Laura Alho
@blueabaya
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Founder:1st Travel Blog in KSA 2010 | Explorer | Saudi Tourism Pioneer | Wanderlust Awards Travel Media Influencer of the Year’21 https://t.co/HacCEXx0ia
#ExploreArabia
Joined March 2011
"A Finnish woman's mission to show the world Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage gems". #sauditourism #explorearabia #saudiarabia .
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Rijal Alma’a by night. The sights, scents and smiles at #Flowerman Festival are all-encompassing. #alsoudahseason #sauditourism #explorearabia #asir
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Lunch above the clouds from the top of Saudi Arabia on Al Soudah mountain. #alsoudah #explorearabia #visitsaudi
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Who needs a summer vacation in Europe when it's cooler in #Saudi Arabia 😀. Hiking in fresh mountain air on al Soudah mountain at elevation of 3000m. This hiking trail is part of @AlsoudahSeason activities starting 1st August . #explorearabia #sauditourism #sustainabletourism
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Happy 90th #SaudiNationalDay .This is my 13th year to celebrate the National day as resident of the Kingdom 🇸🇦. Very proud of where we are today and how far this nation has become! The sky is the limit for #KSA 🇸🇦💚. #اليوم_الوطني_السعودي
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Living with the locals on a coffee farm in the mountains of Al Reeth. The rain is our shower, the farm is our source of food, the mountain provides us shelter and refuge. Most importantly, nature connects us, and strangers become friends for life. #explorearabia #janub #Saudi
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Alarabiya published this article about me saying I'm a tourist who visited Saudi Arabia but I've called Saudi home for 11 years and explored all corners of the Kingdom. @AlArabiya .
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Hello from Rijal Alma'a, Saudi Arabia. Such a unique and magical place!. The #FlowermanFestival will be held here from 12th to 31st August as part of the @AlsoudahSeason . #AlSoudahSeason #sauditourism
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Congratulations to #AlUla and #SaudiArabia for hosting the #GCCSummit41 at #Maraya today!. #القمة_الخليجية_الـ41 .#القمة_الخليجية_في_العل
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#Maraya hall, rising from the sands of Ashar valley in #AlUla like a mirage, has won a prestigious @Architizer Award in the category Architecture + Glass. Well deserved recognition for an architectural wonder which creates awe and inspiration from every angle💎. #WonderofArabia
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Happy #saudinationalday91 #SaudiArabia 91 years 🇸🇦. My 14th year to celebrate #SaudiNationalDay in #KSA . #Maraya #AlUla
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Professor Hannu Alho visited #Saudi Arabia from Finland for #AdDiriyahEPrix last weekend. I took him to my favorite place in the beautiful Saudi desert-sadly we found lots of trash.I hope his words can inspire others like he has inspired me since I was a kid. #leavenotrace #ksa
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How to zipline at 3000m altitude on top of Saudi Arabia 😄 . This activity and many other exciting adrenaline inducing activities are available at @AlsoudahSeason . Yalla what are you waiting for? . #alsoudahseason #sauditourism
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Beautiful! .Saudi flag on Matterhorn mountain. @zermatt_tourism spreading hope around the world 🙏🏼
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Spot the baby camels 😍. This meadow is just outside of #Riyadh- everywhere in the desert is really green right now! . #explorearabia #saudi #ksa
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Exploring The Red Sea- from above and under the surface. Which view do you like more? . 📍Iona wreck reef, Yanbu 🇸🇦.#explorearabia #sauditourism #yanbu #freediving
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Breakfast like back in the day at a Bedouin camp, listening to Rababah player sing traditional love songs. #MorningsinAlUla #ValentinesinAlUla #JourneyThroughTime .#ExperienceAlUla #WinterAtTantora
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My niece is visiting Saudi for the first time and her wish was to go swim in the ocean. So I took all 4 kids and my mom to the Red Sea. We spent 6 days days on different beaches around #Jeddah swimming, snorkeling, boating, free diving and fishing.
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Driving around #AlUla with mom looking at fun rock formations, this is sitting camel rock and sad face rock 😀
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First ever wingsuit jump in Saudi Arabia down from al Soudah mountain! .Chris Byrnes -world's fastest wingsuit jumper landed safely down at Rijal Alma'a after flying at 250km/h speed down the valley. #alsoudahseason .#adrenaline
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Sharing some of my favorite #SaudiTourism experiences for .World Tourism Day #WTD2020 . #SaudiArabia .#SharedCulture.#ExploreArabia
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Can't get over the beauty of this place! . 📍Rijal Alma'a Heritage Village, .Asir 🇸🇦. #alsoudahseason #FlowerManFestival #explorearabia #sauditourism @AlsoudahSeason
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Last day in KSA with my mom and nieces! They really wanted to see camels up close and the desert so I took them quad biking on Red Sand dunes, fossil hunting at Tuwaiq escarpment and stopped by a camel farm to mingle with camels. They loved it- despite the 50c heat 😅
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#SaudiArabia has been my second home country for 13 years. The place in #KSA that reminds me most of Finland are the misty forests of #Asir region. You can take the Finn out of Finland but surely they’ll always find their way back to a forest! 🌳 . AlSoudah #عسير .📷: @KAKSksa
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الكلاب تنبح والقافلة تسير. The dogs bark and the caravan moves on.
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🔹11 years in #KSA. 🔹9 years of Blue Abaya blog #Saudi Arabia’s first English language travel blog . 🔹8 years on @twitter today . #MyTwitterAnniversary #explorearabia #DiscoverAlUla
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Seeing women driving (especially on highways outside city and off-road in desert) is still very rare in KSA. I get men following my car and creating dangerous situations on highways because they try to snapchat me driving or just want to stare. This car is one such example
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Hot Air Balloon Festival in #AlUla starting this weekend! . Watch the sun rising over #UNESCO Heritage site Hegra among 100 hot air balloons 🎈. #WinterAtTantora .#experiencealula
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Driving inside clouds! One of my favorite things to do in Southern parts of #KSA where this phenomenon is common in various mountainous areas. I’ve never experienced a similar phenomenon quite like this elsewhere in the world! . #sauditourism #janub #explorearabia
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Contemplating the beauty of #Asir landscape. 📍al Soudah, #Saudi Arabia . #explorearabia #sauditourism #alsoudahseason #ksa
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Blue and White moments to celebrate Finland’s 104th Independence Day 🇫🇮💙. #FinlandinSaudiArabia #AlUlaMoments
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Went to see this heritage village in Ahad Rafidah, unfortunately it was closed, but the family nearby invited our whole group of 35 people for lunch and opened their grandfathers traditional house for us to see inside. A wonderful example of Saudi hospitality! Shukran jazilan🙏🏼
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An evening in Bujairy square, Diriyah. My nieces visited #KSA from Finland and they really loved it!They might be a bit lucky their aunt acted as personal tour guide for three weeks 😉 I planned something new everyday #KSA . #Riyadh #explorearabia #sauditourism #visitsaudi
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#WelcomeToArabia . Are you ready to explore the World’s Best Kept Secret? . #ExploreArabia #sauditourism #Saudi_Tourist_visa #ExperienceAlUla
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Can't get over the wonder of Maraya! With the newly added mirrors in the front it's even more fascinating. #winterattantora #SaudiaArabia
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Happy Heart Day from #Saudi deserts! . #HappyValentinesDay2021 #NEOM #Tabuk #AlUla #heart #lovinsaudi
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Happy National Day Saudi Arabia! Wearing white and green this week to celebrate #saudinationalday90 . #اليوم_الوطني_السعودي90
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#WelcomeToArabia . Are you ready to find yourself inside a fairytale? . #ExploreArabia #sauditourism #Saudi_Tourist_visa
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#Flowerman Festival at Rijal Alma’a heritage village. All the guests I’ve taken there were absolutely blown away by this event! . Last day of festival 31st August 🌹. #alsoudahseason #SaudiArabia #sauditourism #explorearabia
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Took kids hiking to a place I call the Heart Canyon outside Riyadh. How do I find these places? I spend a lot of time scouting potential locations on google earth,lots of off-roading +hiking trying to find a route there. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t 😀 #explorearabia
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Just when you thought you’ve seen it all. Al Ula surprises you with a waterfall rushing down a mountain full of ancient inscriptions. #DiscoverAlUla #WinterAtTantora #explorearabia
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Went to Bisht Souk. Bought a blue bisht. Here's how you wear it #likeaboss . More Info on Bisht Souk here:
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The Dancing Rocks- simply captivating from all angles. 📍#AlUla, #SaudiArabia 🇸🇦 . #explorearabia .#experiencealula .#visitsaudi
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A mirage in the desert? . This is ‘Maraya’ concert hall in al Ula. It mirrors the surrounding desert and from inside you can view the rocks around you while listening to world class performers like @Yanni and @AndreaBocelli. Simply spectacular! . #WinterAtTantora #explorearabia
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Bungee jump from top of #Saudi Arabia in the most breathtaking scenery! . An experience not to be missed 👍🏼. #alsoudahseason @AlsoudahSeason #sauditourism
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Saudi National Day Air Show in #Riyadh by @saudihawks 🇸🇦. Proud to be a part of the movement towards a great future ahead in the Kingdom!. #saudinationalday91
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Stepping into infinity room by Yayoi Kusama- part of @NoorRiyadhFest at KAFD. #riyadh #RiyadhArt #NoorRiyadh #NoorRiyadhFestival
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Eid Mubarak from al Soudah mountain! . Had a great time at Red Rock! You can book a trip there through @AlsoudahSeason. #EidAdhaMubarak #alsoudahseason
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I'd like to express my thanks to Moroor traffic office in #Riyadh today for a job well done. The process of converting foreign license to #Saudi one and the driving test went smoothly-all very well organized. Everyone was friendly, supportive and smiling! #historyinthemaking #ksa
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Exploring new places after the rains and stumbled upon a lake formed by rain water! . #AlUla #ExploreArabia
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Before the Storm. Shot these scenes during an impending thunderstorm yesterday in desert. Edited the video in car on way back to city 👍🏼. #Riyadh #explorearabia #ksa
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Extremely proud of #SaudiArabia’s #G20 presidency and how far the Kingdom has come. #AlUla, the crown Jewel of Saudi tourism and a destination that should be on everyone’s radar, is one of the most exciting tourism projects in the world right now. #G20SaudiArabia
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Sam Kolder is mind blown at #AlUla Hot Air Balloon Festival. Book online: @WinterAtTantora .@ExperienceAlUla #WinterAtTantora
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My father Professor Hannu Alho came all the way from Finland to visit #AlUla and experience @WinterAtTantora festival. He was really impressed about all the developments and loved AlUla so much he didn’t want to leave!. #WinterAtTantora #experiencealula
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Amazing light at Jebel al Fil, .Elephant Rock in #Alula, #Saudi Arabia. #discoveralula #explorearabia #sauditourism #winterattantora
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THREAD: Which #Saudi heritage village is this? . Note: all located in Najd region . Quiz starting out with an easy one- name this:
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#WelcomeToArabia . Are you ready to explore the hidden gems of Arabia? . #ExploreArabia #sauditourism
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Thrilling zip line at 3000 meters on top of al Soudah mountain! . A must try! Tickets 150SAR at @AlsoudahSeason or online through Soudah Seasons site. #alsoudahseason #asir #sauditourism
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Watch @BBCTravelShow coverage from #AlUla .on @BBCWorld news this week. Here some behind the scenes shots of @rajandatar exploring #AlUla’s diverse landscape and its rich history, spanning through thousands of years. #explorearabia #experiencealula
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Visited a 200 yr old date farm in the heart of Historical Diriyah. King Saud used to spend time resting at the traditional mud house. Felt like stepping into a secret garden in the middle of #Riyadh! So peaceful and green. Thank you al Shalhoub family for the warm hospitality.
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AlUla Valley. A magical landscape surrounded by archeological treasures and ancient wonders. #AlUla #explorearabia #visitsaudi #winterattantora . 📍
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Fresh air, amazing views, great workout - #AlUla Bike Park by Warrior Group ⭐️👌🏼. Tickets 75sar for 2 hrs:
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The Lion Tombs, also known as Khuraybah site. The Dedan Kingdom chose this red mountain face in al Ula valley to carve their tombs in. It’s not hard to imagine why they chose this fantastically beautiful spot!. #WinterAtTantora #alula #SaudiArabia
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#SaudiNationalDay .May you rise to new heights 💚. #KSA.#saudinationalday90 .#اليوم_الوطني_السعودي_ال90
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AlUla has been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2023 by @cntraveller . Full list of the most awe-inspiring places on the planet here: . #WonderoftheWorld #AlUla
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Something you didn't expect to see in Saudi Arabia! 65 hot air balloons in the sky at Balloon Festival at Al Ula! . Check out @winterattantora for more info! . #winterattantora .#discoveralula .#explorearabia
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Al Soudah Smiles! . @kristinewanders .@EUintheGCC .@FinlandinKSA .Visiting @AlsoudahSeason . #sauditourism #explorearabia
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Winter evening in #AlUla . #explorearabia #ksa #saudiwinter . #الشتاء_حولك.#الثلج_حولك.#شتاء_السعودية
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When life gives you rain, go chase after waterfalls! At least if you live in the desert! . 📍Jebel Ikhmah, #AlUla 🇸🇦.📷:@blueabaya
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Crystal clear waters of Red Sea. One of the top locations in the world for diving, reefs are in great condition and marine life is abundant. KSA's coastline is not effected by overtourism. Let's keep it this way! . I shot these north of #Jeddah. #explorearabia #sauditourism
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When in #Abha. always wear a flower crown🌸😁👍🏼 . And a jacket. had to borrow one from a friend- mine wasn't enough! I can't believe I'd say I'm freezing in Saudi Arabia in July. Incredible! . 📍Aziz Cafe traditional house, #Soudah 🇸🇦. @AlsoudahSeason starting soon!
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Wonderful Memories and new friends made in magical al Ula! . Thank you to Yanni and his team! . #WinterAtTantora #DiscoverAlUla
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#KSA Travel Bucket list for 2021:. 1. Watch the sunset from the highest peak of #Saudi Arabia on #AlSoudah mountain ⛰ . #explorearabia .#BUCKETLIST2021
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Kids #ExperienceAlUla at #desertxalula . Immersed in nature, art and creativity. Visit during #WinteratTantora until 7th March
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Reflections at Tomb of Lihyan Son of Kuza. Which one is your favorite? . #Hegra #AlUla #explorearabia @BadrFAlSaud @alula_city1 @ExperienceAlUla @alulaphoto @aborakanalmsood @malateeq3 @almoraizeeq @Aisha90__
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Weekend desert campout trip- it was hot but we got up at 5 am and climbed on top of this mountain- views to remember for a lifetime. #explorearabia #SaudiArabia
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Saudi Arabia’s official color for “red carpet” is purple, which represents the lavender flower fields of the deserts of Arabia. This stunning purple carpet can be found at Residence of France in #Riyadh @FranceinKSA @ludovic_pouille
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Standing on top of the clouds at Jebel al Soudah, the highest point in Saudi Arabia. #explorearabia #sauditourism #AlsoudahSeason . You can visit this spot during @AlsoudahSeason starting 1st August 🌹
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