A Week in Bahrain

by Maxine Bates

When a friend emigrated to Bahrain to work as a teacher and, once settled, invited visitors to her swanky apartment I didn’t need asking twice! So flights were booked for the Bahrain February half term and off I went!

Main building at Bahrain International Circuit

Bahrain is an island approx. 35 miles x 10 miles. The capital Manama is like a smaller version of Dubai with skyscrapers and shopping malls. Most of the high street stores you find in the UK are in Bahrain too. But do Arabic women really wear skimpy lingerie and nipple tassles from La Senza under their black abayas!? Our first meal was at Wafi Gourmet in one of the malls and we ordered the daily special; a cross between Polish perogi and Scottish haggis with a creamy sauce washed down with Mirinda soda as there are restrictions where alcohol can be sold.

Late afternoon the souks opened and we headed to Bab El-Bahrain Souk and Bahrain Gold Souk in Manama. We were told to cover up (i.e no bare arms or legs) and prepare for hassle but surprisingly these were the least hassle-y souks I have ever visited. Accompanied by a male friend of my hostess we continued through the souks on a bar crawl. Because the buildings are owned by the King they are allowed to serve alcohol. Although I’m not sure the King is aware that apart from men, and on this occasion us, all the females frequenting the bars are prostitutes! We ended up drinking cocktails in a gay club with floorshow until 3.00am but felt entirely safe. Although two local groups often create disturbances and set tyres on fire – we stayed near an area nicknamed “BBQ corner” because of the fires! -  apparently they do not target Westerners and have been known to stop throwing hand grenades and using tear gas to allow a Westerner to pass through the troubled area!

Next day we played tourist off the Al Fatih Highway in Manama; home to both the Bahrain National Museum and Al Fatih Mosque. The museum charged 1 BD (approx. £1.60) admission. Opening hours were not as advertised on the internet but actually longer which worked in our favour as we didn’t have to rush around all the galleries covering calligraphy, burial mounds,  traditions, crafts, etc. Although the gift shop was closed and none of the staff knew if/when it would open again which was a bit bizarre! Arriving at the mosque again the opening times were different to advertised on the internet and in our favour. We arrived at 3.45pm expecting a very quick look before it closed at 4.00pm. Instead we were welcomed, doned in abayas and headscarves and escorted on an almost (only two Americans with us) private tour. We were expecting this to last 30-45 minutes. We left three hours later! As we were there during one of the five daily calls to prayer we were ushered up to the balcony but allowed to watch the men pray below. An interesting tour and completely free.

We ate dinner at the Dilmun Club. Dilmun being the name of a civilisation who once occupied Bahrain and the club now being a hangout for expats. By coincidence we bumped into the guy who sat next to me on the outbound flight who was going to visit his son and family. It’s a small expat world! Another evening we dined at the Bahrain Rugby Football Club, another expat hangout. I misheard and thought we were going to carnival night, but it turned out to be carnivores night so steak for dinner!

Another day we travelled southwards to the Al Areen Wildlife Park. Admission was only 1 BD which was remarkable value considering it included a 30 minute ride in an air-conditioned mini-bus with commentary in Arabic and English through their vast park. We were then free to wander through the rest of the well-maintained park. We saw African spurred tortoises, Indian porcupines, Arabian horses, oryx, black swans, albino wallabies, domestic goats (although their printed skin made them look more like mini cows!) and more. On the return journey we stopped at the nearby Bahrain International Circuit. Although not currently open for racing we were able to see the buildings that I’m sure Formula One racing fans would recognise.

Before returning to the apartment we drove across King Fahd Causeway linking Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately the observation tower near the border was closed for maintenance so we didn’t get the birdseye view of the 16 mile long 4 lane wide causeway. I bet if it had been open the entry fee would have been 1 BD! Unfortunately, too, women are not allowed to enter Saudi without a male sponsor and it’s extremely difficult for females to obtain a visa so we could only gaze at this country from the border. Expat females working in Saudi are more or less confined to their compounds as females are not allowed to drive. Apparently salaries are good to make up for the inconvenience!

Next day we set off to follow the newly laid Pearl Trail around the Al Muharraq historic district. We expected to find a bluish slate path to follow but it was not in evidence and none of the locals we stopped to ask seemed to even be aware of it. Obviously the Bahrain Tourist Board need to do some promotion! However we found the Mohammed Bin Faris House Of Sout Music and were given a free tour. The house once belonged to a famous musician of traditional sout music and there is now a music hall adjacent with free performances every Thursday evening. We were there on the right day but not at the right time unfortunately. We also found Shaikh Isa Bin Ali House, the restored house of the Gulf’s longest reigning monarch and now the second UNESCO site in Bahrain. The entrance fee? You guessed it – 1 BD!

Illuminated archway at Qalat Al Bahrain fort

Our quick lunch stop turned out to be a two hour Indian feast at Lanterns restaurant where they were having a ‘customer appreciation week’ with a special offer four course meal with wine for 7 BD per person. However, a local was celebrating his birthday on the next table so we ended up with five courses including a bonus slice of chocolate birthday cake! I’m still not sure why we were served a wedge of lemon with our soup nor why we were given aprons to wear rather than napkins!?

 

We thus arrived at Qalat Al Bahrain rather later than planned. This is Bahrain’s first UNESCO site. The fort is situated next to a nice beach and has a café terrace overlooking it. There is museum covering two floors to visit plus an audio self-guided tour of the fort itself. By this time it was way too late in the day and dark to listen to everything so we had a whistle stop tour.

Some of the desserts at the Friday brunch

Our final day was spent at the Movenpick Hotel partaking in their famous Friday brunch. Not cheap at 30 BD but an amazing array of food – gazpacho, soups, salads, lobster, smoked salmon, dim sum, carvery, pasta cooked to order, delicious desserts, chocolate fountain, popcorn cart, a cheese room (yes – a whole chilled room devoted to a variety of cheeses from around the world!) all washed down with unlimited champagne, wine and kiwi, strawberry and mango mojitos. Amid all this eating and drinking we were entertained by live music, a henna tattoo artist, table magician and balloon modeller. Fabulous! Although four hours was definitely not long enough to appreciate everything. Friday brunch is a Bahrain tradition and most hotels offer it, though the Movenpick is supposedly the best and I won’t argue with that.     

There was just time to sober up, have a dip in the hot tub and pack before heading to the airport. Our 2.00am flight time actually wasn’t too bad. I would never have considered Bahrain as a destination to visit but thanks to my friend I’ve now experienced another of the Gulf states.

First published in VISA 115 (June 2014)