This weekend on the 17th March we had the Strukton Outing day 2017. One and half hour driving outside of Riyadh you can reach the Nofa Park and Resort.
In the middle of the desert there is an enormous green area where you can enjoy for all kinds of sports and activities. If you really want to know how big it is have a look at their website: http://www.nofaresorts.com/.
Information from their website:
The Nofa Resorts complex is located 85 kilometres from the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh. The complex can be accessed via Exit 862 (formerly Exit 11) or Exit 857 (formerly Exit 12) off the Riyadh to Mecca highway. The journey from the Diplomatic Quarter area should take less than one hour.
The Nofa Resorts complex extends to 18 million square metres (1,800 hectares or 4,448 acres). The perimeter wall runs to 17.5 kilometres (11 miles).
Nofa Resorts produces all of its own power requirements. Currently all power is produced from traditional diesel generators but a new solar power generation plant is being commissioned to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
While some parts of the complex are intensively landscaped with formal gardens, extensive areas are set aside for promoting the growth of indigenous desert plants.
Nofa Safari Park, while containing an extensive collection of African animals, is also involved in breeding the once endangered Arabian Oryx. The population of Arabian Oryx in the park is healthy and increasing year on year.
Strukton arranged this all day out there and it was well organized. Good food, drinks and activities for the family and colleagues. There was something for everybody.
The day started at 10am and finished at 5 pm. With the additional 1,5 hours drive it was a full day package :-). But we enjoyed as you can see here below.
Arrival at Nofa park (Rene, Sven and Tim)
gathering for coffee and tea in the morning
Lots of grass in the middle of the desert
Lounging in the morning
first activity peddle boats and kayaking
the pond was three meters deep and made out of concrete
Pontoon for the boats
Rene getting ready with the life jacket
Sven and Hans Jürgen Peddeling(German colleagues)
Rene and me on the other side of the peddle boat (steering the boat)
View from the pond to the shore
Pyramids at the entrance of the pond
Kanoo inspection by Tim
Elevated Station "Champions"
Horse track indoor seats
Royal seats
Selfie of myself taken by some one else
Lifting the Cup
ELS "Champions" 😆
Royal sitting in
Track with a view
panorama view from the balcony
Dessert after lunch
balcony scene after the lunch
Entrance building of the horse track
posing for the entrance
After lunch travelling to the Safari zone
INTRODUCTION
Situated beside the Nofa African Resort, the Nofa Safari Park contains a collection of mostly African animals.
The park contains over 600 animals of 24 different species. These include
Giraffe
Grevy's (or Imperial) Zebra
Ostrich
Sable
Blue Wildebeest
Eland
Impala
Addax
Cheetah (Separate Enclosure)
Pygmy Hippopotamus (Separate Enclosure)
Of the 24 species, Nofa is successfully breeding 20 species. Only the Cheetah, Zebra and Llama have yet to produce offspring.
There is also a Visitor's Centre associated with the Safari Park where guests can interact with a variety of small animals.
Other Wildlife
There is a small Safari Park situated on the golf course, between holes 8 and 9. This park contains a representative sample of the animals in Nofa Safari Park but in addition it also includes a pair of Pygmy Hippopotami.
There is an aviary near the main swimming pool in the African Resort. This aviary includes Love Birds, Budgerigars and Sun Conures (Parakeets).
Between the African Resort and the Safari Park you may find Guinea Fowl and Peacocks. The African lakes are home to a large flock of Flamingos.
Indigenous species to be found throughout Nofa include desert Hares, Hedgehogs and Dhub (Uromastyx - spiny tailed lizard). We also have some snakes but sightings are rare.
entrance room before entering the safari trucks
stairs to the safari trucks
Tim and me before the Mercedes Unimog truck
ready to go
Safari park in the middle of Nofa park
view from the truck during the Safari
In Dutch : Gnoes
in English: Wilderbeast
Gemsen / deers
Ostrich / Struisvogel
Rhino (in the water in the middle)
The area is huge
Giraffe
Ostrich and Giraffe
More Giraffes
Zebra
Leopards ( behind fences otherwise it would be to real :-)
farming Alfafal vegetables as food for the animals and as fas as you could see
Collecting energy with solar screens
Nofa Resorts has a 1 mega-watt solar power station using Concentrated PhotoVoltaic (CPV) technology.
This is the first solar facility of its kind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The solar power station consists of 28 dishes, each containing 112 mirrors, tracking the sun's path across the sky and focussing its power onto receivers which produce DC electricity. The DC output from the dishes is inverted to AC before being fed into the Nofa power grid.
Surrounding area of farming for the Nofa park (movie)
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