Top 10 Countries to travel to from KAUST (With Kids)

Hello parents!

I am Raluca, a mother of four kids aged nine, six, three, and one, and a travel addict who has not slowed down because of the kids – quite the opposite. Below are 10 places our family has visited since we moved to KAUST (or are going to soon).

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Asia:

1) Bali and the Gili Islands

Such easy destinations with kids! People are really friendly, transportation is extremely easy to find, and the food is delicious! In Bali, we enjoyed visiting the zoo, the temples, a monkey forest, and an orchid farm. We also saw a traditional dance show on a beach at sunset. It was spectacular! On Gili Air Island, we did an Escape game, yoga and spent a lot of time at a wonderful café that was like a preschool – with delicious food and games for the kids! Moreover, we did a snorkeling trip in different spots, including Gili Meno. We had a lot of beach time too: the children played with seashells and on abandoned boats, built art installations and saw turtles while snorkeling.

2) Sri Lanka

Another amazing destination we discovered from KAUST is Sri Lanka. The highlights of our trip were an elephant safari and learning a lot about tea (seeing the workers on the plantations, visiting an organic tea farm, and visiting a factory established by Sir Lipton himself – with yummy tastings of different kinds of tea each time). We also saw whales – an experience we do NOT recommend, as the two poor small whales were being chased by too many big boats. Sri Lanka was a really beautiful, lush country that stole our hearts – wherever you looked, it was green.

We loved the food too, and everyone catered to our kids, making non-spicy dishes especially for them. We liked visiting a local market and discovering all sorts of new vegetables. The kiddos also found it fun to ride all the different modes of transportation, like trains (one of the most charming rides in the world, near the coast and another in the hillside), speedboats, tuk-tuks, and vintage cars. They still call the golf carts at KAUST “tuk tuks”.

3) Maldives

We have been to the Maldives twice, each time on a different local island. We loved the peaceful island vibe, especially on the second island, which was less touristy. We swam with manta rays and spent time on a gorgeous sandbank. The last time we also swam with nurse sharks. As for the sharks, we do NOT recommend this activity as it was not very natural since the sharks were there only because they were being fed. On the other hand, we did enjoy seeing sharks and stingrays being fed at the harbor at night.

Other than that, we snorkeled and scuba dived from the beach (my oldest was very happy to do her first dive!) and once by boat in a coral garden. We saw a few types of sharks, starfish, a turtle, an octopus, and lots of colorful fish, including many clown fish. The kids spent a lot of time playing on the beach and swimming in the turquoise waters. It was very relaxing! A special mention was the traditional breakfast (that I miss so much!): tuna with coconut and rotis. Miam! Yum! The hospitality there is also incredible. We had lunch with a local family on our first trip, and on our second trip, since it was during Ramadan, we were spontaneously invited to an Iftar on the beach. An unforgettable experience, with extremely kind people!

Africa:

4) Mauritius

This is our next planned trip from KAUST. From what we have seen and heard, it will be fantastic! There are picturesque beaches and some amazing places, such as a hill that has seven colors and a wonderful botanical garden. We are excited to discover the food, which has different roots such as French, Chinese, Indian, Creole… Just like the people living there, who, from what we have heard, are remarkable too! We cannot wait to get there!

5)  Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt

We have been to Sharm-el-Sheikh, a very short flight away. It has been our only experience at an all-inclusive hotel so far, and we have truly enjoyed it! I have spent hours and hours researching and finding the perfect hotel: with a big aqua parc, which, needless to say, the kids loved, near the most beautiful beach shaded by the wind, with delicious food. (It was a hotel geared for Italians). We spent our days between the beach, the aqua parc, the numerous pools, and the restaurants. The coral reefs near the beach were also fantastic, alive and colorful, and close to the shore! We had a really enjoyable time that we hope to repeat soon.

6) Zanzibar

Although there were many drawbacks to our trip to Zanzibar, I will focus on the highlights. The first highlight was the lovely sea with fabulous colors. Another one was the mouth-watering, always extremely fresh food and juices. They have very little processed food, so we actually lost some weight while eating a lot of divine food. The kids’ favorite activities were seeing giant turtles, visiting a butterfly farm, taking a trip on a traditional boat at sunset, visiting a spice farm, playing with the local children, and seeing huge baobab trees. Though we did not do it on this trip, there is a possibility of combining a trip to Zanzibar with a safari in mainland Tanzania. That would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Europe:

7) Romania

Romania is my native country, where we often go back to visit family, but where we also go to (re)discover places. There are many fun places to visit and activities to do with little ones. One place approved by all the members of our family is the thermal baths in the capital city – thrills and relaxation in the same place, what a great combination! There are also cool castles to visit (like this one or this one), especially for Dracula or Hotel Transylvania fans. The mountains are fantastic, and there are some unique places, such as a merry cemetery with a funny poem on every grave.

Older kids can also visit a bear reserve  (or, if you are lucky, you can simply spot bears on the side of the road in some areas) or learn how to paint artistic eggs. There are also some beautiful monasteries that are in the Unesco patrimony, thanks to the special blue colors of their walls. 

8) France

France is our second home country, so we sometimes go there too to see friends and family and stay in contact with the place we will one day go back to. Of course, you can visit Paris. We have not since we have been living at KAUST, but we have done it with our two oldest while we were still living in France. Our highlights were visiting a huge science museum that even had a real submarine, going on a cruise on the Seine, and having a picnic with yummy almond croissants and eclairs on the lawn near the Eiffel Tower.

The place that became our second home is the region of Alsace, with cute houses that seem to come straight out of a Grimm brothers fairytale. We are going to Strasbourg (the capital of this region) this summer and some activities we are thinking about doing are renting a self-driving boat, strolling through the canals of the city, visiting the Alsacian museum so that the kids learn more about this place and touring a chocolate museum. All that while having breaks at our favorite pastry shop and getting some flower-shaped ice cream while admiring the majestic cathedral.

9) Italy

Italy is another European country close to our hearts, especially since our children have a couple of grandparents living there. As you know, it is an amazing country with so much to offer: history, fantastic food, nice people… Since we have been living in Saudi Arabia, a notable trip we have done was taking a special trip to Rome with our son. He enjoyed strolling through the cobbled streets and visiting an immersive art exhibition. We usually go to the north, where the kids and grandpa and grandma visit amusement parks (the Peppa Pig section in one of them was a hit!), do safaris (yes, you read that), or just walk around one of the beautiful lakes there. During this time, the adults go to fabulous restaurants or relax at the thermal baths overlooking the same lake.

10)  Austria

Austria is another amazing country that is not too difficult to travel to from KAUST. I have already toured its capital city and mountain region, which are both stunning. We also went to Vienna last summer with the entire family. The kiddos enjoyed the rides at the park, including the oldest Ferris wheel in the world, visiting a palace, and seeing the horse-drawn carriages near the cathedral. In countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria, there are many playgrounds using natural materials such as wood and water. We spent a lot of time in one of those that included even a small pond. That, coupled with healthy snacks such as fresh strawberries that tasted really good, gave us lasting memories.

Ready to plan a trip?

Considering my huge passion for traveling and how often I do it myself, I would like to help you to do it too without stress. This is why I started a travel planning business.

I would love to create a trip for your family that reflects your travel style and your values and is adapted to your budget. What is more, I will gladly share all the hidden gems we found in our travels and help you avoid any tourist traps.

I know resources are not unlimited, so I am very attentive with my budget and I do the same for my travelers. So you might even save some money while not having to worry about planning the trip of your dreams! And all that saved time can become quality time with your beloved children.

Please get in touch if you would like to get on a travel expert’s hands for once – I guarantee it is worth it from all points of view! You can see a non-exhaustive list of destinations here: https://easyodyssey.org/destinations. Thank you!