Leisure and entertainment in Bahrain
Our capital city of Manama is a cultured and vibrant city that will pleasantly suprise you with its simple charm, sites and ambiance. It was once the seat of one of the great trading empires of the ancient world, and dates back to the third millennium BC.
Cuisine
Today it’s well-known for its restaurant scene, which ranges from traditional coffee shops to luxury international cuisine. Restaurants range range from elegant five-star dinner outing to casual and practical service. In either case, restaurants in Bahrain serve fresh and tasty food.
Entertainment
Modern cinema complexes show the latest international movies, and there are regular cultural events, such as concerts and plays from entertainers who come here from all over the world. You can also visit a number of fascinating art galleries, museums and historical sites.
New developments like Bahrain Bay, City Centre Mall, Al Areen, Amwaj Islands and Durrat Al Bahrain are offering more and more leisure and entertainment opportunities. Al Areen includes the Banyan Tree Desert Spa and Resort, the largest spa in the Middle East, and the state-of-the-art 'Lost Paradise of Dilmun' Water Park. Wahoo, considered the Middle East's largest indoors water park is opening in July, and is located in City Centre Mall. Amwaj Islands will have a theme park and a waterfront entertainment complex, and Durrat Al Bahrain an 18-hole golf course designed by Ernie Els, plus one of the region’s largest marinas.
Historical Sites and Outdoor Excursions
Manama’s suq has been famous for hundreds of years. Qalat Arad is a remarkable fort dating back to the 15th century. The Qalat al Bahrain, once capital of the ancient Dilmun civilization, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bahrain National Museum displays archaeological artifacts spanning 6000 years of Bahrain's history.
As well as trips to ancient excavations, you can take a cruise on a dhow, go on desert excursions, pearling expeditions and dolphin watching.
Antique houses, considered historical monuments in their own right because of their history have been restored and modernized. Slowly, a precinct in Muharraq has now been converted into an antique campus.
Sport and Recreation
Bahrain is also a sporting country. Bahrain is a paradise for swimming, fishing, scuba diving, yachting, speed-boating, and jet-skiing. Back on land, you can play golf, go horse riding, go-karting, bowling, even skating. Swimming pools are very common in compounds and villas, and there are two large water parks, the largest in the Middle East, to keep you cooled down during the summer.
There are numerous gyms and health clubs, and most team sports are played here, including rugby, soccer, cricket and basketball. Bahrain's many communities have developed a whole network of organisations and events to help build friendships, have fun and unwind. Newcomers soon get integrated.
For the more leisurely minded, there are parks for picnics, with special areas for children and families.
There are also spectator sports you can enjoy. We host many international events, including the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the
Bahrain International Circuit, which brings in thousands of visitors. The Circuit is open throughout the year hosting major motoring events, and also offers visitors the chance to drive 4x4 vehicles on a specially-designed rough terrain circuit. For more details about Bahrain International Circuit,
click here.For further information and contact details for all of the above and many more activities you can enjoy in Bahrain please click here
Art & Culture
The cultural and arts scene in Bahrain is vibrant. Spring of Culture, an annual event that brings a host of international artists and superstars attracts thousands of art aficionados across the Kingdom and from neighboring states. Events are either free or very reasonably priced and feature both performing and visual artists performing in galleries, outdoor arenas and theatres.
Galleries in Adliya, a small bohemian art district in Bahrain, have permanent displays as well as feature shows. The Bahrain Museum features vignettes of life in Bahrain prior to the oil boom, as well as excavations of ancient burials, and displays of life during the Delmun era.