In April, after spending much of the pandemic traveling around the United States, I opted to settle for a while in the city where I formed my earliest lasting memories: Budapest, my family’s home for several years in the early 1990s.

These experiences are a tiny sampling of what I experienced during my monthlong trip. If you’re interested in reading and seeing more, please spend a little time with my story. The link below will get you past the @nytimes paywall.

I also visited the holy city of Medina, which only recently opened to non-Muslim visitors. There, I was detained by a Special Forces member, who interrogated me and demanded that I leave the area — despite my following all the rules.

Later, reviewing satellite images, I found evidence that the island — described to me as pristine — had been largely remade. Its footprint had also been significantly altered. It was, in a sense, an artificial island built where a smaller natural island once stood.

I boarded a yacht — alongside a merry band of Saudi influencers — and was piloted some 15 miles to a remote island, where I toured the St. Regis Red Sea Resort. (Even the least expensive villas there can cost as much as $1,440 per night, not including taxes and fees.)

After Al-Ula, I drove to see another of the kingdom’s extravagant schemes: the Red Sea project, billed as the “world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destination.”

I also attended a Lauryn Hill concert at a vast mirrored event space called Maraya — where, midway through the show, I spotted John Bolton, former President Trump’s national security adviser, seated in the front row.

In Al-Ula, a benchmark for the new Saudi tourism initiatives, I visited the kingdom’s first UNESCO World Heritage site (Hegra), as well as a sprawling nature reserve (Sharaan).

My 5,200-mile itinerary, which drew me through all 13 provinces, included big cities, small towns, thriving oases and fancy new resorts, as well as off-the-map archaeological and historical sites.

I traveled alone, without a fixer, driver or translator. Per @nytimes ethics guidelines, I declined all offers of discounts and complimentary services.

To get a sense of the $800 billion tourism projects and the changes unfolding in Saudi society, I spent a month exploring the kingdom by car.

THREAD: Saudi Arabia is spending lavishly to lure tourists with its luxe new resorts, rich cultural heritage and sublime natural beauty. But are would-be visitors willing to look past the kingdom’s long history of human rights abuses?

Endlessly fascinating look at Saudi Arabia's $800 billion rebrand gambit. A great read and phenomenal pictures from @sahiltner

NYT journalist finds John Bolton seated in the front row of a Lauryn Hill concert in Saudi Arabia, lol: https://t.co/ck4yfFp5p1

Eye-opening, beautifully edited piece by ⁦@sahiltner⁩, travelling through Saudi Arabia as it tries to remodel itself and shed its authoritarian and closed image. One reason I love @nytimes is the space and presentation it gives to pieces like this

Really enjoyed this balanced and beautifully photographed traveller's dispatch on Saudi Arabia's uneasy tourist glasnost, by @sahiltner. Though I must confess, kinda green at the thought of someone travelling for a whole month on a newspaper's coin! https://t.co/Th69aOx0Hs

Check out @sahiltner on his 5,200 mile road trip across Saudi Arabia, where among other fascinating encounters he ran into former Trump national security adviser John Bolton at a Lauryn Hill concert in the desert. https://t.co/MJ2109tlU0

Hello, I've caved to pressure and have made my latest book trailer a pinned post. How professional!

Take a scenic train through New Zealand’s snow-capped peaks. Dive in the Red Sea off the shores of Hurghada, Egypt. Explore the world’s largest salt flat in Bolivia. No matter why you travel, our list of 52 Places to Go in 2024 offers inspiration. https://t.co/UBpuhq3bn8

Here’s the final @nytimes sports section written and produced by the NYT’s sports department, which our company has closed. I started working in the section 19-1/2 years ago, and this moment is breaking my heart.

Here’s a gift link that will get you past the @nytimes’s paywall: