Exploring the Middle East? One of the best destinations in Saudi Arabia is Jeddah, its second-largest city and considered as the country’s economic and tourism center. Thousands, if not millions, of tourists visit the city each year. Jeddah is the largest port city by the Red Sea and is dubbed the Bride of the Red Sea.

There is a saying in Arabic that goes Jeddah ghair, which when translated means “Jeddah is different.” Indeed, travelers are often left in awe at the city’s unique mix of culture, history, and modern luxuries. As the gateway to two of Islam’s most holy sites: Meccah and Medina, Jeddah is no stranger to welcoming visitors in its walls as it hosts pilgrims on their way to the holy sites for centuries.

For travelers exploring the Middle East, Jeddah is a must-go-to destination to experience a mix of beautiful ancient past and a modern progressive city.

►FIND THE CHEAPEST FLIGHT TO JEDDAH

The objective, to fly from the Philippines to Morocco, the cheapest way possible. The plan, roam around South East Asia first, then from Singapore, take a connecting flight to Casablanca via Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The problem, a lot.

Singapore is one of the cheapest places to fly off en route to Morocco, so we made sure that our route for our two-month annual summer trip, SEA2africa, lands on the Lion City midway through. From Manila, we flew to Bali, then East Timor, before finally flying to Singapore. This is it. We’re finally bound for Morocco!