Travel

DUBAI — More airlines pushed back their return to Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday. India's Akasa Air said on November 1 that Jeddah flights stay suspended through November 18, with Riyadh suspended through November 30. Its earlier Jeddah date had been November 10. Etihad has cancelled all Abu Dhabi flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah through November 5. Gulf News reports Air France is out of Riyadh until November 14, ITA Airways until November 18, KLM until November 27 on Riyadh and Dammam, and Philippine Airlines until November 29. Scoot has cancelled Singapore-Jeddah through December 2. Qatar Airways has cut Jeddah from seven daily flights to four and kept Dammam suspended. Gulf Air has resumed Riyadh. Emirates and flydubai also cancelled Saudi services on Monday. Carriers cite the security situation after Houthi attacks on Saudi airports.

RIYADH — Riyadh Air, the Saudi startup that began full commercial service this summer, has moved its operations from King Khalid International Airport to Al Qassim Airport, roughly 250 miles away. The move began October 25 and runs until further notice. It follows Houthi missile strikes on the Riyadh hub, including an October 10 attack that killed 13 people, according to Reuters as relayed by the French outlet Infostourisme. The airline now flies only to Cairo, Dhaka, Islamabad, Jeddah, London Heathrow and Lahore. Passengers can check in at a Riyadh hotel and ride a free coach that takes about four and a half hours. Cirium data cited by Reuters show 4,071 of 4,736 flights scheduled at Riyadh between October 8 and 25 were cancelled, about 86%. Across Saudi Arabia, more than 7,800 departures were cancelled, about 45% of the schedule. Riyadh's airport reopened on October 25 with split terminals, but most foreign carriers have stayed away.

SEMPORNA, Malaysia — Sipadan, off Sabah's east coast, is closed to divers, snorkelers and all other visitors from November 1 to 30. Operators say it reopens December 1. The month-long pause is an annual Sabah Parks conservation measure. The agency first announced it in 2023 as a recovery period for the reef, citing the aim of reducing disturbance from scuba divers. Mabul, Kapalai and the wider Tun Sakaran Marine Park stay open. Operators point divers to Si Amil. When Sipadan reopens, the permit system still applies. Sabah Parks issues 254 permits a day and requires Advanced Open Water certification. One operator says each permit now covers three dives, up from two in 2025. Visibility is best from mid-February to mid-November, and the northeast monsoon softens conditions from December. Getting there from Memphis means a long multi-leg trip across the Pacific to Sabah, then a boat crossing from Semporna. Divers with flights booked for this month should check the calendar.

COLONIA, Yap — Yap, in the Federated States of Micronesia, holds a resident population of reef mantas that divers can see year-round. Numbers peak from December to April, the mating season, when mantas gather in the Mi'l Channel and court over the reef, according to the island's main dive resort and several dive-travel guides. Yap was designated the world's first manta ray sanctuary in 2008. The cleaning station is shallow, so dives of 55 to 75 minutes are common, though one booking agent warns of moderate to strong currents and recommends advanced divers, and another rates the dives beginner to intermediate. Typical depths are 15 to 30 meters. Access is the constraint. United flies Guam to Yap only twice a week, and the resort says U.S. divers usually need two or three connections, often via Honolulu or Tokyo and Guam. Memphis divers would first reach a United hub such as Houston, Chicago or Atlanta.

LOPBURI, Thailand — The State Railway of Thailand has opened bookings for its seasonal 'floating train' to Pa Sak Jolasid Dam in Lopburi province. The service runs on 26 days between Nov. 7 and Jan. 31, mostly on weekends. The track follows the dam crest beside the reservoir, so from the bank the carriages appear to sit on the water. Return fares from Bangkok start at 350 baht in third class and 650 baht in air-conditioned seating. Packages with meals and five stops, including Lopburi's old town and a sunflower field, cost 2,599 to 2,999 baht. Tickets can be booked up to 90 days ahead through the railway's D-Ticket system or at stations. Last season's departures left Bangkok around dawn and returned in the evening. The advisory for Thailand is Level 1, with Level 2 caution near the Cambodian border and in the far south, areas far from this route. Memphis has no known direct service; travelers connect through a U.S. hub to Bangkok.

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's first ultra-luxury train, Dream of the Desert, may start carrying passengers later than planned. Saudi Arabia Railways and Italy's Arsenale had said it would begin journeys by the end of 2026, running more than 1,300 kilometers north from Riyadh on one- and two-night trips, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Semafor reported in July that cabins would start at $8,000 a night. A recent article in South Africa's Getaway magazine says current plans point to a first journey in September 2027. That report describes a route through Al-Qassim, Ha'il, Al-Jouf and Qurayyat, with stops at Marid Castle and the Aja Mountains and a possible AlUla extension by road or air. The operator's confirmation of the new date was not found in the sources reviewed. Travelers should check the State Department advisory for Saudi Arabia and fly to Riyadh with a connection from Memphis.