The park ...

Coming from Europe I love the countryside. Thinking about the desert I could only imagine sand ... and more sand and maybe a piece of dry grass here and there. Don't be afraid that you will be stuck in a giant sand box craving greenery because there is plenty of it to feast your eyes on and relax yourself on and under.
You can imagine my happiness when I found some beautiful parks and picnic areas not a long drive away from me.

The first is in an older part of the city called Diriyah. Driving there you come through fresh green sandy lanes with palms and long grass on either side.(looks a bit muddy here but that's cos we had some big rain and a car was behind us otherwise I would have got a better shot)

Old houses, enormous mansion, farms and complexes for the rich and famous. They must also want to enjoy the beauty of this area. Behind some lovely weathered houses hides a 150 year old mosque, still standing strong mashaallah.
In this part of the city there are several options for the picnic fans.
Option 1: on the side of the roads which aren't too busy there are areas of grass, paths, stone areas and if it has rained water areas too lol. Many like to sit away from the road with their picnics (Arab picnic where they bring everything but the kitchen sink, not the European picnic)
Option 2: There is a dry river bed, doesn't sound very nice, but actually is an interesting view. Along this is a family friendly set up of segregated sections, made by bushes separating them. Each section is paved, has an area in the centre for a BBQ and the view in each of these areas is overlooking the river bed/ valley area which is also quite green with meandering paths. Its really nice to sit on a blanket in these areas as there is plenty of space for a family to dine in the shade of a tree and play and women can comfortably take off there niqabs without people oggling them.
Option 3: In the centre of this side of the city are some windy roads and round-abouts. Along these is a lovely park area for children to play, swings, slides, sitting areas for that lovely picnic and enough space to have  a short walk. The old buildings alongside this park are fascinating to view. You could easily be here for a good few hours so come prepared, I saw chairs, cool boxes, tricycles and BBQ's.





This week we went to another brilliant park. Fantasy Land offers everything you need for a brilliant day out. We were only there for a few hours so when we go again I will give a better review inshaallah but it has everything: a green park area, water play area with slides and fountains, a dolphin show, horse and carriage rides and fun fair. You can rent out small lodges to stay in while you are there or even small partially open rooms for when the winter weather is slightly colder. I suggest if you have small kids you bring spare clothes for when it gets a little chillier in the evenings even if you think you might not be there for that long, time flies when you are having fun. You can buy food, drink and lovely snacks so you are well catered for.

This is just a little view of what there is to do here but I'm sure it wont be long till I find out what the other attractions are like.