The route begins on a turning off Highway 158, just past a petrol station. Follow the paved road which will eventually turn into a gravel track. From here, you start your descent towards the plateau. After exploring, take the left fork and head up towards the coffee fields or consider hiking up to Wadi Lajb.

The last part of the route is very demanding – make sure you have an experienced driver with a suitable car for all-terrain tyres. The steep track is littered with loose rocks and potholes making it slow-going. Once you have reached the end of the route, you can abandon your car and head out on a hike which ends with a spectacular view of Wadi Lajb.

Jabal Shaqra Hidden Plateau

The flat plain at the base of Jabal Shaqra is perfect for farming as it benefits from the rain that runs off the mountain all year round. Low drystone walls separate the fields. Some are set aside for grazing livestock, others for growing crops including coffee. These well-established farms are run by friendly locals who are often happy to share a cup of coffee, or gahwa, made from their home-grown beans.

KHAWLANI COFFEE BEAN

The green, fertile mountains of Jazan are ideal for growing coffee and the Khawlani coffee bean has been grown in this area for over 300 years. Although the origins of the bean aren’t clear, the tribes of the Khawlan are thought to be the preservers of this tradition, handing down land and knowledge from generation to generation. So important is the tradition in this area, a project is currently underway to gain UNESCO protection for this ancient cultivation. Working with the local farmers, the project hopes to document agricultural processes and promote the bean across the country.

 

Coffee Fields

With a moderate climate and high levels of humidity and rainfall, the Jazan and Asir regions are perfect for coffee farming. Farmers have grown coffee plants at the foot of these mountains for generations and still use the same methods today. Plants are grown on stone terraces nestled into the slope of the mountain and water for irrigation is collected in ponds and storage tanks as it runs off the mountain. The coffee plants flower in late March, briefly turning the terraces into a blanket of scented white petals.