Touring Bahrain in 9 Hours

In February 2019, I visited Bahrain, a country that had never featured on my travel bucket list. And thank God I decided to, for it was a lovely quaint city, home to less than 200,000 local and expat residents. Bahrain was the region's recreational hotspot two-three decades ago before Dubai came along. Home to one of the world's oldest civilizations 'Dilmun' and a former British Protectorate, Bahrain became independent in 1971, and continues to be ruled by the Al Khalifa dynasty. Today, the Kingdom aims to be the leading FinTech hub in the region. I booked a full day guided tour by Visit Bahrain which included an airport pick up. Accompanied by an Indian female guide, a long time expat residing in Bahrain, and a fellow tourist, a Venezuelan-Polish graduate, the three of us spent a lovely day together exploring.

Stop 1: Al Fateh Mosque 
The only mosque opened to non-Muslim tourists is a sight to behold. The highlights of the mosque interiors included Italian marble, Indian teakwood, Austrian chandelier, Bahraini stained glass windows and ancient Arabic calligraphy. We were given a guided tour, educated not just about the architecture but also the Islamic faith, the guide equipped with a visual storyboard and a hand pointer; an unexpected but welcome cultural education.

Stop 2: Bahraini National Museum 
Expect to walk through of 5,000 years of Bahrain's history. The Museum visitors can marvel through Bahrain's palm, pearling, fishing and oil trading history. I was really fascinated seeing traditional exhibits of a Bahraini home, a 'khubuz' bakery, an artisanal marketplace and a Bahraini wedding. But the highlight was the archaeological artefacts from the Dilmun period, especially the burial mounds. Excavation has unearthed 170,000+ burial mounds under which the Dilmun people lay buried with pots, pans, or items closest to the buried. In 2019, Bahrain's Dilmun Burial Grounds were added to the World Heritage List.

Traditional Bahraini house

Stop 3: Al Muharraq (Highly Instagrammable!)
If I were living in Bahrain, I'd imagine myself spending a lot of leisurely time in this cultural neighborhood. By far my favorite part of the tour were Al Muharraq's old narrow, winding, faded-white alleyways, opening up to timeless lush courtyards of traditional old houses with carved wooden doors, once belonging to rich pearl merchants. Many of these erstwhile houses are now preserved as museums, art galleries and cafes. Don't miss the Kurar House dedicated to preserving the art of Kurar (gold thread embroidery). You can watch as the Qataba and Dawakheel demonstrate this old craft.

Inside a courtyard, Al Muharraq neighbourhood

Stop 4: Qal'at al-Bahrain / Bahrain Fort (Highly Instagrammable!)
This old Portuguese-built military fortification is a UNESCO Heritage Site, and offers picturesque views! Located just 4km from Manama, this 16 century fort is free to visit. It is said to have housed residential, religious, military, commercial and trading sites. The Bahrain Fort is a live museum of layers upon layers of human settlements over 5 centuries old.

Stop 5: Bahrain International Circuit
The money spent on this circuit is evident in the state-of-the-art facilities it offers. The Bahrain International Circuit hosted the Middle East's first ever Formula One Race in 2004. The best part of the tour of the Circuit is the 360 degree views of the track from top of the Sakhir Tower, as well as the access inside the control room and the impressively equipped press room!

Inside the control room

Stop 6: Camel Farm 
We may have at some point experienced a camel ride, but this quick stop to the camel farm allows you the opportunity to come up, close and personal with these magnificent ships of the desert. You can take selfies with them, and feed them. They're cute and harmless, and love the attention.

Stop 7: First Oil Well
Our next stop was an oil well on the site where oil was first discovered in Bahrain in 1932 by the British soon after World War I. The timing of this discovery couldn't have been better. Bahrain's pearling industry was suffering a collapse due to the influx of Japan's artificial pearls. An Oil Museum was set up here in 1992 and exhibits the significance of the oil industry for Bahrain considering it was the first country in the Middle East to discover, refine and export oil. 

Oil Museum

Stop 8: Tree of Life / Shajarat-Al-Hayat
Known as Bahrain's loneliest tree, the Tree of Life is accompanied by just a few shrubs dotting the desert, but there's no other tree in sight. As you can expect, there are many local legends around this tree, one being that this tree has existed since pre-Islamic times. Research has shown this tree came to life more than 400 years ago approximately in 1583. Like many tourists, I hugged the tree, a witness to so much lost history.

Stop 9: A'Ali Pottery 
Amidst 4000 year old burial mounds, lies Bahrain's biggest handicrafts center Al Jasra in the A'Ali Village. Watch artisans practice generations-old pottery craft right in front of your eyes. You can even get your hands dirty and make your own clay creation. This is the perfect last stop where you can pick up some beautiful pottery items, small or big, as souvenirs for your family back home.

What else you should know:

• Bahrain is not cheap 
• Best time to visit: Winter months (November - February). I went in Feb and it was cloudy, windy and drizzly - everything I wanted it to be
• Travel around the city with ease using the public buses and taxis 
• Bahrainis are a pleasant, warm and hospitable lot
• The pace here is slow, especially compared to the likes of Dubai
• Dress appropriately!
• If you'd like to see my Bahrain Instagram Stories, follow me: @hanishalalwani
• The local food is absolutely delicious, come with a huge appetite (and loose pants)