The Hiker’s Maxim: “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time (J.K.).”
A week ago, the leader of expat bloggers in Riyadh, The Pink Tarha, posted this newly discovered nature spot in Al Dulum called “The Hidden Canyon” 130 kilometers from the capital city. Weekend sightseers, Filipino expats in particular, have been buzzing around the place since.
I and a friend were fortunate to have been invited by Sir Joel Acosta (IG: zanjo_fakz) of Cameraderie Photography Club International to join him in disrobing the place’s exalted grandeur and simplicity. The two-hour drive to Al Dulum is one of the most exciting trips in Stories of The Wandering Feet & Mind‘s travel diary to date. Who wouldn’t think about photographing and writing a story about or make a note of this fresh tourist gem’s dramatic landscape, majestic escarpments, orange hues, and turquoise water that are tucked away below the deserts of Al Dulum.
As a travel blogger, I have always wished for a compact camera equipped with DSLR capabilities that I can slide into my pocket whenever travel or nature’s booty calls like this trip. I’m a supporter of travel(ing) light. My current AI Wander Buddy is a Nikon 5200, which is bulky and prevents me from constantly carrying it. I’m glad to have come across Light.co‘s The Light L16 Camera and would be relieved if I could have one soon. With a massive 52 megapixel resolution, over 5x optical zoom, unmatched low-light performance, precise depth-of-field control, automatic over-the-air updates, and social sharing feats, you will want to pick it up and shoot pictures with it—right away! This cutie has enough to impress travel photographers like me.
I’m truly honored to be part of Light.co‘s #VantagePoint Project on Pinterest.
On a side note, let’s not forget to respect the place by disposing our garbage properly. This is the least that we could do to give back to such a beautiful place—absolutely free for consumption.
This “vantage point” didn’t only provide me with a decent view of The Hidden Canyon’s main attraction, it also opened my eyes to the truth that exploiting a place is a double-edged sword.
In a country whose tourism is, for lack of a better way to put it, just getting started, there’s so much that could be discovered. This may have favorable and unfavorable consequences to the host but, I believe, it’s always altruistic to share something beautiful.
The above photo is a hand-held shot taken at F11, 400-sec exposure, and ISO 800.
The Hidden Canyon will surely become one of the most sought after weekend getaway destinations in Riyadh if not the Kingdom from here on out.
Wanna stop buzzing around and see the place for yourself instead?
The Eco-Warrior’s Creed: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”
Below are the details you need to get to The Hidden Canyon:
- Address: 16382, Saudi Arabia
- Coordinates: 23.910811,46.939980
- Map
Related Articles
Saudi Arabia’s largest cultural, sports and entertainment city (arabnews.com)
Ten Beautiful Place To Discover in Riyadh’s Desert (blueabaya.com)
The Hidden Canyon of Saudi Arabia (mikelchuamendoza.blogspot.com)
STORIES OF THE WANDERING FEET & MIND 
Looks gorgeous! If only I was able to visit Saudi 😞
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That’s cute and I like it. Who knows? Maybe one day. Anyway, gleaning from your travels, you have been to places I could only see in my dreams too. 😇
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Wow, great pic! So blessed of you to see that. I can only wish. I can’t go out on weekends 😦
Just like you, I travel light. So these days, I don’t bring my DSLR anymore. I just rely on my phone.
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Salamat, Beth. Iba pag galing sayo ang compliment. Sayang naman at di ka puwede ng weekends. Would like to think ngayon lang yan. Let’s promote light traveling. Regards to your beautiful family.
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‘the place’s exalted grandeur and simplicity’ What a wonderful description of such a place. A place can be both at the same time – magnificent enough to make you go speechless for the beauty that it is, but also simple enough to make you realise a lot of things in life are trivial and that the simple things are the best things.
Very lucky discovery along with your buddies, Sony. It looks like it was worth the two hour drive and that shot is magnificent. So crisp, so sharp, and so full of colour and life. That water looks so clear and inviting. I’m guessing a water and sun-lover yourself was wanting to dive right in.
I’ve never heard about Light.co‘s cameras. I Googled and wow, it is all sold out until later this year. Impressive and will check it out, thanks for sharing 🙂 Like you, I would much rather carry around a smaller camera than a big one. Three years ago I bought a mirrorless SLR camera. Too bulky for my liking so after a few months, I bought a Canon G7X; it is a compact point and shoot with manual mode, capable of doing long exposures very nicely too. It cost quite a lot but I never looked back and I have not touched my bigger camera since (and now I am selling it) 🙂
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I think Light.co is new in the camera biz but they’re making a name as we speak. I was honored to have collaborated with them through their #VantagePoint project on Pinterest. It’s part of their new product’s campaign. I wish I could buy one soon.
The Hidden Canyon here in Saudi is far smaller compared to that of Arizona’s; nevertheless, the inspiration and awe it gives to travelers and tourists are as grand as Grand Canyon’s.
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Nice post
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Awesome post. Really like it. We are also working on a new travel blog. Check our posts at http://namastevizag.com/NV/destinations?id=1eff9cfe-a0100040-1e6d1a89-f51495d1 Follow us if you find it interesting.
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