travel to Saudi Arabia – These are the prices of the most typical things:

Budget Hotel – Double room from 100 to 150SR (26 to 40USD)

Breakfast in Indian-run café – 5 to 10SR (1.30 to 2.60USD)

Breakfast in local Saudi eatery – 10 to 15SR (2.60 to 4USD)

Lunch in Indian-run restaurant – 10 to 15SR (2.60 to 4USD)

Lunch in local Saudi eatery – 15 to 20SR (4USD to 5.30USD)

Lunch in mid-range restaurant – From 30-35SR (8-9USD)

Short taxi ride in Riyadh – 15 to 25SR (4 to 6.60USD)

  Moving around when traveling in Saudi Arabia

Something you need to know: Saudi Arabia is the least walking-friendly place I have ever been to. That being said, here is what you need to know regarding moving around the Kingdom:

Moving inside cities – Public transportation in Saudi cities is awful and, except in some parts of Jeddah, you must drive with your own car or by taxi. You can’t seriously walk. If you aren’t self-driving, I recommend you download Uber or Careem, so you won’t have to deal with negotiating a price with a taxi.

Domestic flights – Another problem of Saudi Arabia is that distances are ridiculously huge and the nice places to visit in Saudi are scattered all around the country. For example, Al-Ula is nearly 1,000km north of Jeddah and Jizan is another 1,000 south of Jeddah. If you are short of time, a very good alternative is taking domestic flights.

I recommend you check on Saudia Airlines, as they have the largest number of domestic connections in the country. Actually, the most effective way to travel in Saudi Arabia would be taking a domestic flight and then renting a car in the destination itself.

Rent a car – In order to enjoy the country, renting a car is crucial. Gas is cheap, so are the daily rental rates. However, all companies offer limited daily mileage, around 250-300km a day I think, so if you drive to faraway places like Al-Ula or Jizan, you may end up paying quite a lot. By the way, most rental companies won’t rent you a car if you don’t have an international driving license, so remember to convert it before leaving your country.

I strongly recommend you look for the best deals on Rental Car, a search engine that shows you the best available options in each country and city.

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE BEST CAR RENTAL DEALS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Buses – You can also move by bus between cities. They are very cheap but the problem is that you will have to rely on taxis once you get to any destination. There is not a single city in Saudi which is walking friendly.

You check all bus schedules and buy tickets on this website.

Hitchhiking – As crazy as it may sound, I hitchhiked across Saudi Arabia. I actually hitchhiked from Riyadh to Jizan, 1,300km. I had some really good experiences but, at the same time, I had not so good experiences. On the one hand, it is relatively easy to get a ride and, normally, Saudis will be extremely helpful and, if you are lucky, they will invite you to their house.

On the other hand, most places in Saudi are connected with highways where people drive extremely fast and, sometimes, they overtake cars by the shoulder of the road, which is extremely dangerous if you are waiting there. Moreover, many Saudis are crazy drivers, more than in any other country I have been to. On one occasion, I refused to continue with a man because I was seriously afraid of dying. When I finally reached Jizan, I decided not to hitchhike anymore. It was too intense.

We had some issues when hitchhiking with these guys – Can I travel to Saudi Arabia alone

  Internet and SIM Card

Wi-Fi – It works pretty well all across the country, including in the budget hotels. You won’t find Wi-Fi in the cheap cafés but most malls or Western-Style cafés have public Wi-Fi.

SIM Card and 3G – I got ZAIN which, according to locals, has the worst network but it was the only company I found which you could buy just 1 or 2GB. Mobily is the most popular one but they asked me to buy 10GB, at least, which was around 150SR (40USD). With ZAIN, I think I just paid around 30SR for the SIM Card plus 1GB worth of data.

Remember that, in Saudi, the internet is censored and, if you want to access blocked sites, you will need a VPN. Read: How to find the right VPN for Saudi Arabia

  Accommodation

In Saudi Arabia, accommodation is quite expensive, especially for solo travelers.

Airbnb – The cheapest option would be finding a room on Airbnb and remember that, if you create an account through my link, you will get up to 35€ of FREE credit on your next booking. 

SIGN UP THROUGH THIS LINK TO GET YOUR 35€ OF FREE CREDIT

Hotels – Prices start at 25-30USD but, on the bright side, budget hotels are usually apartment-hotels with a kitchen and, for just a few more USD, you could have a 3 or 4-bedroom apartment, so if you are a family or travel with more people they are a great value for money.

You can find hotels all over the country. If you have a larger budget, all cities are filled with good accommodation options, especially in Jeddah and Riyadh, where you can find the most luxurious hotels.

If you are self-driving for long distances, most small towns you pass by will also have budget apartment-hotels which are always clean, at least in my experience.

You can find plenty of hotels in Booking.com

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE BEST HOTELS DEALS ON BOOKING.COM

Falconry is also a very big deal in Saudi – Travel Guide to Saud Arabia

  More information for traveling to Saudi

When to travel to Saudi – Winter is, definitely, the best time. Avoid summer, late spring and early autumn, as during day time, temperatures average 40-45ºC.

Weekend falls on Friday and Saturday – This is not different than many Muslim countries.

On Friday, everything is closed until Asr prayer, which is around 4 or 5pm – Not everything will be closed but some restaurants may open in the morning. However, at noon, during Dhuhr prayer, absolutely everything is closed.

Eat with your right hand, always – This is a generic Muslim rule but in Saudi is particularly strict. If you are sharing a meal with more traditional people, try to always eat with your right hand. I am actually left-handed and sometimes I forget about it and Saudi has been the only place where the locals got a bit upset when they saw me eating with my left hand.

Don’t travel to Saudi during the holy month of Ramadan – During Ramadan, the law is really extreme in Saudi, so all business will be closed during day time.

All my travel guides to Saudi Arabia

Places to visit in Saudi Arabia – 2-week itinerary 9 Misconceptions about solo female travel in Saudi How to visit Riyadh in 3 days Is it ethical to visit Saudi as a tourist?

And here you can find all my articles and guides to the Middle East. 

    source http://cheaprtravels.com/tips-and-how-to-travel-to-saudi-arabia-in-2020/

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Tips and how to travel to Saudi Arabia in 2020

Last year, I was one of the first very few tourists to ever travel to Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa.

Before, the only way to travel to Saudi was on a business visa, via a strong local connection who could sponsor your visit or by getting a pilgrimage visa to visit Mecca and Medina (only for Muslims).

Therefore, the fact that, all of a sudden, Western tourists can visit Saudi Arabia on their own, with a backpack, both men and women, is a very radical change.

This incredibly big change, however, didn’t come alone. 

During the last couple of years, a lot of their super strict Islamic laws have been softened or, at least, they have become more flexible. For example, allowing women and men to hang out together in public spaces was one of the most significant changes.

All these small changes will make things easier for future international visitors.

Moreover, you should also know that, despite everything that you may have read in the media, Saudi Arabia is an incredible country which is filled with loads of stunning sites, both natural and archaeological, hugely contrasting landscapes and some extremely hospitable people that could easily rival my beloved friends from Pakistan and Iran.

Personally, this country has been the most surprising country I have ever been to, especially because nobody had ever told me the good things about it.

That being said, after visiting all around the country for a little bit more than two weeks, I have compiled this comprehensive guide that contains plenty of tips and everything you need to know to travel to Saudi Arabia in 2019, one of the least visited destinations in the world.

By the way, if you want to keep track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @againstthecompass on Instagram. 

This guide contains all the practical information. For places to visit read my Saudi Arabia itinerary

    Index:

Visa Travel Insurance Getting to Saudi Tourism in Saudi Arabia Is it ethical? Blocked websites How to behave The people – The Saudis The food Solo female travel Safety Money Moving around Saudi Internet and SIM Card Accommodation More information

Hey, have you ever wondered how I make a full living from blogging? Learn here how I started monetizing my blog and get over 200,000 monthly page views in less than 3 years

  Check this introductory video from my friend Brian from The World Hiker! (I am also in the video!)

  Visa for traveling to Saudi Arabia

Amazing News October 2019 – E-visa finally available through visitsaudi.com – Continue reading to know more about it

In December 2018, the only way of traveling to Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa was by purchasing a ticket for a Formula-E event that would take place in Riyadh.

You could book your tickets through the website sharek.sa and, immediately after purchasing them, they would issue a legit and valid e-visa to travel to Saudi Arabia.

I paid 395SR (105USD) for the Formula-E ticket and 640SR (170USD) for the e-visa. In total, it was 1,035SR (275USD).

With my Spanish passport, the visa was valid for 30 days and it allowed me to travel anywhere but Medina and Mecca. 

My e-visa for Saudi Arabia

This was just a one-time event and, after that, they celebrated one or two more, the last one being in July 2019. 

The truth is that there were some rumors saying that the Saudi Government would introduce a regular e-visa system somewhere in 2019, so those events were just a test aimed at seeing how would the country handle independent Western tourists for the first time in their history. 

Apparently, their results and experience were rather satisfactory and, along with the fact that Saudi is trying to find alternative ways of not being so dependant on oil revenue, they finally announced the introduction of an e-visa system, starting from September 2019.

How to apply for Saudi tourist e-visa 

Applying for the e-visa is pretty straightforward and you can do it through this portal.

Which countries are eligible to get a Saudi tourist visa?

All EU countries within Schengen zone + Andorra, Monaco, United Kingdom and Ukraine, Brunei, China, Canada, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, United States

How long is the Saudi visa for?

With this visa, you can travel in Saudi Arabia for 90 days.

How much does the Saudi e-visa cost?

It costs 117USD + VAT. 

Can single women apply for the same Saudi e-visa?

Yes, you can, as long as you are 25 years old or more.

Don’t forget to read my 2-week itinerary in Saudi Arabia.

Outside of Riyadh, on the way to the Edge of the World – Tourism in Saudi Arabia

  Travel Insurance for Saudi Arabia

Remember to always travel with the proper travel insurance, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia where, for foreigners, the Health Care System is crazy expensive.

I strongly recommend World Nomads for the following reasons:

It is the only company that offers an unlimited budget policy, very useful for Saudi Arabia

It provides coverage for pretty much any nationality

It covers a wide range of adventure activities

  Getting to Saudi Arabia

By air – The easiest way to travel to Saudi Arabia is by flying in. There are loads of international flights, especially to Jeddah and Riyadh. Saudia Airlines has many direct flights from Europe and other destinations.

By land – Right before visiting Saudi Arabia, I was traveling in Oman, so my initial idea was to overland via UAE. However, in the visa application, I had to specify my port of entry and they didn’t give you the choice of selecting a land border entry point, so I preferred to just book a flight because, in any case, going from Muscat to Riyadh was a very long way and I didn’t even know about public transportation options.

The border between Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait should be open to anyone with a valid visa. The rest of the borders, however, are currently closed: Yemen, due to the ongoing conflict; Qatar, due to their current diplomatic issues; and Oman, due to it being under construction. I am not sure about the Iraqi border but, most likely, you won’t be crossing from there.

Read: Ultimate 7-day itinerary to Dubai and the UAE 

Another very cool canyon outside of Riyadh – Can you travel to Saudi Arabia

  Tourism in Saudi Arabia

As you may imagine, tourism in Saudi Arabia is in a very embryonic stage.

Random Saudi: Where are you from? Me: Spain Random Saudi: Where do you live, in Jeddah or Riyadh? Me: Nowhere, I am just visiting Random Saudi: No, I mean where in Saudi are you working?

I had this conversation over and over. They still don’t know that foreigners can now travel to Saudi Arabia.

When I was exploring the southern part of the country and was walking around the souk with my big backpack, people were asking me if I was carrying a parachute and one even said if it was an inflatable boat.

Read: Places to visit in Saudi Arabia – Complete itinerary

Rajal Almaa, a beautiful village in southern Saudi Arabia – Travel guide to Saudi Arabia

So yeah, the idea of having international visitors who are not expats or workers is still a concept they aren’t familiar with.

However, there is a relatively developed domestic tourism infrastructure, so you can find hotels pretty much everywhere, even though they tend to be expensive.

Moreover, as per things to do, you should know that there are loads, loads of things to do in this country. I mean, just check its size and you will see that it is bigger than any European country. I will publish a travel guide to Saudi with itinerary included very, very soon.

The beautiful Old City of Jeddah – This photo was chosen the 2nd best photo in Instagram by Lonely Planet in January 2019

  Is it ethical to travel to Saudi Arabia?

When I came back from Saudi Arabia, I received many, many messages from very upset people who claimed that traveling to Saudi Arabia implicated collaborating with a regime that doesn’t respect the basic human rights. 

Some messages were from friendly, skeptical people who wanted a response, while others were from really extreme haters who I blocked right away.  

Well, let me tell you something: like in any place around the world, you find good and bad people and, when I travel, I don’t meet with Prime Ministers but I visit places and hang out with humble locals. 

This a very long and controversial topic, so I recommend you read my article:

Is it ethical to travel to Saudi Arabia as a tourist?

Hanging out with local friends in Abha

  How to access blocked sites in Saudi

Something you should know is that, in Saudi, the internet is censored.

This means that some websites might be blocked and inaccessible for regular internet users.

Moreover, because of this censorship and, since there is no freedom of speech, the Government reserves the right to monitor your internet activity.

Therefore, if you want to access blocked sites and navigate anonymously, you will need something called a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

Don’t worry, it is less complicated than it sounds and, in this tutorial, you can find out everything about it:

What is it and how to find the right VPN for Saudi Arabia

  Saudi Arabia travel guide – Tips on how to behave

Heads-up.

Saudi Arabia is the most religious country I have ever been to.

In fact, this is the most religious Muslim country in the world. Everybody knows that. 

Most Saudis follow a branch of Islam named Wahhabism, which is characterized for having the most conservative interpretation of Islam and the law of Saudi Arabia strictly follows it.

This means that their penal code includes some very hardcore punishments such as public beheading or getting flogged. This is their country and we are not here to judge and unless you plan to kill someone, smuggle drugs or have sex in public, you shouldn’t be afraid of traveling to Saudi Arabia as a tourist.

Seriously, it is not even close to what you may think.

Note – Saudis prefer to be called Salafis, instead of Wahabis. In their eyes, Wahabism is a few steps ahead than Salafism when it comes to conservatism, meaning that it is really extreme, a term usually used to designate Islamic terrorists. Whereas Salafists are really, really conservative in nature, it is more socially accepted.  Thank you, Graham, from Inside Other Places for the clarification

A man reading the Quran is Jawtha Mosque, the second mosque the prophet Mohammed ever prayed at, in Hofuf, east of Saudi Arabia – Can you visit Saudi Arabia?

Some rules you need to follow when you travel to Saudi Arabia

Women need to wear an abaya – The abaya is a local dress that covers your body (not your head).

Some public spaces are segregated by sex – You will figure it out by yourself but some restaurants or cafés are still composed of two areas: men and family section. Women or men that go with women need to sit in the family section. This kind of segregation is slowly disappearing, especially in Jeddah and Riyadh.

Depending on where you are, during prayer time, you can’t be inside shops or restaurants – To be honest, this rule has become more flexible but, outside of Riyadh and Jeddah, they kicked me out from shops during the prayers and I could not even stand in front but I had to walk away. A very weird rule.

Don’t drink alcohol – Drinking alcohol in Saudi Arabia is not legal, not even in 5-star hotels.

Seriously, stay away from drugs – Drugs may lead to death sentence, so don’t play with them.

No public shows of affection – Same as when you travel to Dubai or Qatar.

Don’t say you are an atheist – Even if you were, say you are a Christian or any major religion in your home country. Being an atheist can be considered as blasphemy and this is a very serious crime in Saudi. Moreover, you came to Saudi to meet people and make local friends, so saying you are an atheist won’t help you at all.

The Old City of Riyadh – Saudi Arabia travel tips

Misconceptions about Saudi Arabia – Things you can actually do

Like I said before, in the last couple of years, the laws of Saudi Arabia have become more flexible. Well, this is not entirely right. According to my local Saudi friends, some laws haven’t been changed but the religious Islamic police (mutaween) has lost power, so they aren’t controlling what people do anymore.

Men and women who aren’t family related can hang out together, in public – Some years ago, you couldn’t go to a restaurant or a café with a friend from the opposite sex but now you can do it normally, like in any other country.

Foreign women can travel around the country independently, and alone – I have already lost count of all the women who asked me if they can go there by themselves. Yes, you can travel to Saudi Arabia as a woman, by yourself. Would it be challenging? It would be different from being a man, indeed, but it is definitely legal.

Single foreign women can also visit Saudi on a tourist visa – You can travel to Saudi with your unmarried boyfriend and even if you are single, no problem.

Women don’t need to wear hijab – You don’t need to cover your head but, like I just said, you must cover your body with an abaya. If you travel to Iran, you will see that the clothing rules are even more strict.

Women can drive, including renting a car – From June 2018, women can finally drive and, as a female tourist, you can also rent it.

Men can wear shorts – Nobody will say anything to you.

These are the things I could come up with so far. Do you have any more questions about the law in Saudi? Please, post it in the comments section.

with @nadaalnahdi and @esraarayes – Can I visit Saudi Arabia

  The people and the culture – The Saudis

Like in many Middle Eastern countries, in Saudi, you find loads of particularly kind people.

Typically, Saudis are so easy to recognize because they wear the thawb, which is the white traditional dress. They also cover their heads with the ghutrah, which can be of different colors but red & white seems to be the most commonly used.

A Saudi man – Can tourists visit Saudi Arabia?

Language – Arabic is the official language. English can be a sometimes problem when you travel in Saudi Arabia, as most people don’t speak it but you will always find someone who does.

Religion – According to the Saudi Government, 100% of the Saudis are Muslim, the large majority being Sunni Wahabbis. There is a large Shia population, as well. Remember that Saudis are very conservative, so try to be respectful and sensitive.

Saudis are extremely hospitable

Before traveling to Saudi Arabia, I knew a lot of people who had been there on a business visa and the truth is that I am extremely disappointed with all of them because they had told me:

Saudis are arrogant

Saudis are racist to anyone who is not from the Gulf

There is nothing to do in Saudi

Seriously, I don’t know where they have been but, from the moment I met the immigration officer who stamped my passport with a big smile while he tried to improve his Spanish, I have just had positive experiences with Saudi people.

Saudi people are extremely hospitable. From endless coffee and meal invitations to random people who insisted on showing me around the city, I seriously met some incredible locals, some of whom I can call now friends.

Honestly, the experience was no different from the blessings of hospitality in Pakistan, Oman or Iran, no kidding. I shared many short moments with so many locals but there were two Saudis in particular who really changed the perspective of my trip.

First, I met Abdullah, an English teacher from Kharj. He picked me up when I was hitchhiking and drove me to a city which was 80km away (and it was not his way). There, we met with one of his friends, we had lunch at his house and then we visited his camel farm. Abdullah taught me many interesting things about Saudi culture, especially their interpretation of Islam.

Do you like extreme destinations? Read: How to travel to Syria

With Abdullah – Can I travel to Saudi Arabia

A few days after, I met Ibrahim, a real Saudi from Abha. We met at the souk of Abha and, after having a chat, he invited me to his famous village named Rajal Alma. We had dinner, stayed at his friend’s house and showed me around on the day after. Ibrahim comes from a very traditional Saudi family (his father was actually a famous Imam from the region) but he married a Filipina girl, something quite unheard of from Saudis with a similar background.

Seriously, don’t trust anyone who has just been to Jeddah or Riyadh for business. First of all, you can’t judge a country by the inhabitants of a several-million people city. And second of all, don’t trust the judgment from someone who has traveled to Saudi Arabia for business because he hasn’t seen much beyond the office, the fancy restaurant, and the hotel.

Saudis are not happy about how the Western media portraits them

Our media doesn’t really do justice to Saudi people, as they portray them as religious fanatics who force women to submit to their Sharia rules.

The reality is miles away from this stereotype.

Like in any country, there are loads of awesome people and, like in any off the beaten track Muslim country, most of them are extra-nice with foreigners.

Saudi women

Most women in Saudi wear the black niqab, which covers the whole face except the eyes.

The reason they wear it is that, according to their interpretation of the Quran, women can’t show their face to any man who isn’t their dad, uncles, grandfathers, sons, and husband, of course.

For years, many pro-feminist groups in Europe have been claiming that the use of niqab is sexist, against the women’s rights and they wear it against their will.

Whereas I fully understand their point, I think that their argument is quite simplistic and it just lets you see one tiny side of the whole picture.

Please note that I am not trying to justify the use of the niqab but I just wanted you to know that many Saudi women actually choose to wear it. Really. They choose to wear it because they think that this is the right thing to do because the Quran says so. They believe they need to wear it as much as men believe it.

Obviously, there will be many cases of liberal Saudi women who will tell you a different story but I am just talking in generic terms.

My point is that this topic is way more complicated than we think and, as tourists, we shouldn’t be talking or trying to change it because you are traveling to Saudi Arabia to learn about their culture and visit beautiful places.

How to deal with women in Saudi – Now that every day you see more and more women working in public spaces, you are likely to talk to quite a few Saudi women who wear the niqab.

If you are a man, don’t try to shake hands and keep a reasonable distance with them but you can talk to them freely and you will see that they are as lovely women like any other. If you are a foreign woman, they will definitely be extra nice to you and, if you are on the countryside, expect them to invite you to their house.

When I visited Al-Jawf, 1,000km north of Riyadh, I went there to work on an assignment for a local company and I was very lucky to be received by two super nice ladies wearing niqab. I spent the whole day with them. They showed me around their province, we went to have some coffee and I even went to their house where they fed me until I exploded. They were as hospitable as any Muslim man I had met before and the only difference is that I didn’t see their faces. It was an enriching experience.

Chilling with a Saudi woman in Al-Jawf – How to travel to Saudi Arabia?

  Saudis are multi-ethnic

For centuries, Muslims from all over the world came to Saudi on their journey to Mecca and, at some point, decided to settle there.

Over time, they became Saudi citizens and that is why, today, you find Saudis from all types of ethnicities. From Bedouin to East-African-looking people and even the cultural-Yemeni-like people from the south of the country, in Jizan, Saudi is the most multi-ethnic Arab country.

For me, this was one of the most surprising things about the country.

A Yemeni-like Saudi man from Jizan – Traveling to Saudi Arabia what to know

  Food when visiting Saudi Arabia

The food was another extremely surprising thing about traveling in Saudi.

Before visiting Saudi, I was traveling in Oman for 1 month. In Oman, I felt that, after day 2, I had already tasted all the local food, which was always simplified to different variations of rice with meat, chicken or fish. Then, I tasted one or two different local dishes in some houses and the rest was all Indian food.

Saudi, however, is a different story. Since it borders with so many Arabic countries, its huge dimensions with many different geographical areas and its multi-ethnic population, the food in Saudi Arabia is a real blend of all the Arabic food you can think of.

From the Yemeni food-like dishes from the south to the olive oil-rich food from the north of the country, Levantine Arabic dishes such as vine leaves and makluba, foul and hummus for breakfast and, of course, the classic Gulf food that includes all sorts of rice with meat, the cuisine of Saudi Arabia also shows the cultural richness of the country.

By the way, traditionally, Saudis eat on the floor and use their right hand to eat. Eating like them is a sign of respect but if you are struggling, you can always help yourself with a spoon.

 – This is mandi, which is originally from Yemen – Travel tips for Saudi Arabia

  Solo female travel in Saudi

Since I left Saudi Arabia, I have been bombed with tens of questions from many women who are skeptical about traveling to Saudi.

Sure, Saudi is an extremely patriarchal country, so this kind of reaction is perfectly understandable. However, let me tell you that, as a woman, Saudi Arabia is much safer than you could ever think.

I am perfectly aware that, since I am not a woman, my opinion doesn’t really count here but, luckily, during my journey, I met Nada al Nahdi, a Yemeni / Indonesian girl who was born in Saudi, so she knows the people and culture very well and has traveled around the country extensively.

Nada wrote an article about this topic on my site, so if you want to know more, read:

9 misconceptions about traveling to Saudi Arabia as a woman.

Nada trekking in Saudi Arabia

  Is it safe to travel to Saudi Arabia?

From a crime perspective, Saudi Arabia is just another very safe place to visit in the Middle East. I mean, you should always be aware of your belongings but pickpocketing or being robbed is quite unheard of.

As per terrorism threat, I will not deny the fact that there have been some one-off terrorist attacks but even UK travel advice says that, except for the areas close to the Yemeni border, all Saudi Arabia is safe to visit. 

However, I also went to Jizan, the region bordering Yemen and everything was extra peaceful. The war is happening on the other side of the border, not in Saudi.

In my opinion, the only actual threat when traveling in Saudi Arabia are the extremely crazy drivers. Seriously, after all my years of travels, I can now confirm that Saudi people are the most insane people on wheels.

For a more detailed analysis, read this article from Joao Leitao: Is Saudi Arabia a safe country to travel?

Hanging out with some Saudis – Photo by @joaoleitaoviagens – Travel tips to Saudi Arabia

  Money in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Rial is the official currency – And, in January 2019, 1USD = 3,75SR

Exchanging money – Euros, United States dollars or British Pounds are widely accepted. You can even exchange Indian and Pakistani rupees and other Asian currencies, as there is a large Asian population living in Saudi. Of course, the currencies from other Gulf countries, such as Omani Rials or UAE Dirhams are also accepted.

ATM and credit cards – ATMs are available pretty much everywhere and credit cards are accepted in most modern cafés, restaurants, and hotels. However, bring always some extra cash, as the Indian-run cafés and other more local places don’t accept cards.

Cost of travel to Saudi Arabia – These are the prices of the most typical things:

Budget Hotel – Double room from 100 to 150SR (26 to 40USD)

Breakfast in Indian-run café – 5 to 10SR (1.30 to 2.60USD)

Breakfast in local Saudi eatery – 10 to 15SR (2.60 to 4USD)

Lunch in Indian-run restaurant – 10 to 15SR (2.60 to 4USD)

Lunch in local Saudi eatery – 15 to 20SR (4USD to 5.30USD)

Lunch in mid-range restaurant – From 30-35SR (8-9USD)

Short taxi ride in Riyadh – 15 to 25SR (4 to 6.60USD)

  Moving around when traveling in Saudi Arabia

Something you need to know: Saudi Arabia is the least walking-friendly place I have ever been to. That being said, here is what you need to know regarding moving around the Kingdom:

Moving inside cities – Public transportation in Saudi cities is awful and, except in some parts of Jeddah, you must drive with your own car or by taxi. You can’t seriously walk. If you aren’t self-driving, I recommend you download Uber or Careem, so you won’t have to deal with negotiating a price with a taxi.

Domestic flights – Another problem of Saudi Arabia is that distances are ridiculously huge and the nice places to visit in Saudi are scattered all around the country. For example, Al-Ula is nearly 1,000km north of Jeddah and Jizan is another 1,000 south of Jeddah. If you are short of time, a very good alternative is taking domestic flights.

I recommend you check on Saudia Airlines, as they have the largest number of domestic connections in the country. Actually, the most effective way to travel in Saudi Arabia would be taking a domestic flight and then renting a car in the destination itself.

Rent a car – In order to enjoy the country, renting a car is crucial. Gas is cheap, so are the daily rental rates. However, all companies offer limited daily mileage, around 250-300km a day I think, so if you drive to faraway places like Al-Ula or Jizan, you may end up paying quite a lot. By the way, most rental companies won’t rent you a car if you don’t have an international driving license, so remember to convert it before leaving your country.

I strongly recommend you look for the best deals on Rental Car, a search engine that shows you the best available options in each country and city.

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE BEST CAR RENTAL DEALS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Buses – You can also move by bus between cities. They are very cheap but the problem is that you will have to rely on taxis once you get to any destination. There is not a single city in Saudi which is walking friendly.

You check all bus schedules and buy tickets on this website.

Hitchhiking – As crazy as it may sound, I hitchhiked across Saudi Arabia. I actually hitchhiked from Riyadh to Jizan, 1,300km. I had some really good experiences but, at the same time, I had not so good experiences. On the one hand, it is relatively easy to get a ride and, normally, Saudis will be extremely helpful and, if you are lucky, they will invite you to their house.

On the other hand, most places in Saudi are connected with highways where people drive extremely fast and, sometimes, they overtake cars by the shoulder of the road, which is extremely dangerous if you are waiting there. Moreover, many Saudis are crazy drivers, more than in any other country I have been to. On one occasion, I refused to continue with a man because I was seriously afraid of dying. When I finally reached Jizan, I decided not to hitchhike anymore. It was too intense.

We had some issues when hitchhiking with these guys – Can I travel to Saudi Arabia alone

  Internet and SIM Card

Wi-Fi – It works pretty well all across the country, including in the budget hotels. You won’t find Wi-Fi in the cheap cafés but most malls or Western-Style cafés have public Wi-Fi.

SIM Card and 3G – I got ZAIN which, according to locals, has the worst network but it was the only company I found which you could buy just 1 or 2GB. Mobily is the most popular one but they asked me to buy 10GB, at least, which was around 150SR (40USD). With ZAIN, I think I just paid around 30SR for the SIM Card plus 1GB worth of data.

Remember that, in Saudi, the internet is censored and, if you want to access blocked sites, you will need a VPN. Read: How to find the right VPN for Saudi Arabia

  Accommodation

In Saudi Arabia, accommodation is quite expensive, especially for solo travelers.

Airbnb – The cheapest option would be finding a room on Airbnb and remember that, if you create an account through my link, you will get up to 35€ of FREE credit on your next booking. 

SIGN UP THROUGH THIS LINK TO GET YOUR 35€ OF FREE CREDIT

Hotels – Prices start at 25-30USD but, on the bright side, budget hotels are usually apartment-hotels with a kitchen and, for just a few more USD, you could have a 3 or 4-bedroom apartment, so if you are a family or travel with more people they are a great value for money.

You can find hotels all over the country. If you have a larger budget, all cities are filled with good accommodation options, especially in Jeddah and Riyadh, where you can find the most luxurious hotels.

If you are self-driving for long distances, most small towns you pass by will also have budget apartment-hotels which are always clean, at least in my experience.

You can find plenty of hotels in Booking.com

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE BEST HOTELS DEALS ON BOOKING.COM

Falconry is also a very big deal in Saudi – Travel Guide to Saud Arabia

  More information for traveling to Saudi

When to travel to Saudi – Winter is, definitely, the best time. Avoid summer, late spring and early autumn, as during day time, temperatures average 40-45ºC.

Weekend falls on Friday and Saturday – This is not different than many Muslim countries.

On Friday, everything is closed until Asr prayer, which is around 4 or 5pm – Not everything will be closed but some restaurants may open in the morning. However, at noon, during Dhuhr prayer, absolutely everything is closed.

Eat with your right hand, always – This is a generic Muslim rule but in Saudi is particularly strict. If you are sharing a meal with more traditional people, try to always eat with your right hand. I am actually left-handed and sometimes I forget about it and Saudi has been the only place where the locals got a bit upset when they saw me eating with my left hand.

Don’t travel to Saudi during the holy month of Ramadan – During Ramadan, the law is really extreme in Saudi, so all business will be closed during day time.

All my travel guides to Saudi Arabia

Places to visit in Saudi Arabia – 2-week itinerary 9 Misconceptions about solo female travel in Saudi How to visit Riyadh in 3 days Is it ethical to visit Saudi as a tourist?

And here you can find all my articles and guides to the Middle East. 

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