Three days for the sea

One of my wishes is to wake up to the sea view or live in a city with an ocean. Something about it makes me peaceful and relaxed. When I was a child, we traveled to Yanbu city, which has the most beautiful sea. It is unique because the town is quiet, clean, and well-organized. It is like you are alone and living your best life with it, and no one looks at you. That's why I spend my holiday there to refresh my mind and escape my obstacles. However, in 2020 before the pandemic happened, I decided to take my annual vacation. I didn't want to stay home sleeping, although I needed a rest. So, I considered traveling to Yanbu to see the sea. It's been a long time since I visited it. Thus, I want this visit to be remarkable. I want to do something new and explore some of Yanbu Al Bahr(the sea) I have never seen before. I researched and discovered Movenpick resort, the images online were so intriguing. It was like a fairy tale palace. I felt adventurous; thus, spending some days off there was a great idea. I want to watch the sea before I sleep and when I woke up. So, I booked a partial sea view because the sea view rooms were occupied; I was unhappy in the beginning. I wanted a sea view, but then I told myself I would enjoy three days just sitting in front of the sea, so there was no difference.

The arriving day

I was excited to travel to Yanbu. I have so many childhood memories there. However, we left Madinah at 1 pm; the sun was boiling hot; it was summer when we traveled, but I did not care about it. The excitement let me forget the heat. It took three hours of driving; we arrived at 4 pm, and the resort has a different road than the city. That new road was the first trailer of my adventure. The traffic lights, district, and houses were unique and different from Madinah. Yes, I was astonished by that, and I was still more thrilled to look at the resort from close after I saw its pics on google.

The more we drove, the more I saw it clearly; it was like a beautiful castle standing alone with elegance surrounded by the sea; wow, It looked so magical. It was like what I expected it to look like and more. We entered it, and there were flower trees in the parking Lat, and some were on the ground; what a fantasy moment to have, walking on the flowers as if we were in a movie. We checked in within a minute; that is how fast the check-in process was. The receptionist and the bellman were so welcoming and kind. The hotel, from inside, looked like a wedding hull; it was so big you could get lost easily.

The corridor’s city view

The corridors had a beach and city view, which was a different level; they smelled amazing, too, because I had experienced some nasty smelly hotel corridors. The hotel types of furniture are decent; they suit the resort's theme.

my room’s view

My room was on the second floor, I entered the room, and they put on some relaxed music and welcome desserts. It was a great welcome, but I ran directly to the window to see the view; it was what I was looking for. The sea was blue and clear I was excited to go down to see it in person; I could not resist. So, after I put my luggage, I went downstairs to explore the hotel.

On the main hull were two buffet restaurants; one was open for dinner, and a café which was cozy and comfortable. I went out and smelled the sea breeze, and the sun was about to set. It had been ages since I saw the sunset in Infront of the sea.

That how the resort looks like.

a vast swimming pool, wooden beach chairs, and individual wooden tables existed.

There was also a café on a corner and another buffet restaurant is open twice a week, Monday for a seafood buffet and Thursday for a barbecue buffet. It happened to be the seafood that day, so I went there. The service was excellent, but the food buffet menu option was limited, and they had shrimp on every meal. I didn't like that, but you can choose to eat any type of seafood or fish from the fish tank, and they will make it for you as you prefer. Also, they have one partition room with a beach view, but it was dark. I was dining at night I could not enjoy the view. Then, after the restaurant, we spent the night sitting on the beach. It was cold, and the wave sound was gentle and mesmerizing. I was sleepy. I tried to be awake because I didn't want to leave the sea; I wanted to be close to it as much as possible to create more memories.

The adventure began.

I woke up at 9 am. I was sad and wanted to cry. I was tired. I barely opened my eyes. I was rushing to go to the restaurant because it has a sea view, and I knew I was late to see the sun rising, but it's ok, at least I will have a better look at the sea now. I went there and tried to eat outside, but it was super hot. Anyway I made my wish. I ate and watched the ocean. I will have two days to watch the sun rising.

It is 4 pm now, and near the resort, there is a place you can rent a boat. This was new to me because I have fears of the ocean, although I love it from a distance. We arrived there we entered the ship. I was dying from worries; the waves were high for moments, then became stable. The sea was so deep, and the seagulls came to us; we had food we through it to them on the sea. I tried to record all of that, but I was afraid of failing or dropping my phone in the water. I was proud that I did it; it was a fantastic experience to look into the sea from the inside to appreciate its details.

After the ride, we sat to watch the sunset, and I told myself how lucky the locals were to watch this beautiful scene every day. We stayed there until 8 pm; we could not stay longer. It was so windy and cold. When we arrived at the hotel, I went directly to the beach and spent the whole night there.

The historical village

We decided on this day to spend it outside the resort. Hence, a new place was open with a traditional market, fish and rice restaurants, and some traditional cafés. First, we went to a fish restaurant; this was what I was craving. I know Yanbu has the most delicious fish I have ever eaten. The restaurant was like an old house, even with the décor; they served food in rooms with traditional Arabic settings (majlis), no tables; what a touching vibe; it was like dining at home. It reminded me of my childhood restaurant. On the way to Yanbu, there was a gas station in Badura( a town near Yanbu); they had a restaurant with the same room decor. We used to eat fish there before we went to Yanbu; what a nostalgic memory. The taste was similar to my old days, fish and rice.

This is one of the shops

Then we went to the traditional market, which contains traditional clothes and handmade stuff; the market looks like an old shop, the walls made from mud, and the ceiling from palm tree leaves and wood. However, then we stayed in one of the cafés and drank coffee and tea; they served everything in our traditional way. Even the tables and the chairs were made like old furniture. The place became crowded at night as if we all celebrated and had a good time together. It was a unique and lovely day that I cannot forget.

Last chance

I slept late, but I put an alarm for 6:30 am because this was my last chance to see the sunrise from the restaurant. I went to the restaurant. I was sleepy and was not hungry, but I must do it. Yes, I made it. I arrived on time. I sat outside this time because the weather was breezy. I felt overjoyed to be in this place; I thanked Allah for making my wish come true. I was astonished by the sea's beauty, and the sun was coming out with glamour. I dreamed of watching it and thinking about how it would look. In reality, was more romantic and magical than I expected. I went closer to it; there was no wave this time and it was quiet and calm. Maybe the sea, like me, is watching the sun rising with peace. I was sad because it was my last day there; I was even afraid to blink because I wanted to save this memory as much as possible. I stayed until sunset. Now, It was time to leave. I was almost crying. I didn't want to get up or even be disturbed by someone.

I have to go, I said to the sea, but I promise one day I will come back but this time for a long time.