Please give us holidays that are value for money!

Last week's I talked about how to save some pennies when you go on a holiday with demanding kids. Well, going broke sometimes seems a cheap price to pay for having great time with the family. OK I am exaggerating, its not a very cheap price, the zero balance of your bank account is a horrifying thing, but with some careful planning and balance we can avoid this.
Now, what inspired me to write this week’s article was my trip to a place called Center Parcs Sherwood Forest village in Nottinghamshire, UK. It is a family resort located in the heart of a natural forest, which gives you a sense of adventure as if you are in an isolated forest while the main city is only few miles away.
The resort offers everything a family might need: From restaurants and cafes to a fully stocked supermarket, and what makes it so special, are the 200 physical activities that it offers to everyone regardless of age, so everyone could have fun; activities such as cycling, snorkeling, swimming and laser shooting. They also offer sport tournaments like football and tennis. To make a long story short, it’s the perfect place to spend quality time with your family.
However, when it comes to cost, it’s not cheap at all. The resort offers accommodation with different levels to cater for all budgets, but you need to pay for all other activities excluding swimming and outdoor parks. Nevertheless, it really offers value for money and the children will never forget this action-packed holiday.
While we were enjoying all this, it really made me question, why don’t we have such resorts in Saudi Arabia? Some might jump in and say, “You can’t compare the two countries! They have natural forests and good most likely don’t cater for privacy, forget about it!” I don’t think that is true, and I think people underestimate the resources a huge country like Saudi Arabia has to offer.
I remember when I was a little girl we went to Al-Baha for one week and I still have good memories of the great forests we visited there. And by the way, the weather in that area is pleasant most days of the year. Unfortunately though, when you look to rent a holiday house in some areas in Saudi Arabia, they offer sub standard accommodation for the price of a five-star hotel, and the only activity provided is eating in its restaurants.
No wonder then, when a Saudi family prepares for a trip, they bring stuff with them as if they are actually moving house, and not merely having lunch in the middle of the desert!
I completely understand that not all forms of tourism are practically applicable to our society, but its so disappointing that a vast country like Saudi Arabia is not utilized in tourism as it should be, in a manner that would suite Saudi society.
I don’t think it’s justifiable to just target citizens who are willing to pay so much money for a holiday at a resort that offers nothing on par with international standards. I cannot help but imagine a high-quality resort by international standards that is, in Abha or Al-Baha where people could enjoy other things besides just eating.
OK, eating is part of any good time to be had, and is a crucial part of any holiday, but it would be fantastic for everyone in the family to have other activities to engage in. It’s so depressing that people who want to have fun and really enjoy their holiday need to travel abroad and people who don’t travel usually end up paying huge amounts of money for a sub-standard holiday inside the country.
For example, it’s both ironic and sad when you drive around small “tourist” areas like Al-Hada in Taif and see some very substandard and rundown holiday homes advertised as “luxury Villas” and you wonder who allowed them to do that? Not to mention there is nothing to do there.
The fact is, if a lot of money is going to be spent either way, people should go where they get value for it. I really hope that the next generation will be able to enjoy their country, maybe one day we will hear people from neighboring country say “we wish we have fun places like Saudi Arabia”.

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