Desert Treks from Riyadh has long been the standard bestseller for desert travel from Riyadh. While it has never ceased to be used by intrepid travellers in the years since it was first printed, Desert Treks from Riyadh itself is now hard to find and its directions need updating with so many developments on the ground around Riyadh.
We are fortunate in that Ellie Whittaker and her husband, also long-term residents of Riyadh, have travelled every route in Desert Treks from Riyadh and updated every direction, and, most importantly, have added GPS coordinates to every destination. In addition to that, Jim Stabler has updated his excellent maps.
So we are republishing Desert Treks from Riyadh with Ionis Thompson's trip descriptions also brought more up-to-date, to encourage the modern trekker to explore further the lovely wadis, sand dunes and ancient sites that lie within reach of the city of Riyadh.
Ionis Thompson, a long-term resident of Saudi Arabia, spent a considerable amount of time exploring the desert around Riyadh and beyond. A key figure in regional desert exploration, she charted her discoveries and led countless expeditions substantially expanding the small pool of practical knowledge that existed up until publication of the first edition of this travel classic. Today she is retired and lives in the UK, but maintains a close interest in the Middle East. She is the secretary of the Society of Arabian Studies.