Found out today that I’m off to Bahrain for a couple or four weeks.

Any idea’s on what to do for a weekend there?

I’ve got a pass out to go to Dubai, and potentially farther afield once I’m there if needs be. I’ve deliberately not got a Saudi Visa that’s valid

Probably staying in Manama

Most ‘exciting’ thing I’ve found is http://www.lpodwaterpark.com/ but at 35 I’ll run the risk of looking like a bit of a paedo on my own I fear

Hints / Tips / Tax free bike sales all welcomed!

Any idea’s on what to do for a weekend there?

Go to the souq and eat at Swaggarts. You’ll turn your nose up looking at it, but the food is brilliant – it’s a caff for the Indian construction workers.

While in the souq, buy gold – it’s cheap(ish).

Get a suit while in the souq too..

Go to the Brit club – you’ll probably be pulled into some late night drinking.

There’s some good malls, but I can’t remember how the prices compare to the UK.

My folks lived in Manama for seven years. Drop me a line at pimpmasterjazz at yahoo dot com if you want more, and I’ll pick the old chap’s brains.

Join all the ‘highly observant’ Saudis on a Friday night when they come over to sample the Bahraini booze and prostitutes 🙂

Lived there for a year at the grand age of 8 and loved it!
Not much help to you really I know but I hope you enjoy yourself … I’d love to go back for a visit (not suggesting you take me, just saying) 🙂

They used to come Thursday night. The Saudi work week is Sunday to thursday now. In all seriousness stay off the road if you can those nights they drive like nutters.

Very good Japanese (of all things) restaurant called Bushido, about 500m from the Ritz Carlton.

To be honest I think the best thing to do in Bahrain on the weekend is fly somewhere else…

Thanks for the tips guys

I’ll get some travel booked up tomorrow and start figuring out what to do

At least the car hire is cheap and unleaded is 0.15/l so I’ll take a jerry can to bring home

Bahrain is the jamaica of the middle east , Not a great cultural spot , Manama can be fun ,can be scary ,can be seedy i have been 7 times i have loved it and hated it in equal measure , go the f1 bar, go the circuit for racing , watch some camel racing , horses if your lucky, go the shopping centre where the filmed a movie called the princess and the marine ,Bahrain Done ha ha .

Dockyard work by any chance?

All i’m saying is “BOOMERS”! (take a friend, it’s scary!)

There are a couple of nice food places in the small modern development near The Gulf hotel – Jim’s do a great beef wellington.

Taxi drivers will try ripping you off lots, especially if getting expenses receipts. We decided it was easier than trying to drive though, although only there for 8days.
We didn’t find any legit electricals cheaper than in the UK, except in the US Navy base’s shop.

I should add – several of the hotels do champagne brunch. Worth going to if you’re with others.

The museum in Manama (Bahrain National Museum) is genuinely interesting too.

There’s sailing and diving too, if that floats your boat (pun intended).

Not been the F1 track (missed the first race by a few days) but I’d imagine it’s interesting.

Can’t remember what the weekend is there now – it changed while my folks were there IIRC. I *think* it’s now Fri and Sat, like Saudi – don’t quote me on that though.

And yes, the Bahrainis HATE the Saudis. And the Saudis treat the more liberal Bahrain like a den of iniquity.

Thanks for the tips guys.

Booked my flights, car & waiting on the hotel – I’ve been recommended the K Hotel, but I think it’s a bit full with Eid from this weekend. Good old Crowne Plaza it will be then.

Good advice all round, I’ll avoid the hookers though.

Sadly I’ll probably be billy no mates, and yes dave_rudabar – dockyard work, so I might be off to Dubai and a couple of other places to visit theirs

Can’t remember what the weekend is there now – it changed while my folks were there IIRC. I *think* it’s now Fri and Sat, like Saudi – don’t quote me on that though.

And yes, the Bahrainis HATE the Saudis. And the Saudis treat the more liberal Bahrain like a den of iniquity.

Yup it was quite revolting to watch them, ended up NOT going out when the Saudis were in town they arrived en-mass on Thursday evening and most left on Saturday, depending how pissed/drugged and how many hookers they had in tow.

Met some nice people some local some ex pats, although some ex pats were no better than the Saudis tho during my brief time there.

The treatment of “lower workers” likes of Indian immigrants by many of Arabs is a disgrace. I often gave the 2 guys assigned to us a few Bahrain BD notes daily as they were on nothing, you would’ve thought I’d given them a lottery win and when some of the Arabs working with us found out they were not impressed with us.

We stayed here http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/baher-marriott-executive-apartments-manama-bahrain/ No bar tho. (kept the hookers out) K hotel was ok, went there for some food one night. Plenty hookers (I never indulged in)

The treatment of “lower workers” likes of Indian immigrants by many of Arabs is a disgrace.

Agreed. It always appeared to be a very secular society where the ex-pats were tolerated, but there seemed to be little integration. The Indian construction workers were very much at the bottom of the pecking order too.

Met some nice people some local some ex pats, although some ex pats were no better than the Saudis tho during my brief time there.

That too. It’s a good place to be a pisshead, ironically.

It was always amusing to see peroxide-blonde slav-looking women in Manama, wearing expensive togs and dripping with gold. Apparently a lot of them are mistresses to various sheiks, who like the kudos of having a ‘white’ woman. Nice work if you can get it, I suppose. 😐

Well I’m here

ALl good advice received ^^^ so thanks for that.

It’s bloody hot mind you. Driving to work today at 8ish was 43C in my car. AC is belting out trying to cool the office to 18C though in an attempt to get down to something sensible.

I was out a fair bit yesterday, in the non cooled workshops, where the temperature was >55C – I had to leave after about 15 mins despite standing in front of a fan as the hot air was making it hard to breath. No idea how the workers actually survive.

I did some asking about regarding pay & conditions… Wasn’t too bad (~£800/month, food & accomodation paid for) which given you don’t need to spend anything else as a TPN wasn’t bad. Massive social gap between the expats & the TPN & Bahraini

Hotel is good, and went to a Ramadan ‘breaking of the fast’ buffet last night. Eid should be interesting.

What tyres for a sandstorm?

They love a haggle! how many fake Rolex watches do you need?

Other than that. Hot and sandy with scary roads to drive on.

I did some asking about regarding pay & conditions… Wasn’t too bad (~£800/month, food & accomodation paid for)

£800 a month 😯 I was on almost that a day when there.

Bruneep – wouldn’t mind your job then, please thankyou?!

If you can get friendly with anyone who can put your name on the gate & door for the Navy Exchange (NEX), that’s the route to being to buy cheap stuff – USA prices on laptops/Apple stuff, clothes, etc.

£800/m was for TCN’s

£800/day lines up with discussions over non TCN salaries (as well as housing allowance, car, schooling)

Can’t say I’m not tempted – at some point.

Good point about the NEX, I’ll get onto my contact here who should be able to help me out.

I keep getting told I should go to Diggers… for the “beer” pretty sure I’ll skip that still

No idea how the workers actually survive.

Indian construction workers down tools at 40C. About the only rule that is actually rigidly adhered to, by all accounts… 😯

If the schooling is at St. Chris’s, then it’s good. My Pops was head of 6th Form there for a few years – the kids are basically groomed for Oxbridge and Ivy League. Tended to be good kids too – at 16 they were 16, not 16 going on 30.