A need to escape from Saudi Arabia

No one would describe Saudi as a dream destination.  In fact, many want to escape from Saudi Arabia the first chance that they get. The lack of alcohol and a good piece of bacon can drive people insane, occasionally.  There is also a general lack of entertainment (they just opened up their first movie theater and concerts are a rarity) along with the fact that women can’t drive and must wear abayas. Only recently, has Saudi Arabia began looking at allowing travel visas into the country.

All this might be changing, but change seems to be coming slowly.

It is no wonder that in our compound there are many men who have left their families back at home.  Let’s be honest, most people come to Saudi Arabia for the money.

Because of these perceived hardships, many look to escape the first chance that they get.  The easiest options for those living in the Eastern Province is to drive over the causeway to Bahrain.

Why Bahrain?

Simple. Bahrain is far less restrictive than Saudi Arabia.

First of all, women don’t have to cover up.  (although to respect the culture you should still dress modestly)

Secondly, all the activities that you can’t do in Saudi, you can in Bahrain.  Bahrain has a number of bars and nightclubs, you can find pork products, and the latest movies are playing in huge cinemas. The dark side of this is that there is prostitution in some of the seedier establishments.

It is for these reasons that you normally find the causeway into Bahrain packed – especially on the weekends.

Case in point:

We were also guilty

To be honest, we were guilty of the same exact thing back in October on our first visit to Bahrain.  We booked a very nice hotel and only once traveled outside of its confines.

In our attempt to escape Saudi, we had become the type of traveler that we dislike – the all-inclusive vacationer that never leaves the hotel.  We both feel that if we travel somewhere, we actually want to see the place that we travel to.  If we stay in the hotel, we could be literally anywhere in the world.

Because of this first experience, we wanted to make more of an effort to try and discover the real Bahrain.

The great thing about this renewed belief is that even after this first trip, there are still a number of things in Bahrain that we would like to do!

Block 338, Adliya District

Once again, we stayed at the Gulf Hotel.  We like the Gulf mostly because of the children’s pool.  It did not disappoint!  Another advantage to staying at the Gulf is that it is a 5-minute walk from Block 338, in the Adliya district.

Adiliya is a very walkable part of town with lots of restaurants and cafes.  We ate at two different restaurants in Adilya, The Breakfast Club and Florence La Maison Méditerranéenne. Both dining experiences were phenomenal!

Block 338 is known as Bahrain’s dining district, but it is also a great place to walk around (something you can’t do much of in Saudi Arabia).  There is also a lot of street art there.

Haji Gahwa

Haji’s cafe is about as authentic as you can get.  We recommend this place to anyone looking to experience traditional Bahraini fare.   This was the cheapest meal that we had in Bahrain and also one of the best.  Haji’s is located in an alleyway close to the Manama Souq and claims to be the first restaurant in Bahrain (established in 1950)

There are plain wooden tables with no menu.  They bring you what they have.  The breakfast that we had consisted of an omelet and homemade bread.  The bread is to die for!

This is a wonderful place to sit, relax, and watch the world go by.

Qal’at al Bahrain

The Qal’at al Bahrain is also known as the Bahrain Fort.  While there has been some kind of settlement at the present location for 3000 years, the fort dates to about the 16th century AD and was inhabited by the Portuguese.  The fort is also the site of an ancient Dilmun settlement. Bahrain is said to be the once capital of the Dilmun civilization.

The Dilmun civilization existed until 600BC and was a powerful trading partner for the Mesopotamians.  They virtually controlled the Persian Gulf during their heydey.

The fort is well-preserved.  Inside one of the rooms, you can still see some of the original wooden supports.

This fort is a must-see for anyone going to Bahrain.  It is free admission so you can’t really beat the price, and the whole fort only takes a couple of hours to visit.  There is a museum that is near the fort as well that explains the history a bit more.

All in all, it was a good morning out.

Things still to do

The good thing about Bahrain is that there are still a number of things that we would like to do.  Some of the things on our list include:

Bahrain National Museum

Arad Fort

Muharraq

Pearl Diving

Luckily we are going back in a couple of weeks (for a long weekend) and may be able to cross off a number of these.  We will write more about each when/if we visit them!