Experience the best of Taif

Taif has long been a summer retreat for people from the Hejaz, and its old quarter stands among gardens and terraces on the slopes. The town's rose gardens supply rose water and rose oil, a trade that has shaped the place for generations. Shubra Palace, a historic palace in the old quarter, is now a museum.

The road up from the coast climbs through the Sarawat hills, where terraces and villages cling to the slopes. Al Hada, a mountain area above the town, is a cooler place to spend an afternoon, and Souq Okaz, an ancient trading and poetry fair that has been revived, lies north of the town. Taif lies about 130 kilometres east of Jeddah, and the road between them takes a couple of hours.

Hejazi cooking is the local style: kabsa, grilled meats and sweets made with rose water. Taif's grapes, figs and pomegranates from the mountain gardens are sold in the markets in summer. Winters are cool, and the best months to visit are spring and autumn.