After nearly 5 years at KAUST with two little kids in tow it’s easy to forget that we live at a resort. It’s possible to be too busy with life to take a moment to slow down and enjoy all the wonderful amenities we have at our doorstep. With that in mind, my husband and I try to set aside time to enjoy the resort life. I got this idea a few years ago after trying to put together a fun getaway to Jeddah with my husband to celebrate our anniversary. As I researched fun things to do in Jeddah, I realized that there is nothing more fun than seeing the seaside and eating good food – and we can do all that here at KAUST.
Recently we spent the day enjoying some of the fun things KAUST has to offer, including:
A bike ride around KAUST. The streets are flat and everything is close-by, making biking the best way to see KAUST.
We rode out past the marina to the Beacon.
… where we got the obligatory selfie.
And a lovely view of Al Marsa restaurant, the student apartments, and the academic campus.
Then we hopped back on our bikes and headed over to North Beach. This is a beautiful, nearly empty beach with mangroves, a walking path, and stunning views of the Red Sea.
After lunch, we went to the Island Recreation Center for another nice view of the sea…
…and a dip in the seaside pool.
Then we had dinner at Pure. Pure is an open-air restaurant right on the sea. It has spectacular views…
…especially at sunset.
On our way out, we saw some people playing volleyball, which looked divine.
… and we didn’t even get close to seeing ALL the fun things our small community has to offer. We missed out on snorkeling, the swimming beach, and all the other water sports like stand-up paddle boarding and sailing. We didn’t make it to the golf course, the climbing wall, or to play racquet sports. We didn’t make it to eat fish and chips by way of the water taxi or for a picnic at the King Abdullah Monument. We didn’t get a chance to go bowling or the movies either. I guess we’ll just need to schedule another Destination KAUST day again soon.