Urban Spelunking (First Episode: Water & Fire)

After several months of hibernation, the free-spirited traveler in me was once again on the loose. It’s been a while since I felt the jolts of excitement when going on an excursion—explained by the fact that it’s my first time to step outside the walls of Riyadh. We are fortunate that we belong to this generation; we have unstoppable access to consumer technology, with regard to Global Positioning Systems, social networking, and photography. Our hunger for travel keeps on growing. This compelled me and my friends more to do urban spelunking in the active, inhabited sites of Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region last December 6 to 7, 2013 for some time off—to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. This part of the kingdom is the counterpart of Bicol Region in the Philippines.

Our first stop is at the pearl of the east coast, Al Khobar City (Khobar). This vibrant city is swarmed by a plethora of lifestyle centers (Al Goasiabi Center and Rahmaniah Center), world cuisine restaurants (Copper Gandhi and TGI Friday’s), traditional malls (Khobar Mall and Al Rashid Mall—the largest and fanciest in the city), fast food outlets (Burger King and McDonald’s) and coffee bars (dr.Cafe Coffee and Starbucks). On top of it, the city is favored and famed for its two crowd pleasing tourist spots: Half Moon Bay and Corniche. Together with two other cities, Dammam and Dharan, they form the Dammam Metropolitan Area.

Amid the city’s slaving streets that are frequently gobbled up by business operations and flights is its unparalleled tourism. We were fortunate to arrive in this part of the region at the crack of dawn.

As we were nearing the arguably loftiest beach, Half Moon Bay, in Azizzia Area in that fine Friday morning, the freshness of the scentful, salty air greeted us. Our arrival at the beach was perfect time to watch the dawn breaks into a beautiful sunrise while being hugged tightly by the sea breeze.

This is beyond question one of the greatest feats of nature: the rise of the sun. This is that time of the day when nature is painted in incredible colors. You can’t sure avert your optical organs at how the day slowly gets brighter, how the breathtaking colors start to seep through. Being able to witness such scene is a heavenly feeling.

Half Moon Bay, which is lying on the Arabian Gulf 20 kilometers south of Khobar, is totally on the cuff. Its name was derived from the bay’s man-made semi-circular shape.

Half Moon Bay is a perfect site for outdoor fans, alfresco adventures, or sea sports. It has quite a captivating azure waters. Add to that the off-white powdery sands on the shoreline that paint a more charming view for sightseers. The credit goes to the local government for their sustained efforts to ensure the bon ton and cleanliness of the beach.

No wonder we found ourselves indulging in the beach the next day in spite of the deterring cold climate of the winter. We all felt the urge to become one with the water element I must say.

On a side note, there is an artificial reef for divers to explore in the very core of Half Moon Bay. According to what I read, this reef offers little coral growth for divers to appreciate; nonetheless, the waters boast plentiful marine life.

Half Moon Bay also has an amusement park, made especially for parents. Needless to say the park was built to keep the kids engaged while their parents are busy gamboling in the beach.

And if you are booked in at any of the private resorts like Movenpick along the area, you can do sea sports like jet ski, surfing, sailing, etc., even riding on motorboats. We didn’t get the chance to enjoy any of those though because of money constraints. Nevertheless, frolicking in the beach will still be more amusing and fun if not enough.

For more information about the place, please click this website: www.the-saudi.net.

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