Red Sands in Riyadh is very famous for a lot of locals and expatriates as their weekend getaway. This desert covers a huge land area that is surrounded by mountains. Looking around, it looks like a valley hidden from the city. The color and texture of the sand is so surreal that it looks like a painted image right in front of your eyes! 
We came from a long 10-hour drive in Jeddah to visit this place. It is more practical to visit in the afternoon around 3 pm because that’s where the sunlight is not too strong. There is a long array of ATV operators in the entrance (well, actually there is no gate) so you’ll have to ask around first and bargain a price before you decide to rent one. For us 4 adults and 2 children, we were able to get four ATV’s at 40 Saudi Riyals (11 USD) each for 1 hour.
Knowing the strict clothing rules for women in this country, surprisingly, abayas are not required in this area. I was with a friend together with his family (wife and two kids) and she took off her abaya whiled driving the ATV with her daughter riding with her at the front. Sunset is also one of the reasons why this place is a perfect spot for #silhouette shots! No advanced settings or filters needed. Just point and shoot! Do the photo enhancement and editing later when you get home, so you can take your time driving your ATV on this curvy slopes!
We left this majestic landscape at around 6:30 pm while the sun is a bit shy to disappear. We still see some ATV riders going on from one peak to another. We could do that, but we have little kids with us and it wouldn’t be safe to roam around the desert at night without street lamps (although ATVs have headlamps). If you happen to work or live in Saudi Arabia, you need to experience this once and for all!
Stay tuned for more of my blog posts! Ciao! 
