After my week in the United Arab Emirates exploring Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it was time for me to explore some more of the Gulf, starting with a four-day trip to neighbouring Qatar. Qatar ended up being one of my favourites and I actually was completely blown away and impressed by the entire country. Buzzing off such a brilliant country, I was so ready to explore more of the Middle East. From Doha, I flew north across the Gulf to Kuwait City, a small emirate tucked between Iraq and Saudi Arabia at the tip of the Gulf, and spent a few days exploring the city, the highlight of which being taking in the views from the top of the famous glittering blue Kuwait Towers.
After Kuwait, I flew back south along the Gulf to Bahrain, the tiniest country in the region. It's actually the third-smallest in all of Asia, after only the Maldives and Singapore. While it might be small, there's an impressive amount to see in the kingdom. Bahrain sits right next to Qatar; both are protruding land masses off of Saudi Arabia.
HOW TO GET TO Bahrain
I flew direct Kuwait City to Manama with Jazeera Airways which took 1 hour 10 minutes. A number of airlines fly direct to Bahrain from around the world.
With an EU passport, it was very straightforward to get into Bahrain and receive a visa on arrival. You can check the Kingdom of Bahrain website to see the Bahrain visa requirements for your country.
Public transport in Bahrain is limited, so I suggest grabbing a taxi from the airport to your accommodations in Manama; the city isn't that big and the taxis are metred.
Flying into Manama
How to Visit Bahrain
Since Bahrain is quite a small country, my aim was to see as much of it as possible in the one full day I had. As such, I figured my best bet was to book a tour and I got lucky, finding a full day tour of Bahrain that promised to show the best the island nation had to offer, which I booked through Viator. I ended up being the only person on the tour, mostly because the end of May is definitely already getting into low season due to soaring summer temperatures, so my fabulous tour guide, Husain Alhabib, and I spent the entire day exploring the Kingdom of Bahrain, taking loads of selfies, eating good food, bargaining and the market and visiting the best of the country. I can highly recommend this tour.
9 Things to See in Bahrain
1. Visit the Al Fateh Grand Mosque
The Al Fateh Grand Mosque was the largest in Bahrain at the time it was built, with the capacity to fit over 7,000 people at once. It was built in 1987 by the late Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa and named for Ahmed Al Fateh. You cannot visit on Fridays as that is the Islamic holy day, so I just wandered around the beautiful exterior architecture.
[Google Maps location here]
2. Learn the history of Bahrain at the National Museum
The impressive Bahrain National Museum houses various halls covering approximately 5000 years of Bahrain's history. You can learn about the religious history, the cultural significance of the historical burial practices, the flora and fauna of the country and the pearl diving history - the country's main form of income before oil was struck in 1932.
[Google Maps location here]
3. Spot the wind turbines of the World Trade Center
The Bahrain World Trade Center is a hub for business and leisure in Manama with an iconic symetrical design with wind designs between the two buildings which provides up to 15% of the buildings' power! A well-known Manama landmark.
[Google Maps location here]
4. Wander the ruins of the Bahrain Fort
One of the best highlights of Manama is the Bahrain Fort, a UNESCO-listed world heritage site, protecting the 16th-century Portuguese Fort on the site which has seen hundreds of years of different occupiers and layers of building. Archaeological excavations are still ongoing to this day, with new discoveries made every year. The fort was actually only discovered in 1954, but dates back over 3000 years. Incredible how much we still don't know about the past!
[Google Maps location here]
5. Visit the A'ali Pottery Workshop
The A'ali Pottery Workshop is a beautiful example of a traditional Bahrain pottery workshop where everything is still made by hand the way it used to be. The pottery is thrown on a wheel, cooked at 1000 degrees for 20 hours in ovens and then finished. I bought a gorgeous pot here for my best friend Janna's paint brushes.
[Google Maps location here]
6. Meet the camels of the Royal Camel Farm
Owned by the King of Bahrain, there are more than 500 camels at this farm - and we came at the right time of year to see loads of baby camels! - which you can hang out with and take selfies with. I love camels so much and getting to see so many of them during my time in the Middle East has been a treat.
[Google Maps location here]
7. Stop by the Bahrain International F1 Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit opened in 2004, making it the very first F1 track in the Middle East. I don't know much about F1 but it was an impressive spot just the same. The one connector I have with F1 is that I live in Salzburg, Austria, which just so happens to be the home of RedBull, arguably the world's greatest team 🙂
[Google Maps location here]
8. See the first oil well in Bahrain and the Middle East
When you're in Bahrain, it's definitely worth a visit to the first oil well of the country and also the Middle East. Oil was discovered here in 1932 and the oil still flows from the original taps to this day. Oil - as is well known - is the source of the Middle East's massive wealth and it's humbling to visit the massive oil fields of this tiny country.
[Google Maps location here]
9. Wander under the branches of the Tree of Life
The Tree of Life sits in the heart of the Bahrain oil fields, and is said to be over 400 years old, famed for its ability to survive the harsh desert climate with no known source of water. It's quite peaceful to walk beneath its branches, except for when you stab your toe and bleed (maybe it was making sure I really was alive!?).
[Google Maps location here]
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