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The information below is provided by The Expatriates Saudi readers and is not verified by the webmaster. For the official lowdown, contact your nearest embassy.
Saudi
Arabia
This park covers some 450,000ha (over 1 million acres) from the southern Red Sea coast to the desert areas east of the mountains. It's a conglomeration of small parks rather than one big one. Each of the individual parks has a free camping ground/picnic area, though the campgrounds have no facilities. You'll need a car to get to and around the park.
The park has two main parts: mountains in the north-west and plains in the south-east - the mountains are arguably the most interesting. Al-Soudah, near the summit of Saudi Arabia's highest mountain - the 2910m (9544ft) Jebel Sawdah - is the most amazing part of the park. The park visitors' centre is a great introduction to Asir, but is only open to families. It's got a scale model of the park and a good observation deck.
The nearby town of Abha is also worth a visit. Its relatively cool weather, forested hills and striking mountain scenery have made it a very popular weekend resort (which means it can be very crowded during summer). There's not much to see here - most visitors just wander around, gazing at the view and enjoying the weather, or head out to the national park. The Shada Palace is the main attraction. Built in 1927, this traditional palace was turned into a museum in 1987, and includes restored rooms and exhibits of regional handicrafts and household goods.