Saudi Arabia: Travel Guide (Not Including Makkah)

Excellent.

The immediate first impression when you open this book is - no colour pictures! Although there are lots of photographs and maps they are all in black and white. Then you realise that this is rather an unusual book and not simply a glossy coffee table, travel guide, as it describes itself on the front (coloured) cover.Opening the book to the introduction, the first pages are a list (in reverse order) of the authors favourite places in Saudi, although teasing us with the second one in by then telling us that tourists are advised not to visit the area. It is thus deliberately left off the accompanying map. So, you get the impression that this book is written from the point of view of a local and indeed unlike the usual travel guides the author states that there is not a list of hotels since any list would quickly be out of date.Find your hotel guide elsewhere then. This guide is more a description of places as well as being filled with inciteful minutia about visas, travel, clothing etc. Indeed there is a stress on the right way to behave if you don’t want to offend, from how to eat to what clothing to wear. The author clearly envisages that you will be an intrepid explorer interacting openly with the locals so, the advice is helpful.If you delve deeply into the text you will find more information than you would normally come across in a simple guide and it will help you in planning your own trip. I have yet to put my own planned journey into action, but this guide is already well thumbed in its preparation.I give this 4 stars, why only four? Will there aren’t any colour photographs! I guess we’ll just have to provide our own.

Used the guide for information on the country. Easy reading and good information given