outside manama, Bahrain

Country Club in Budayia is a great place to spend a whole day in, with its lovely swimming pool (blossoms from the trees around it fall in the water, it is so beautiful!), good restaurant, gym and bar. The club itself is in oasis of exotic trees and flowers, and you can see many different animals and birds - think of mongoose, bright parrots, and nest weavers! There are stables with horses, and you can go for a ride outside on the beach with a groom. All major athletic events are broadcasted on a big screen TV in the bar. Relaxing, pleasant atmosphere. Oh, there is a playground for kids too, and tennis/sqash courts. By far my favourite place outside Manama!

Go to A'ali Village Pottery.

They've been making pottery in A'ali for many years, maybe hundreds of years. The kilns line one street in the village - you can see the smoke from one of them in the photo. It makes a nice trip out of Manama and you'll be able to buy cheap Bahraini souveniers.

Go to the town called Buddaya, about 5 pm or later, there you'll find a small mall. Behind the mall a couple of 100 m. you'll find a very beautiful small mosque, the way the lights hits the mosque, makes it look awesome.

Oil Museum in the desert. Do you know that oil was discovered just in Bahrain? It was in 1936, before any other Arab Gulf States. The museum is situated near the first oil well in the Gulf, called 'Oil Well No 1'.
Photo: Pipeline in the desert.

I took this camel monument when we were on our way to al areen wild life, it looks real and very interesting.

If you go over the Muharraq causeway and look towards Manama you'll get the mix of old and new. This site is pretty special when the sun sets.