Bahrain

Today is when Gimpy and I part ways, as I am heading to Bahrain whilst she heads home. My flight is in the morning, so I am up pretty early in order to get to the station to catch the hourly train out to the airport.

Gulf Air to Bahrain

After checking in at the airport, I head to one of the airport lounges to get a little breakfast. After an hour long delay it’s finally time to board. Gulf Air is the flag carrier of Bahrain and is described as a small boutique airline. It’s my first time onboard and am excited to try out their business class. My flight would have a short hop up to Europe to drop and pick up some passengers before a longer 7 hour stint onward to Bahrain.

On the way to Malaga in Europe I get a pretty cool view of the strait of Gibraltar which is a narrow waterway between Africa and Europe. Being able to see it from the air is a pretty cool experience.

Overall the flight is pretty pleasant. The food is good, the seat is very comfortable and the service is very attentive. I wouldn’t hesitate to fly them again, and I will after a few days in Bahrain!

Because public transport in Bahrain is a bit spotty, I rent a car for the few days I’m here. Unlike other places where you need to go to a car rental spot, my car is ready for me right outside arrivals.

Due to the delay, its already pretty late so I head straight to my hotel, check in and call it a night after a day of travel.

Bahrain International Circuit

The next morning, I hop in my car and make my way out to the Bahrain International Circuit. Being a long time F1 Fan, I really can’t pass up an opportunity to visit the Middle East’s first F1 track. Even though it’s a little different when there’s an actual race going on. It’s still neat to walk around places I’ve only ever seen on TV.

Tree of Life

About half an hour away from the track is the Tree of Life. This is another popular stop for visitors as the tree is a lush green tree in the middle of the desert. It gets its name because there really isn’t any notable source of water for this tree, and yet it still grows. From leaving my car to taking a few photos of the tree, I spend only fifteen minutes or so outside. The heat is pretty hefty and I needed to retreat to my car quite quickly. So, I’m amazed that the tree can still look so healthy under such conditions! While it’s neat to see, I think you really only need a few minutes at this attraction.

Chilling in Le Meridien Lounge

Given that this is the tail end of my trip, I intended to take it a little easier whilst in Bahrain. So after sweating through the Bahraini heat at the track and desert, I decide to relax a little at my hotel the Le Meridien. After a refreshing shower and a small nap I head to the executive lounge. This is a space available to Marriott Bonvoy members where they provide a calm place to relax and munch on some food. So relax and munch is what I did. There are some small canapes provided in the evening and I find it a great way to end off my day. Soon its time to retire back to my room and crash.

Le Meridien Breakfast

In the morning, I head down to the hotel restaurant where they serve breakfast. It’s a fairly extensive and elaborate spread, with several hot food options and a made to order egg station as well. While I haven’t been as proactive in pursuing hotel status in the past, I’m beginning to see the value of it on this trip. Being able to save on meals in the morning and evening does tend to help the pocket book, so perhaps this is going to be something I will do more of in the future!

Al Fateh Grand Mosque

With a full belly, I set out for to visit Bahrain’s Al Fateh Grand Mosque. To my knowledge this is the main one in Bahrain and it’s very nice both inside and out. Our guide spent a lot of time going through the Muslim faith which I really appreciate. I think in the past visits to religious sites like this sometimes lack context. But in this case, our guide went through (what I suspect) are the basics of the religion and compare it to other major religions too. So while the tour of the mosque only lasts about 15 minutes. Sitting down and talking to the guide about his faith lasts another 45 minutes or so. While the mosque is very aesthetically pleasing, I think I did feel a little underwhelmed having visited the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca only two weeks earlier.

Bahrain National Museum

A short drive away from the mosque is the Bahrain National Museum. It’s a fairly extensive building that has several exhibits on offer. The first and most interesting is probably the Hall of the Dilmun Graves. This is an exhibit that talks these mounds that are found all over Bahrain which are actual burial mounds of Dilmun people. There are some recreations of the mounds, and photos of just how many there are on the Island. There is also an exhibit that speaks to the history of Bahrain and also the Bahraini culture. It speaks of daily life and even things like wedding traditions. Finally there is even a display of the car that the pope used on his visit to Bahrain.

Darseen Cafe

Located inside the museum is Darseen Cafe. While researching places to eat, this cafe popped up a few times. Since I’m here it makes for a convenient lunch spot. I order their Bahraini chicken curry and a iced lemonade. I can safely say I’m happy to have visited since the food really hit the spot and I really didn’t even have to go that far to get it!

After my late lunch, I head back to my hotel in the afternoon. One of the other neat things about my hotel is it is directly connected to the City Centre Mall. So in the evening I decide to walk through the mall to see if there are any unique stores to check out. While it isn’t all too different than many North American malls, it did provide me an indoor air conditioned spot to spend my evening!

Bahrain Fort

The next morning is my last day in Bahrain. Since I don’t need to be at the airport until later in the day, I head out in the morning to visit the Bahrain Fort. This is an old fort along the water and once the capital of the Dilum empire. I’d like to say I spent a lot of time exploring the fort. But being out in the heat under the sun takes its toll. After simply walking around the outside of the fort I had already drank all my water. So while there is a bit more shade inside the fort, I really couldn’t stay too long before feeling the effects of the sun. It is a very picturesque sight though and well worth the visit. I soon needed to retreat to their visitor centre. Both for the air conditioning and to read about the history of the fort. But mainly for the air conditioning!

GB Cafe

Nearby to the fort is another cafe i had on my list, GB Cafe. This is a picturesque cafe with some lovely ocean views and some tasty food! I ended up ordering a chicken shawarma and a lovely watermelon & jasmine infusion and peach iced tea. It’s a great venue and the food is very good so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to others if you’re ever in the area!

The Long way Home

From the Bahrain fort I head back to my hotel where I spend a bit of time packing. While I’m still a few days away from getting home, this will be the last hotel I’ll be in. As I have a series of overnight flights and days spent in different places before I get home. So after a bit more rest, I check out of my hotel and make my way over the Bahrain’s airport where I check in and head to Gulf Air’s Falcon Gold Lounge. As this is their home lounge, I am keen to check it out. It’s fairly extensive, well appointed and has lots of options for food and drink.

However, I also discover that my flight is delayed by several hours. So in total my two Gulf Air flights have been delayed a total of 5 hours. Not the greatest look Gulf Air.

By the time we leave Bahrain, its already 2 AM and I’m pretty pooped. I’m not entirely sure why I still decided to order food on the plane. I probably should have went straight to bed but I guess when you have the opportunity for fine dining on a plane you don’t pass it up. So I quickly have my evening meal and then try to get myself a few hours of sleep.

Upon landing I will have about 10 hours in Bangkok before flying onward on my way home.