KAUST One Day Visit

Living in a "not so open" country, there are heaps of huge malls where you can shop and dine and the only thing missing are movie theaters. After learning that there is an open "little city" just one hour outside the city where we are in, my family and our friends are all excited to visit there. KAUST or King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is well, obviously, a huge university, which offers students and employees their own dorms, houses/villa. They have a supermarket inside, a museum, lots of different restaurants and coffee shops, cafeteria near the offices and school, a recreation club aaand a couple of movie theaters. PLUS, women don`t get to wear abayas inside the campus! :)

Not everyone can simply get inside the campus, you have to know someone from the inside to get you a sponsorship or a pass, the pass can allow you to stay for up to three days.

There were 9 of us who went to visit the campus that day, we stayed at the villa of our sponsor and family friend to get some lunch and rest a bit, here`s a photo of the villa`s dining area which is super nice, simple but classic design.

After lunch, we went to the place where the movie theaters are located. Everyone wanted to try and see a movie that time. We were all missing the cinemas and the malls in Manila. But before we bought our tickets, we went to get some ice cream fix on Baskin Robbins just downstairs of the cinemas. So there are only two movies they are screening every week, that week, they have The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Although not many of us were LOTR fans, we chose The Hobbit over the action film. I, personally, didn`t regret with our choice of film. It was so good I`m thinking of watching the Trilogy.


Here`s a photo I took outside the area of the movie theater, it`s actually the first time I`ve seen something like this here in the Kingdom. Since it`s a campus, and I mean a huge one, almost like a city, people who don`t own cars, especially students, ride their own bikes and buses.

And my ultimate and forever favorite, aside from Pralines and Cream, Baskin Robbins` Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream hehe

Photos inside the building where the cinemas are located - aaand one little photo inside the theater, with the popcorn for a real cinema feel hehe. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the movie theater though so that`s the only one I got.

After watching the movie, which is almost 3 hours long, we went to the campus` recreation club, they have two kinds of gym, for men and women, a squash court, table tennis, billiards and different kinds of sports. But, we actually went there to see the lap pool and the beach beside it.

Last few pics: Selfies in KAUST :)

I was not carrying a camera with me, except from my phone, so I only have a few pictures to share. I hope I could go back there again soon, with a camera, and with more places to visit inside :)


So, have you visited new places with your friends these days?
Is there anyone out there living in the Kingdom as well?


❤, Mimi