42 July-August 2015 www.womanthismonth.com FEATURE | 150 island pearls 150 Island Pearls Things to do, see, try and buy 1 For an island, Bahrain is surprisingly short of beaches but if you really do like to be beside the seaside there are various spots to take a dip. Coral Bay, on the Al Fateh Corniche, has a beach and swimming pool with water sports, Jet Ski and boat hire, spa and restaurant. At Amwaj Islands the new ART Rotana Hotel has a beach with various offers for lunch and pool access and at the other end of the Kingdom, you will find Bahrain Sailing Club where non-members are welcome to use the beach and facilities for just a few dinars. A short boat ride from Sitra Fisherman’s Port takes you to Al Dar Islands where you will also find a beach and watersports. www.coral-bay.net 17 312-700. www.rotana.com/artrotana 16 000-111. Bahrain Sailing Club 17 836-078. www.aldarislands.com 17 704-600. 2 One of the largest mosques in the world, at 6,500sq/m, Al Fateh Grand Mosque it can accommodate more than 7,000 worshippers. The mosque was built by the late Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in 1987 and was named after Ahmed Al Fateh, the conqueror of Bahrain. Visiting hours 9am-4pm daily, except Fridays and public holidays. www.alfateh.gov.bh Call 17 727-773. 3 The ‘home of motorsport in the Middle East’ Bahrain International Circuit opened in 2004 and hosts the region’s first F1 Grand Prix. There are also regular track days and race nights throughout the year. You can organise a tour through the website. Also on the site is the BIC Karting Track, offering go-karting fun for individuals or teams. www.bahraingp.com Call 17 450-000 4 To pick up souvenirs in the shape of traditional Bahraini pots and lamps, visit A’ali Pottery. Head to A’Ali, which is shown on the map, and you can’t miss it, there’s a giant pot right outside. Open 9am-1pm and 4-6pm Saturday-Thursday. 5 The waters surrounding Bahrain are rich in marine life and there are various boat trips allowing you to observe dolphins, and if you’re very lucky dugong, in their natural habitat. Boats go out regularly from Al Dar Islands and also from Al Fateh Corniche. 6 If the green’s your thing, nonmembers are welcome to play a round at the Royal Golf Club, Riffa Views. The Troon-managed club is home to the island’s only 18-hole, championship-standard, golf course and to a par three nine-hole course. There are also some rather fine eateries where you can enjoy the scenery. www.theroyalgolfclub.com Call 17 750-777. 7 Located on the Janabiya Highway en route to the Saudi Causeway, the Royal Camel Farm is a ‘must visit’. It’s deceiving in that a sign outside says ‘no entry’. However, you can go right in and for a fee of around BD2 you can get up close and personal with these magnificent ships of the desert. 8 One of the most recognisable symbols of Bahrain, the Tree of Life is around 400 years old and stands alone in the desert atop an arid sandy mound with no visible means of irrigation. Archaeologists have uncovered artifacts nearby which go back to the ancient Dilmun civilisation. 9 Get involved with one of the island’s many charities. Walk dogs and brush cats with Tony the Dogfather or the BSPCA. Collect food for Feed the Need or raise funds for the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS). There are also organisations such
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