Arabia Group Overland Tour

Guide

Driver & expedition leader included on this tour.

Meals

Eating well is a very important factor on our expeditions and good food is vital for everyone’s health and well-being. When we are camping we usually cook breakfast and the evening meal on the vehicle. For lunch we usually stop at a cheap local restaurant giving you a chance to taste the local fare. Occasionally we may prepare lunch on the vehicle when we are in remote areas.When staying in hotels (usually in cities) we always strive to provide you with one healthy, wholesome and plentiful meal every day, usually breakfast at the hotel. Lunches and evening meals are at your own expense when we stay in hotels. Local food is generally very cheap so if you are on a budget then eat what the locals eat. Western restaurants tend to be more expensive.When it comes to shopping and cooking while camping we will divide ourselves up into groups of 3 or 4 people (depending on group size) who will do their own fresh food shopping, prepare the day’s meals and clean up at the end. This will work out that you roughly get to cook once every 10 days (depending on the group size).Fresh food is generally available daily so when we are camping we try to eat meat and vegetables for every main evening meal. We do cater to vegetarians but we do not cater to vegans or fussiness. In these group situations everybody must appreciate we cannot cater to restrictive diets or individual likes & dislikes.Don’t worry if you are not a gourmet cook as your crew are also always there to give advice.All our vehicles are equipped with cooler boxes which are primarily used for the cook group’s breakfast & dinner food. Personal fresh food & cold drinks can be bought regularly at service station stops throughout the day so we do not provide cooler boxes for personal items.Cleanliness plays an important role throughout this expedition and your crew will make sure an acceptable level of general hygiene is maintained throughout your journey to ensure the wellbeing of the group.

Others

Services of your expedition leader & driverTransportation in an air-conditioned coach & use of all equipmentDiesel, mechanics, shipping and any other costs relating to the vehicleFerry tickets (when travelling together as a group)53 breakfasts & 22 evening mealsAll accommodation costs (60% 3 & 4 star hotels, 40% wild camping)National Park entry fees when we enter as a group with our vehicleLocal transportation costs if required

Transport

We will be travelling in an air-conditioned coach 100% of the time on this expedition.Our coach can accommodate up to 52 passengers although most of our expeditions travel with approximately 25 people.Comfort and safety is of course a big factor during expeditions of this length and nature so all our vehicles have high-backed coach seats with safety belts. The seating is on the upper level of the vehicle giving you an almost 360° view of the surrounding scenery.Our vehicles are designed to allow sufficient luggage storage and are also equipped with lockers to keep all your gear safe.Our long range diesel and water tanks ensure our self sufficiency in remote areas and the equipment we take with us is also of vital importance. In case of a breakdown we are equipped with a good selection of spare parts as well as a comprehensive tool kit to undertake any necessary repairs on our own if we need to.We usually carry 200 litres of treated drinking water and we are equipped with a good kitchen which includes all cutlery, plates, cups, pots, pans, utensils, gas cooker, BBQ grate, etc. for when we prepare meals while camping.All our vehicles are equipped with cooler boxes which are primarily used for the cook group’s breakfast & dinner food. Personal fresh food & cold drinks can be bought regularly at service station stops throughout the day so we do not provide cooler boxes for personal items.Fold up chairs are provided for outdoor seating.We carry a portable shower & shower tent so you can take a shower every day on this tour if you like, even when we are wild camping in remote areas.Our vehicles are equipped with USB charging points only so try and bring all of your important electronic devices such as telephone, tablet & head-torch to charge from a USB socket. We do not have a 120V or 240V power supply on the vehicle but you will have the opportunity to charge your 120/240V electronic equipment at the hotels we stay at.We carry a comprehensive first aid kit for emergencies but we recommend you bring your own for general use.

Accommodation

YYou will spend 60% of the time on this expedition staying in 3 & 4 star hotels and 40% of the time wild camping in your tent.The majority of our wild camp locations are usually very scenic and we always strive to find the perfect spot behind a dune in the desert, on a remote beach, overlooking a canyon, etc. but sometimes we just have to camp wherever we can find a spot.From past experience on expeditions of this length and nature we have found that people prefer to supply their own tents as they are then not forced to share and they can pick a tent that suits their needs. As a general rule, try and choose a good quality lightweight and waterproof free-standing tent that is easy to erect, take down and carry.When we are not wild camping (usually in cities) we always use 3 & 4 star hotels, however, taking into consideration the sometimes unpredictable nature of our expeditions and the remoteness of some of the areas we visit, please be aware that in some circumstances we just have to take what we can get – good or bad. When staying in hotels you can expect to share your room with other expedition members of both sexes.

Flights

No flights included or expected during this tour.

Others

Personal travel insurancePersonal spending money (£120 – £150 per week recommended)Visas (approximately £300 depending on nationality)Lunches & evening meals when in hotelsLunches when campingAccommodation upgradesEntrance fees to optional sites and national parksAny optional activitiesInternational & domestic flights (no domestic flights expected during tour)Tent, roll mat, sleeping bag & pillowTips (USD $100 per crew member recommended)

Optional

Below is a list of the most popular optional excursions along with the most recent prices. Prices can of course change and are not controlled in any way by Madventure so please use the list below as an approximate guide only.United Arab EmiratesBurj Khalifa entry & elevator to viewing platform £50Jubail Mangrove Park £4Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque FreeLouvre Art Gallery Abu Dhabi £13Emirates National Auto Museum £12Al Ain fort FreeAl Ain Palace museum FreeAl Ain camel market £8 OmanSulaif Castle FreeAl Ayn Beehive Tombs FreeJabreen Castle £7Bahla Fort £1Wadi Ghul Balcony Walk FreeAl Hootah Cave £16Nizwa Fort £11Frankincense grove FreeWadi Darbat FreeRas al Jinz Turtle Reserve £17Sur dhow boat building yard £2Wadi Shab ferry £2Sultan Qaboos Mosque FreeNational museum £10Nakhal Fort £3 QatarSouq Waqif FreeMuseum of Islamic Art FreeNational Museum of Qatar £11 BahrainNational museum £2Beit Al Quran Free KuwaitGrand Mosque FreeKuwait Towers £1Tareq Rajab Museum £1Scientific Centre & Aquarium £20 Saudi ArabiaAl-Qarah Hill £11Buraidah camel market FreeUshaiger Heritage Village FreeEdge of the World £70At-Turaif open-air museum £22Riyadh National Museum £2Masmak Fortress FreeMurabba Palace £2Kingdom Tower elevator to viewing platform £15Al Habala village FreeAl Yanfa village FreeMt Soudah FreeRijal Almaa £5Farasan Islands return ferry FreeAl Balad old town FreeWahaba Crater FreeMedina hop-on hop-off bus £18Elephant Rock, AlUla FreeLion Tombs of Dedan, AlUla £14Old Town, AlUla £16Madain Saleh, AlUla £22Jubbah Rock Art Free JordanAmman Citadel £3Roman Theatre £2Jerash £10

Insurance

It is compulsory that every person who travels with Madventure obtain travel insurance for the complete duration of the tour. Proof of travel insurance must be shown before joining a tour.You may be covered under your credit card’s travel insurance so it might be worth checking with your credit card provider first.There are various travel insurance companies to choose from and a Google search will bring up a vast selection but for a comprehensive reliable policy that includes Covid Cover and Medical Repatriation we recommend a London based company named Campbell Irvine, Telephone: +44 20 7938 1734, https://microsite.campbellirvinedirect.com/madventure/. They are familiar with what we do so if you mention Madventure and the tour you are travelling on they should be able to provide excellent cover for you.For people based in North America a company called Allianz offers good cover – Telephone: +1 866 884 3556, www.allianztravelinsurance.comIf you choose to obtain your travel insurance through another company please ensure you read the small-print and make sure your policy includes Covid Cover and Medical Repatriation.