Bahrain and Dubai - December 2010
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 3:33PM I've wanted to travel to the Middle East for as long as I can remember. I didn't know anything about Bahrain (and couldn't even find one guide book in Chapters about it) so I arrived with very little information (not a great start for a planner like me!).
Conversely, I had lots of ideas about Dubai. I'd been hearing about it for years from various friends and family who had lived there. In my mind I thought it would look like the modern equivalent of the city from Blade Runner - futuristic was the word that kept coming to mind. In Dubai there are two distinct areas - the new and the old. Bahrain is like Dubai's younger more laid back cousin. There's more open space, it's less touristy and in some ways also more charming.
I fell in love with both cities - for different reasons. Here's some places/trips that I'd highly recommend in both cities:
BAHRAIN -
Areas: Aliyah in Manama (filled with lots of quaint restaurants and bars)
Restaurants in Aliyah: Cafe Lilou (a great french bistro), Coco's (a lovely outdoor patio. Try the hammour fish. You won't be disappointed), Al Bandarya (the place to go for shisha smoking), The Ritz Carleton brunch (we ate in the Mediterranean restaurant. It's not cheap but highly recommended)
Sights: Bahrain National Museum, Al Fateh Grand Mosque, the Souk in Manama, La Fontaine Contemporary Arts Centre
Food: Make sure to try the halwa (i.e. sweet jelly). You can find stores that sell this in the Souk. It's normally red or green with nuts in it). A local favorite. I loved the lemon and mint juice which is served in the majority of restaurants. And don't forget to try some hummous!
DUBAI -
Tours: Hop On, Hop Off - I highly recommend doing the Hop On Hop Off tour if you only have a few days in Dubai. There's were 20+ stops and you could do them over two days. Included in the ticket price was the free boat cruise along Dubai Creek
Sights: Dubai Museum (in the old Al Fahidi Fort), the Gold and Spice Souks, Jumeriah Public Beach, The Mall of the Emirates (don't miss Ski Dubai!), Burj Al Arab (one of the world's only 7 start hotels), Palm Jumeirah (on the Palm - the aquarium was great), Emirates Towers, Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building)
Insha'Allah :)
Reader Comments (2)
Try the double apple shisha or hookah as the Bahraini's sometimes refer to it at Don Vito Cafe in Adliya. Filled with locals and expats alike. Great vibe. They have random quote's in the women's washroom like "life is fragile handle with prayer". As you say Christine, "Inshallah".
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