Bahrain for your next holiday holiday anyone?

Dubai was a no from me as it can be a bit too bling, and many other neighbouring places did not fill me with comfort or enthusiasm for some of their laws. Bahrain, and importantly, the capital, Manama, is actually known for being amongst the most welcoming countries in the region. It looked interesting, the weather looked fantastic and there was a waterpark, so we booked. Here is what I thought, what I learned and some helpful bits to share for anyone else wanting to give it a whirl.

 

What to do

I was incredibly lucky to have a super friendly air steward on my flight who shared his time between London and his home city of Manama, so I got to ask for some real tips and suggestions for my visit.

Firstly, Friday Brunch is a big thing… We were arriving on a Friday so it was good to know why there was so much activity in the hotel. There are some great deals, I just wish I had known properly in advance. I could list them, but Time Out has already put a rather good list together!

The Avenues is a great mall that is impressive to go and see even if you don’t want to spend but do go when you are hungry because you are spoiled for choice, from EL&N and The Cheesecake Factory to PF Chang’s and Five Guys.

The Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park was pretty impressive, whether you want to get involved with the major slides (100%) or something more relaxed (I do like to partake in a lazy river), wave pools, beach club style cabana’s, the lot. I was a bit surprised when chilling in a section of the wave pool that the lifeguard reminded some boys that they had to move to the family section if a woman was on her own, to give me space. It is right next to the Formula One track, if you are a fan and you get to have a good look at the track from one of the highest rides!

There is quite a market for adventure sports too and my (BA) host with the most, gave me a great instagram feed to follow for some great options, Island Activities.

 

Beaches

There are a lot of beaches and islands to visit but deciphering which can be a minefield, there is a lot of conflicting and misinformation. We went to one beach that looked amazing on the web but was still at its primary stages of construction when we drove past it! 

I can recommend the man-made Reef Island for very little effort to get to, looks great, is heavily populated by westerners and bikinis are commonplace with great cocktails and beers available. Take cash and ID. BD 7-10

I really wanted to try the Al Dar Islands but couldn’t get any definitive answers on the info that I wanted; I regret not getting there.

Unfortunately, time ran out but I wish I’d had the chance to get to the beach at The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain too. BHD30 (adults, Sun-Wed), BHD50 (adults, Thu), BHD15 (children, Sun-Wed), BHD30 (children, Thu). Daily 5.30am-10.30pm. Ritz-Carlton Bahrain, Seef (1758 0000).

 

  

Dining

The aforementioned Avenues is great for variety, Fatto’s is ridiculously good and we went to the one at Seef Mall. Be mindful that as it is situated within a mall, this was a booze free restaurant and if you are fancying a tipple, just remember to doublecheck before you head somewhere.

Adliya is a great bustling area where you can stroll about a bit more than you can in Downtown Manama, which is about 4 km away. The Meat Co. was our big treat where my son said it was the best steak he has ever had, and he partakes a lot! Very Goucho-esque.

Only a few yards away was a bar, Hazel Rooftop Lounge, that my ego really wanted to try, but alas, those dastardly kids got in the way.

Which is a great reminder to tell you that if you fancy hitting one of their many pubs, kids are only allowed outside or not at all.

 

Hotel

We stayed in the Downtown Rotana. I chose this because of their incredible pool (a necessity in the heat), the roof top bar views (kids play on your Xbox for a bit), proximity to the souks, etc. It was a good mix of luxury, affordability, brunch parties, kid friendly and a slither of a hair away from a 4 star. 

There are a ridiculous number of hotels to choose from, The Four Season’s is iconic, but way out of our price range (starting at £500 per night in a windowless cardboard box). Really do you research if you see a deal because I visited some 4/5-star hotels that had pools backing on to the busiest highway or a strip bar (unless that is your thing).

 

A few things to be aware of

• A lot of Manama is under construction, which make walking around and navigating the highways even harder.
• I saw no PDA's, regardless of the general notion that it is not as frowned upon as other Middle Eastern states.
• Due to the conflicting information on websites, a lot of exploring can be trial and error.

 

Women visiting in Bahrain

Although I stated that Bahrain is one of the more welcoming cities, and I definitely felt safer when I was walking around, even on my own, I was told that the dress code was super relaxed, it is not. I was never going to head out in hot pants and a boob tube (like good ol’ Blighty), but my denim shorts just above the knee and t-shirt with slightly cropped sleeves did get me enough looks and panicked my friend enough to make a quick dress purchase from the local Souk a more comfortable decision.

Bikinis for women are allowed but people often choose to blend in, wear something more covering and not stand out.

 

More pics or my trip here.