The Allure of Al-Khobar Part 2 of 3

Welcome back to our journey to Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia... what will we do next?

On the morning of our Day 2 in Al-Khobar, we decided to go to the King Fahd Causeway. It was not so hot yet and there were fewer people. So up and about we go to the bridge that connects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The King Fahd Causeway as seen from space.
wikipedia.org

The bridge.

Seriously, I was contemplating, ready to beg my father to pull over, to stop traffic so I can take photos on the side of the bridge. (Hindi ako yung kukunan kundi yung dagat! Hehe.) The Arabian Gulf is glistening that morning. There were little waves making their presence known on the blue water. A jetski and a yacht were cruising along in the distance. I needed a second to grasp the scene... for a moment I thought I wasn't in Saudi Arabia.

I see sea! Alleluia!

Parang first timer na first timer... actually, this is my second time on that bridge but the architecture of this bridge never fails to amaze me (San Juanico Bridge ikaw ba yan?!). I can't also get over the fact that what I'm seeing now is the Arabian Sea instead of the South China Sea, which I usually see from my home province in the beloved Philippines.

"Rocky" shores.

Watch tower.

We reached the "immigration island" and stopped right there. We roamed a little, took pictures in front of the tower (it wasn't open that time), and ate breakfast at McDonald's (McTasty FTW!) Bahrain is so near yet to so far. Maybe we'll visit next time.

Hanggang dito na lang kayo. Balik!

On our way back to Al-Khobar.

We went back to the hotel to rest a little after our trip to the Causeway. That afternoon, we went to the... BEACH! The first time I went to Al-Khobar last year, we just camped out on the shore near the bridge because we didn't plan on staying long. Bad idea. There were so many people on the same side. Aside from that, we needed to cross a "desert" before we got to the shore. Good thing, we were on a four-wheel drive but it got really difficult and time-consuming to maneuver our way in and out that sand trap every time we thought of something to buy or somewhere to go to. This time around, we made the right decision to go to a beach resort.

Baher Villas

This is probably the most popular resort in the area for Filipinos. When our travel companions inquired about the amenities, the guard-on-duty promised the stars and the moon. Swimming pool? Fi*. Bowling? Fi. Billiards? Fi. Basketball? Fi. Only to find out that the first one was the only one available. The guys were pissed (because they were conned into paying SR75 each for just the beach and the pool and a beach volleyball sand court... we heard it's SR50 during off-peak season) but I was contented with the privacy the place offered. The guys were pretty much calmed down by the sight of five Westerners in their swimsuits. Hindi na nagalit ang mga loko. Okay na daw sila. Tsk, tsk.

For now, this piece of the Arabian Gulf is mine.

Swimming na!

Hindi white sand pero wag nang magreklamo pwede? :P

Magkasya na lang kayo sa volleyball!
Please excuse the obscenity of the bellies you see here, hahaha.

The resort had two walls built sandwiching a piece of the shore and the sea. While I'm okay with this, I still long to see the sea in its boundless entirety. But who am I to fret? Hindi ko nga akalaing may beach resorts sa Saudi eh so not bad at all.

Relax and have fun with your family and friends.

There's also a "boardwalk" that can be used for photo ops. There are kayaks and jet skis available for rent, grills for barbecuing, huts and chairs for lounging around, a resto that serves food per order, showers, and ample changing rooms. I'm satisfied.

Baher glittering in the night.

After our beach escapade which left my companions tired and restless, we headed back to the hotel and ate a dinner of kabsa. Talaga naman, kabsa pa rin kahit saan. Haha. There's time left after we rested so I brought up the idea of going to Al-Rashed Mall. Talaga naman, shopping pa rin kahit saan! Hahaha. And so off we went to fulfill my capricious demand. (Diva-divahan ang bruha!). I went directly to the store which I cannot find in Riyadh... Forever 21. To summarize, I spent an hour on that store only and seriously burnt a hole in my already-scorched wallet. Ang ending? Ako lang ang lumabas sa mall na yun na may bitbit na shopping bag. Hahaha. Pero nag-enjoy naman sila sa pagpipicture sa fountains! :)

We're supposed to go to the Corniche but the family is tired so ipinagpabukas na ang corniche. That's a good thing because it gave me a good content for the Part 3 of this Al-Khobar feature. Please come back for the last installment. XOXO.

*Fi is "meron" in Arabic.

Nope sorry, I did not wear a bikini. LOL. Gusto n'yo bang kumulog at kumidlat dito sa Saudi?! Haha.