Eyes On The Cloud

Just back from: Bahrain aka ‘Two Seas’

Country #73

“Welcome”, he nervously laughs as he’s putting on a face mask, asking quickly ‘you bring corona virus?’, this is Hameed, our taxi driver who is taking us from the airport to our hotel in downtown Manama. And so we learn the city is on a 14 day government-enforced ‘vacation’ to combat the virus that has been spread by people visiting Iran.

Bahrain is not your typical sought-after destination swarmed by tourists at any given time. So why did we chose it? (read me) Well, we like unusual places, we like the Middle East especially this time of year as the weather is guaranteed. It’s not really that far from the UK (just under 6hrs flight) and it gave us another chance to add a new country to our ever-growing list. And also, BA’s reward seat availability was one of the best for Bahrain – possibly the deciding factor in this trip planning. Have to spend those airmiles someday somehow 😉

Did you know it’s the only island nation in the Middle East and that it consists of some 33 islands? The island is connected to Saudi Arabia via a causeway.

Considering how tiny this Kingdom is, there’s enough to occupy you for a few days. Shaped a little like a pearl, it is coincidentally most famous for its pearls, but also for its historic forts – courtesy of the Portuguese, delicious food and friendly locals with more liberal views than some of their Middle Eastern neighbours. Bahrain only has some 1.5 million inhabitants – that’s only a bit more than Prague’s population!

Friday 28 Feb – Arrival

So once again we were escaping rainy and windy England and were excited about exploring a new destination.

We arrived in Bahrain just after 8pm. Airport was a breeze – there were no queues despite staff using scanners to take temperatures and travellers having to obtain visas. British nationals can either arrange eVisa in advance or get visa on arrival. We sorted ours prior to the trip as we didn’t want to get held up in queues on arrival. It was a very easy process that’s done online and costs just a little over £50pp.

Once we were done with immigration and security checks, we stepped into a lovely balmy evening. Oh how I love the warm humid air filled with smells of flowers … and possibly jet fuel 😉

Off we were on our way to Manana, the capital city of Bahrain which is where we spent our time. We chose to stay at Downtown Rotana hotel for its close proximity to local eateries and sights. If it was later in the year eg hotter, then we’d probably stay directly on the coast. Upon check in, we got upgraded to a room which was located on the 20th floor with floor to ceiling windows and fantastic views of Bahrain world trade centre. After a quick refresh, we went straight to explore the lovely hotel. With gym, spa and beautiful swimming pool, it would appeal to both business travellers and tourists alike. And can we talk about the amazing Alto rooftop bar with sweeping views of Manama’s skyline? On Friday night there was live music – delightful jazzy tunes mixed with haunting Arabic sounds – oh it was just fantastic. No city break can be complete without a visit to a great rooftop bar so we were chuffed to learn that our hotel had the best spot in the city! And so we parked ourselves there and instead of going to sleep, had aboout 2 bottles of wine whilst trying to put the world to rights whilst listening to some great melodies. Well, the next day was a bit of a struggle, but we had a nice lie in and only just made our breakfast that morning.

As expected, Bahrain is very arid, but it also feels very empty and quiet. Very eerie in fact … At first we thought it’s something to do with their religion, the only people left on the streets were foreign construction workers wearing face masks, but when even the massive and luxurious shopping malls were entirely deserted, we realised the taxi driver was serious when he tried to explain that there’s quarantine on schools and businesses. We felt like we were the only ones in the whole hotel, the whole city … I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like it.

Top things to see in Bahrain in 3 days

Saturday 29 Feb

I split the places we wanted to visit into 3 blocks due to their location. Walking in Manama is quite an adventure, this is certainly not a city designed with pedestrians in mind. Trying to find a pavement resembled a bit of a treasure hunt, but crossing the street was another level – no, not because of traffic, but there simply wasn’t anywhere to cross the huge roads / motorways. But as keen explorers on foot, we weren’t going to give up our quest to see at least some of the sights by walking.

Bab al Bahrain – the door to Bahrain is located literally just a few steps away from our hotel. This place is also the gateway to Manama souq. Behind there’s a myriad of small, hectic alleys with endless shops selling just about everything and anything you’ll probably never ever need. Then there’s the beautiful elaborate Bahraini lanterns on every step. We treated ourselves to some local bahraini food at Naseefs – I really wanted to try Balaleet dish. It’s sweet vermicelli cooked in rosewater, cardamom and saffron – it’s typically served as part of Bahraini breakfast. I really disliked it haha. So I felt I had to try their homemade mango ice cream just to make it up to my taste buds – they gave us such enormous portion, we were absolutely stuffed!

We then walked to Bahrain World Trade Centre – some 15 minutes from Bab al Bahrain, then along the Corniche (waterfront) to The Avenues – this is a huge shopping mall that runs along Bahrain Bay. It’s basically a block of streets along with a square full of shops and restaurants built entirely inside a huge building stretching 1,5km! Not surprising, with temperatures rising up to 50 degrees in summer, it’s the only way to survive the heat here. We found a nice spot by the waterfront for a coffee break and something to please our sweet tooth with. With amusement we watched a few Instagrammers struggle with picture perfect poses by the iconic I love Bahrain heart sign!

For dinner we went back to Manama souq but this time to Saffron by Jenna which was recommended by a number of bloggers. It’s nice enough but too much food. They served chips with their starter dishes!

Sunday 1 March

Oops, only just made our breakfast again. Lovely spread and – Jon’s words: best breakfast he’s ever had in any hotel!

Amply fed, we set to explore Bahrain Fort (Qal’at Al Bahrain). We took a taxi as it’s on the outskirts of Manama. This is an old Portuguese fort from the times when Bahrain was an important trade outpost. We had the whole place to ourselves so we strolled around the ancient walls, climbed old towers and descended to cavernous rooms. Entry is free.

Another taxi ride and we found ourselves on the other side of the city. You can’t miss the grand Al Fateh mosque. What’s unusual about this places is that the tour comes with a guide. We ended up with this super cheerful and enthusiastic bahraini lady who took it upon herself to enlighten us about islam. She was so endearing, she even used a flip chart to demonstrate the various touch points depicting the important parts of the religion. It was informative and wasn’t forceful though. The whole mosque was totally deserted with not a soul in sight, but there was a big blue stand warning about corona virus plonked right in the middle of a lovely mosque’s courtyard ruining the place’s most photogenic spot.

From here we walked to the bohemian neighbourhood of Adliya also known as Block 338 with street art, trendy coffee bars and galleries. The walk only took about 10-15 minutes. This area was definitely much more lively than any other parts of Manama we’d visited so far. Groups of young people and families were out and about. We wanted to go to Coco restaurant for a late lunch, but clearly this is where the entire city decided to go that day so we opted for a quieter spot at Cafe Lilou. The food was delicious and beautifully presented.

After a late lunch, we caught a taxi back to the hotel where we relaxed for a bit before heading to our rooftop bar for some vino and another dose of smooth grooves!

Monday 2 March

Yes, you guessed it – it was another lazy morning and late breakfast for us.

Today it’s very hazy. It’s due to sand storms in the region, the hotel staff informed us. So we aborted our plans to visit the nearby islands for some beach time and instead we headed to Muharraq to wander old streets. This area is noticeably more local and less affluent. Small alleyways hide remnants of old pearls trading path and muharraq‘s traditional houses. It’s not easy to find any of the old buildings and when we did, they were either closed for renovation or only partially open. Beit Sheikh Isa Bin Ali Al Khalifa being one of the most famous ones. I’m not sure what I expected but we were severely underwhelmed.

Escaping the dust in the air, we then continued to Bahrain National Museum which is right by the seafront. We settled in Darseen cafe at the museum where we had some coffees and delicious carrot cake instead of lunch.

The haze and dust cleared up by afternoon so we decided to go to Alto rooftop bar for drinks to catch the sunset and then went to the highly recommended and atmospheric Haji Cafe for dinner. It’s just around the corner from the hotel and it’s popular with the locals. We grabbed a table in the alleyway. There’s no menu to order from and the owner just kind of asks what you like or don’t like and then brings you homestyle Bahraini food on the table consisting of humous, flatbreads, haloumi cheese, pickled veg and salads and mixed grilled meat (not for me) which we washed down by Karak tea.

Our flight wasn’t until 2:20am but luckily we still had our room until midnight, so after packing, we headed back to Alto bar again for some pre-departure drinks.

Tuesday 3 March – Departure

Taxi to the airport will set you back by approx £15 and it takes about 20-30 mins.

So is it worth a visit? Being one of the emerging countries in the Middle East, Bahrain is trying to attract more visitors. There are cheap taxis to get around, great weather pretty much all year round, delicious food and of course, Halwa – the ubiquitous Middle Eastern sweet dish made from tahini and honey yum! It felt very safe and welcoming and it’s definitely worth a quick break. I’m glad we explored a new country, but I wouldn’t recommend it over some of the other Middle Eastern gems you can visit like Lebanon, Jordan or Oman etc.

Flights & Lounges

We flew from Heathrow Terminal 5 – went through the First Wing literally with no one there! After a quick shopping trip (Jon forgot a smart shirt doh) we went back to BA Galleries First lounge – had to have the compulsory eggs benedict and Jeepers rose champagne to start off our journey on a high note. For once the temperature in the lounge was very pleasant. It wasn’t quiet but not crowded either.

We flew with BA in BC. Our outbound was on a newer 777 and our return on an older 777, but was totally fine. All passengers were on some sort of cleaning frenzy upon boarding, everyone fully equipped with antibacterial wipes frantically wiping every possible corner of the aircraft. (Only to realise I missed the overhead lockers doh!)

The outbound flight only took 5,5 hrs and with excellent service our time really flew by very quickly. There were new films recently added so I watched Joker on the way there but slept all the way back so can’t comment on the rest of IFE. The food was delicious: on the way out I opted for two starter dishes instead of a main course, we also sampled two desserts and cheese platter, all washed down by our favourite Port! Cabin Crew were brilliant and kept giving us snacks and extra drinks without us having to ask. On the way back I just had some soup and slept all the way through to landing, cabin crew were sparse on this flight as far as I recall. We sat just one row before PE but our area was absolutely freezing throughout the whole flight back, but when I went to the toilet half way through the journey, the front of the plane was insanely hot as if an iron was left on and burning.

One thing puzzles me though – it was a day flight to Bahrain but all lights were switched off, shades lowered, but on the way back it was the middle of the night yet the lights were on??! Genuinely don’t get it… Was quite impressed by the lounge in Bahrain, well stocked, spacious with nice areas to rest with good views over the runway, only it was after midnight so couldn’t enjoy it fully.