Deep in the desert of AlUla, a one hour and forty-five -minute flight northwest of Riyadh, unselfconscious whooping echoes around the red-rock canyons of Sharaan Nature Reserve. Local tour operator Pangea Adventures Club packs travelers into luxury off-road vehicles that race and rumble on the unlikeliest of safaris—though the word “safari” should be taken here with a grain of sand. A single ibex might appear on a three-hour drive, but that sprightly little guy represents rewilding in progress. The now-fenced 1,500 kilometers of towering dunes, grassy plateaus, and rocky outcrops are once again home to Idmi gazelle, red-necked ostrich, large-eared red fox, and eventually, the endangered Arabian leopard, native to the peninsula. Some tour guides are descendents of bedouin who camped, and were buried, in this land. They will point out chamomile flowers dotting the landscape, and tell tales of djinn (spirits) haunting the Dancing Rocks, which stand on their own like ballerinas en pointe. Deeper into the reserve are 3,000-year-old rock carvings that depict hunters with spears, camels and horses, just a few of the thousands of petroglyphs in AlUla.); guides point out Thamudic inscriptions that hold significance to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, standing closer than allowed to view a work of art in a museum. There is wonder here, and it won’t be long until a Jean Nouvel–designed resort opens nearby. Until then, intrepid travelers can pass like spirits through the canyons, witnessing untouched physical beauty and raw natural history.
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