00:00Soy Lili Douse y este es Grand Voyager.
00:04Desde mi base en Qatar,
00:07he viajado el mundo para descubrir increíbles lugares
00:10filled con cultura,
00:11luxury
00:12y aventura.
00:13En el camino,
00:15me encuentro la gente,
00:16entro el sabor,
00:17y experimento los momentos
00:19que hacen cada destination
00:21unforgettable.
00:22Hoy,
00:28me voy a un lugar donde la historia,
00:30la historia y la luxury
00:32se juntan.
00:33Un short flighto de Qatar.
00:35Dariya es una de las ciudades más importantes
00:39históricas,
00:40el lugar donde la historia de la historia
00:43se empezó.
00:44En su corazón,
00:45está Taref,
00:46un sitio que once servía
00:48como la capital de la primera
00:50desde el primer estado de Saudi.
00:52Knado como la ciudad de Ur
00:54por su distintiva
00:55mudbrick arquitectura,
00:56es construida
00:57de la tierra
00:58de la tierra
00:59de la tierra.
01:00Estoy aquí para descubrir
01:01la belleza de la tierra
01:02de la naturaleza
01:03de la naturaleza
01:04de la naturaleza
01:05y explorar
01:06lo que hace
01:07este lugar
01:08truly
01:09maravilloso.
01:10Para empezar mi viaje,
01:12he planeado a conocer
01:13Sara Al-Frayan,
01:14a guide de la cultura
01:15con una gran passion
01:16de la cultura
01:17de la cultura.
01:18Sara,
01:19thank you so much
01:20for showing me around
01:21today.
01:22This is incredible.
01:23Please explain
01:24a little bit
01:25about this place.
01:26First of all,
01:27I'm delighted to have you here today,
01:28Lili,
01:29in the Dariya.
01:30We are now
01:31in the Taref district.
01:32As you can see,
01:33it's actually have
01:34the real culture
01:35of Najdi,
01:36architectural
01:37and authenticity
01:38of our traditions.
01:40Also, at Taref,
01:41it's gained the world
01:43UNESCO recognition
01:44for this site.
01:45At Taref spans 160,000 square metres
01:49and is one of the largest
01:50heritage restoration projects
01:52in the region.
01:54Wandering through its walkways
01:56and courtyards with Sara,
01:57I can almost picture what life
01:59was once like here.
02:00This district was home to mosques,
02:03schools and family houses,
02:05a thriving community long before Riyadh
02:07became the nation's capital.
02:09At its centre stands
02:12Salwa Palace,
02:13the largest structure
02:14in At Taref.
02:16This is one of the important places
02:19that you should see.
02:20This wasn't only a residential home
02:22for the ruler.
02:23It was actually the administrative
02:26and the political centre
02:28from the first Saudi state.
02:30That is incredible.
02:32What an amazing building.
02:34At Taref gives a real glimpse
02:36into Saudi Arabia's past.
02:38Fully restored,
02:40yet still full of life
02:41and tradition.
02:43Close by,
02:45that same heritage continues
02:47in a different way,
02:48through food.
02:49Sara has invited me
02:51to a local restaurant
02:52to try some authentic Saudi flavours.
02:54Here, traditional dishes
02:57are given a modern touch.
02:59It's a perfect way
03:00to end my experience with Sara.
03:02Let me do that for you, Lily.
03:06I want to take care of you today
03:08and to welcome you to our signature dishes.
03:13Thank you so much.
03:14You truly have welcomed me
03:16and sharing food with you is incredible.
03:18Why is food such an important part
03:20of the Arabic culture?
03:21Actually, you know,
03:22the food is representing the culture
03:24and the customs of the people.
03:26And the hospitality is actually very important
03:29to us in Saudi Arabia.
03:31It actually comes from the soul.
03:33Saudi warmth is about more
03:35than just generosity.
03:36It's deeply rooted in the culture.
03:39The food and Sara's kindness
03:41reflect the spirit
03:42that defines life here.
03:44After an incredible meal,
03:46I'm heading off to see another side of Daria.
03:52Not far from here lies Wadi Safar,
03:54a wide open valley set to become
03:56one of the most exciting new destinations
03:58in the region.
04:01The clubhouses and academy buildings
04:03are inspired by traditional architecture,
04:05blending local heritage
04:07with contemporary design.
04:09My coach today is Callum,
04:10an experienced golf instructor,
04:12and we're starting with some practice
04:14at the club's brand new driving range.
04:17Hello, Callum.
04:18It's such a pleasure to meet you.
04:20Good morning, Lily.
04:21Lovely to have you.
04:22I'm so excited to be here.
04:23What is in store for me today?
04:25So in store we have a warm-up area
04:27on the driving range first
04:28before we head over to the putting green,
04:30get a little practice there
04:31and then we're going to head out
04:32on the academy course for some golf.
04:34This sport is all about
04:36precision and patience.
04:38And with Callum's help,
04:39I'm hoping to get the hang of it.
04:41How we would hold the club first, okay?
04:43So the left hand would go at the top of the golf club
04:45with our left thumb running down towards the club head.
04:48Next would be aim.
04:49So this part of the golf club here
04:51is the club face, okay?
04:52So that's an important part,
04:53especially when we're aiming for a certain target.
04:56So what we're looking for
04:57is to line the centre of the club face up
04:59to the intended target line on the driving range.
05:02There's a lot to think about.
05:03How to hold the club,
05:04how to line it up,
05:05and how to stay loose and relaxed.
05:08As I become more confident,
05:10Callum shows me how to bring it all together.
05:13When we put that back down
05:14and we take that stronger grip,
05:16that's what it's called.
05:17Yeah.
05:18When you make your motion off the swing,
05:19the club face is then squarer
05:21at the point of impact.
05:22Okay.
05:23Grip's looking good.
05:25Now just focus your eyes on that golf ball.
05:27Keep that head nice and still
05:28and strike down towards the ground.
05:30Good.
05:31Well done.
05:33With each swing,
05:34it's starting to feel more natural.
05:36Callum shows me how to putt
05:38on the practice putting green.
05:39And with the ball finally going into the hole,
05:42it's time to head out onto the course
05:44to put it all together.
05:48A few good shots later
05:50and I'm really starting to enjoy it.
05:52Ah, fantastic.
05:54Yes.
05:55Great golf shot.
05:56Thank you so much, Callum.
05:57No problem at all, Lily.
05:59After an incredible day out on the course,
06:02I'm heading to get a better view of it all.
06:06It's been such a rewarding experience
06:08and I want to take in this beautiful landscape
06:11from the perfect vantage point.
06:15I've had such an incredible day here today.
06:18Wadi Safa truly is the epitome
06:20of heritage meets luxury.
06:25Not far from here lies Wadi Hanifa,
06:28a long green valley
06:29that winds through the heart of the old city.
06:31Once an oasis in the desert,
06:35it's now a peaceful place to walk, cycle and enjoy nature.
06:40Cycling in this area is really relaxing.
06:43The cool breeze and stunning views
06:45make it a perfect way to explore and exercise.
06:48Just a short ride away stands Bab Samhan Hotel,
06:55a luxurious retreat with real historical roots.
07:01Miss Lily, welcome to Bab Samhan.
07:03The hotel's general manager, Fabrice Ducray,
07:06is here to tell me more about the story behind the hotel.
07:09The hotel itself actually is a historical site.
07:13It started off in the Ministry of Culture,
07:17wanting to renovate a few houses,
07:19Najdi houses, and then one thing led to the other
07:22that's turned into the hotel that it is today.
07:25What began as a simple restoration project has evolved into one of Doria's most remarkable hotels.
07:34Bab Samhan blends original features with heritage inspired designs.
07:39What I love about this place is how it captures the essence of Doria,
07:44heritage, culture and beauty all in one.
07:49Each suite here reflects Doria's history,
07:52crafted with natural materials and decorative touches.
07:56This royal suite perfectly balances tradition and luxury,
08:00a colourful space that feels truly part of Doria's story.
08:08Just outside Riyadh, in the desert area of Al Muzamia,
08:12I am meeting Salma Tari, a skilled rider and Arabian horse enthusiast.
08:19Known online as La Cavliere El Egon,
08:21she has inspired over a million followers across Saudi Arabia and beyond
08:26with her epic cinematic videos.
08:30Today she has something special lined up for me.
08:35Hello Salma, thank you so much for having me today.
08:38Thank you, it's really nice to have you here.
08:40This is absolutely incredible, what are we doing today?
08:43Thank you, so I'm happy to have you in our stable called Chalifat and Naj.
08:47And first of all I will give you a little tour,
08:50and then I will let you have your first experience with an Arabian horse,
08:53and the last part I will be riding in the desert.
08:56Okay, let's get straight to it.
08:58Let's go.
09:00Arabian horses are known for their unique appearance, strength and gentle nature.
09:06Let me introduce you to our mares.
09:08Yes.
09:09So most of our mares are located on this side.
09:11So we separate the mares and the stallions,
09:14and we also train them to be calm and relaxed,
09:17so when the students come and train with our horses, they are comfortable,
09:22because Arabian horses are quite nervous.
09:24That's why we only let our students to ride females.
09:28Arabian horses are famous for beauty shows or for endurance.
09:32When it comes to endurance horses, we train them to canter for a very long distance,
09:37and only Arabian horses can ride up to 160 kilometers.
09:41Salma takes me further around the stables, where beautiful Arabian horses are everywhere.
09:47As you can see on my left, we have some mares, and we can put them together.
09:52And they're all fine.
09:53They're all fine.
09:54They're happy.
09:55Yes.
09:56It says a lot, doesn't it?
09:57The females are the relaxed ones.
09:58Exactly.
09:59We get on very well.
10:00And then you have the stallions against each other.
10:02And you cannot do that with stallions.
10:04If you put them together, it's just impossible.
10:07They will be fighting.
10:09Salma brings me closer to these beautiful creatures, so I can get to know them better.
10:14We feed them dates, a favorite treat, and it's easy to see how much they're loved and cared for here.
10:20Next, we head to the training area, where a horse and riding gear are waiting for me.
10:25Before we begin, Salma shares a few tips on how to approach a horse safely.
10:30So, first of all, I need to give you a little bit of guidance, okay?
10:34So, when it comes to horses, always come from the front side, not the back side, okay?
10:39Especially if you do not know the horse, it might kick.
10:42And always try to make some noise so the horse is alert and knows that you are around him, okay?
10:48With Salma's help, I climb into the saddle.
10:50It's a little higher than I expected, but once I'm up, there's an incredible sense of calm and connection.
10:57Let me show you how we hold the reins.
10:59Put your hands like this inside, like that, and the same thing on the other side, okay?
11:05You can really sense the horse's strength, her gentleness and intelligence.
11:11But I must admit, it's hard to tell who's guiding who.
11:15And I want you to keep the horse head straight, come towards me, yes, and when you're in front of me, you stop the horse.
11:25We leave the stables behind and head out into the open desert.
11:29Riding through the sand dunes with Salma feels like something out of a dream.
11:33The landscape, the light, and the beautiful horse beneath me feel truly special.
11:39As the sun is setting here in Saudi Arabia, I'm reflecting on what an incredible experience this has been.
11:47I mean, horse riding in the desert, it doesn't get much better than this.
11:51But now, on to the next adventure.
11:53We'll be right back.
11:55It's just a little bit more.
11:56We'll be right back.
11:57We'll be right back.
11:58We'll be right back.
11:59I'm ready.
12:00We'll be right back.
12:01We'll be right back.
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