The travel edit: Five bucket list experiences you shouldn’t miss

From treks in lunar-like landscapes and lush green mountains to tours through ancient, open-air art galleries and bird watching in the world’s largest oasis, Saudi has so many bucket list experiences that your biggest dilemma during any trip will be working out which one to tick off first. Here’s our guide to five of the best…

Al-Wahbah Crater

Once thought to have been caused by a meteorite crashing to earth, but more likely to have been the result of a volcanic eruption, the lunar-like Al-Wahbah Crater, about a two-hour drive north of Taif, is one of Saudi’s most spectacular natural wonders.

Easily accessible from the road, visitors can take a three-hour hike around the rim, which affords glorious views of the desert, or trek 250-metres down to the pearly lake in the basin, which takes about 45 minutes. Try to go early morning or late afternoon when it’s cooler.

For a more other-worldly experience, you can camp overnight in the lava fields surrounding the crater and indulge in a spot of stargazing. Operators including Arabian Camp organise overnight trips.

Ain Heet Cave

With an entrance shaped like a giant eye (hence the name ‘ain’, which means eye in Arabic), Ain Heet Cave in the Al-Jubail Mountain is famed for its limestone formations and a deep underground reservoir, where you can take a dip in the crystal-clear water.

You need to scramble over sharp, loose boulders to reach the bottom of the cave and it’s a steep climb back up, so trainers or hiking boots and a sense of adventure are a must. Also, take a torch and plenty of water.

Ain Heet is only 40kms from Riyadh and several companies, including Musement, offer five-hour tours with hotel pick-ups.

Jubbah Rock Carvings

You’ll feel like you’re walking through ancient times visiting the Rock Carvings of Jubbah, one of Saudi’s oldest and most interesting open-air art galleries.

The petroglyphs of ibex, oryx and camels, weapons and human figures, inscribed onto the rocks of the Nefud desert up to 9,000 years ago, give a fascinating insight into what life was like in the Pottery Neolithic Period.

Jubbah lies about 100kms northwest of Ha’il, from where you can arrange day trips.

Hike above the clouds in the Arabian Highlands

Sitting at more than 3,133 metres above sea level, Jabal…