The Jeddah Weekend (1 of 3)

Jeddah... the bride of the Red Sea, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, the gateway to Islam's holiest cities, Makkah and Madina, ... the city that captured our hearts in more ways than one. Jeddah is known as one of the most cosmopolitan, diverse, and tolerant of all Saudi Arabia cities. It had us at the word "tolerant." 

It's my first time to travel to Jeddah and the second time for Shoegarfreeruby. I'm really excited for this trip because aside from Al-Khobar and Dammam, I haven't been outside Riyadh. I'm not saying that I want to leave Riyadh; I'm just saying that a tolerant city in Saudi Arabia is something that I would love to see. I've been hearing that Jeddah is very different from Riyadh -- the people are friendlier, the weather is humid, the muttawas are less active, the women have greater freedom, and the atmosphere is more forgiving. Now that's a city I'd want to see with a passion; plus we have friends from the blogging world there that I want to meet again. So, Jeddah it is!

Summer lang ang peg!

But first, being the OC traveler that I am, I prepared an itinerary for the two days, three nights that we'll be spending in Jeddah. I'm the kind of traveler that doesn't want to waste a single minute of a very short journey but I also don't want to compromise comfort (naks!). Both R and I are simple travelers. We do not wish luxurious stays and amenities. We just like comfortable ones that we can afford. Haha. And we want to make the most of our time. So, here's the itinerary that Shoegarfreeruby and I followed and if you want to discover Jeddah in two days, then join us! I might talk about our budget along the way so you have an idea on how much to spend more or less.

6:00PM And We're Off!

As you would have known by now, we flew via Saudi Airlines to Jeddah. The flight was pleasant with minor inconveniences along the way but nothing to be stressed about. What I was stressing about was a toothache that suddenly came. Considering my toothache when I first came to Riyadh, I was already thinking if traveling in Saudi Arabia was sort of like a curse for my teeth. That, or I have another pesky cavity that hurts at the most convenient times. I will not let any sickness cancel my travel plans (except when I couldn't move already!) so from work on a Wednesday, R and I proceeded to the King Khaled International Airport Domestic Terminal. We purchased our tickets weeks before from our travel agency at the workplace (Al-Fursan). Fare is SR600 roundtrip. (It's SR40 cheaper when you buy online.) Flying is better than being on the road for 12 hours. Nakakapanis ng beauty ang road trip! Haha. Checking in was a breeze so we spent an hour in the waiting lounge  snacking Dr. Cafe's iced tea and muffin and plane watching (as opposed to people watching which is awkward and frowned upon on this side of the world).

Snack time

Taxiing the runway {taken from my window seat}

Goodbye for now, Riyadh.

8:00PM Touchdown JED

Hello, Jeddah!

We reached Jeddah around 8pm and our limo driver from the hotel where we were booked at was already at the arrival area holding a sign with my name on it (yeee!). We were billeted at the Red Sea Palace Hotel in Balad. 


When we got out of the airport into the night, my first thought was I couldn't breathe properly (Wow, OA! Haha!). I'm not used to humid air. Riyadh has dry air and the hot weather is plain hot. In Jeddah, it felt like there's moisture in the air... well, hello Red Sea! We hit a snag at the airport's terminal so we had to wait for a few minutes. As the seconds ticked by, our idea of going to Mall of Arabia after checking in the hotel was fading. 

Our ride. Coolio!

I think of driving through (or passing through because we are mere passengers) the roads of Saudi Arabia as a kind of practical adventure. I catch a glimpse of the place without actually immersing myself into it. In Jeddah, the ride going to our hotel was fast; hindered by traffic snarls in some tight spots but nothing like Riyadh's rush hour and after eight traffic. Mecca Road, its main thoroughfare, runs all the way to the city (think King Fahd Road, Riyadh dwellers, minus the high-rise buildings). 


Jeddah is more colorful than Riyadh. They have billboards and ad signs glowing in neon lights and I was thinking, "Why don't we have those in Riyadh?" All we have are small, unappealing billboards, electronic yes but boring, in the sides of the roads; nothing like Jeddah's bling bling. Even if we were a hundred miles away, Riyadh's formality seemed suffocating already. Jeddah is more welcoming maybe because of its history as a transit port for the spice trade and its present status as the Kingdom's major seaport. This city welcomes a lot of nationalities in its salad bowl. 

Fast cars; bright lights

9:30PM Home Away From Home

The Red Sea Palace Hotel is old; even the amenities inside the double room were already from lush times gone by. The interiors were a little bit too manly for our taste, maybe because it was supposed to cater to businessmen. What I love about our hotel though was the view from our window, which we specifically asked for. The lagoon was a breath of fresh air and even if it was already dark when we arrived, we still had a good view of the glittering buildings at the other side of the bank. I like the location of the hotel because it's in the old area of Balad, considered as the "city center" with the historical district practically just a stone throw away (I wouldn't know this until the next day). Holiday Inn might be taking over this hotel soon so expect more improvement. We paid SR370 per night for the room. Of course we could've had a very good view of the Red Sea in the hotels near the corniche but admittedly, their prices are hell high! Too expensive for a short weekend getaway. 

The Red Sea Palace Hotel's lobby

Spacious lounge area with free internet, yey!

Taken from our room's window: Inside and out!

An old world feel with R's Paul's Boutique bag adding a modern flare.

We couldn't go to the mall anymore (yes, the mall is a priority, lol) because it was almost 10pm when we finally got settled in our room so we looked for a Japanese restaurant that will satisfy our hunger. Japanese because R and I are very fond of this cuisine and if there's something that would make our first night in Jeddah, it's this. 


I consulted the website Jeddahfood.com, a very popular restaurant guide in Jeddah; the "older brother" of RiyadhEats.com, and found Sakura, the newly-opened Japanese restaurant of Crowne Plaza. We hailed a taxi and off we go! In our ride to Crowne Plaza, we saw Jeddah at night again and we can definitely say that Riyadh is brighter, in terms of lights, but Jeddah has a homey feel to it which we also like.

10:30PM When In Doubt, Go Japanese (Food)!

One of Jeddah's many hotels

Our first restaurant in Jeddah

Classic Japanese interiors. Clean and sleek!

We arrived at the very posh Sakura restaurant, thankful that we didn't look haggard from the flight. The menu was bursting with favorite dishes and it was my aching tooth that held me from ordering too much. Being indecisive that we were, we zoned in on the basic fare: California maki, salmon sashimi, Japanese curry, and gyudon. I loooove the Japanese curry! Okay, everything in our table is delicious! Prices are not that high too, considering this is a hotel restaurant. The kabayans who served us were nice and polite. Prepare for a feast...

Miso soup, anyone?

Our favorite!!! Love the orchid. Lol.

California maki loaded with caviar

The green version

Beef Gyudon

Japanese tonkatsu with curry on the side

Complimentary ice cream

The Sakura Restaurant is small but there were no divisions. Those who wanted privacy can opt for removable wall dividers. After an hour or so, we were already full and satisfied so we went out of Crowne Plaza and hailed a cab. We had a nice glimpse of the King's Fountain from where we were standing.

I was just reading about you in Saudia's Ahlan Wasalan.

It was amazing how confident we were taking cabs in Jeddah. I mean if we were in Riyadh, we would think twice or thrice (or never) in riding taxis but as I said, Jeddah had this friendly, homey feel to it that made us trust strangers, in a good way. However, the first cab driver that took us was annoying. He demanded SR40 for our trip to Balad when he wasn't even sure where Red Sea Palace is (and for the record, we only paid SR20 from the hotel to Crowne Plaza) so we got out of his cab immediately and hailed another one. This time, the driver was more knowledgeable. Not friendly but he knew the way. So whew!

1:00AM Hitting The Sack

*zzzzzzzz*

The next day is bright and sunny and perfect for discovering more of Jeddah. Stay tuned. ;)

Sundrenched

PS. All observations are made as a first-time visitor in Jeddah so pardon me if I describe things way off the mark or are different from your view. Our comment box is open for you. :)