Saudi Arabia (Bradt Travel Guides)

I took a holiday trip to Saudi Arabia in middle of 2023. I had previously purchased Edwards' "Working and Living" book and loved it. Unfortunately this book was published yet. While I was in SA I stopped into a couple of bookstores hoping to find a tourist guide, but there was nothing available. I wish it had been available before I left. I bought this guide because I like to relive a little of my trips. There is so much to see and it changes all the time. Google Maps helped me navigate, and websites were often "hopeful" instead of accurate. If you only rely on Maps or websites, you miss the history and the rich culture from each area. Edwards does a great job of covering the big picture of being a tourist for each area of the Kingdom. She gives guidance on how to navigate the constant changing nature of tourism in the Kingdom. Remember, the details will change but the wealth of information about the culture and the history contained in this book is like having a friend whose been there give you advice. Again, I really wish I had been able to take this book with me. Enjoy your trip to Saudi!

I found this guide to be informative, interesting, and helpful for planning travel in Saudi. It is an excellent source for what to see and do in the Kingdom and how to get from place to place. There are also clear explanations of area customs travelers should to be aware of and respect. As a female traveler, I especially love that the guide was written by a woman who has traveled in Saudi herself over a span of many years ... very helpful insights.

Alles was man wissen will - und muss. Der erste echte Reiseführer für Saudi Arabien und gleich in dieser Qualität - Nobelpreisverdächtig!

Amazing, Grace. First, I so thoroughly enjoyed the historical and contextual information. For me, understanding the roots of a culture, traditions, and even the architecture and design of cities is fascinating. Most important, I found the book to be an indispensable guide. I used it to create my itineraries and found the descriptions and the advice to be spot on. I enjoyed reading about other parts of Saudi I wasn't able to visit and through the descriptions felt I experienced them in some small way. The book is well written and easy to read. I've seldom felt as prepared to visit someplace new to me in knowing where to go, how to travel, and how to be respectful of the great people I got to visit.

So richtig glücklich wird man mit diesem Reiseführer aus dem von mir grundsätzlich sehr geschätzten Bradt-Verlag nicht. In weiten Teilen sind die Infos zu den einzelnen Zielen, vor allem was Transportmöglichkeiten betrifft, sehr rudimentär und man muss sich schon intensiv - auch aus anderen Quellen - vorbereiten. Ich denke, dass sich der Autor redlich bemüht hat, es aber wohl schwer war, im sich erst langsam dem Tourismus öffnenden Saudi-Arabien, die entsprechenden Infos zusammenzutragen. Kann, ja muss man kaufen, wenn man dorthin reisen will - es gibt nämlich keinen anderen (besseren) Reiseführer für dieses Land.

Grace Edward’s’ Saudi Arabia is a fantastic guide. I had been to Saudi many times, years ago. The guide opened up Saudi again for me and helped me connect with new places there and understand places I had visited before in new and interesting ways. Highly recommend.

Having travelled with this travel guide around Saudi Arabia, I have to admit that I was quite disappointed with the book. It was not very useful - hotels and restaurants change quickly and there is not much need for them in a guide book in this day and age where the internet offers more and better information. What would have been nice though would have been more and better information on sights, events and interesting facts, but that information was, unfortunately, rather weak. All in all, it seems a rather superficial, quickly cobbled together book...