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48 hoursManaMa

Qalat al Bahrain Fort

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Want a weekend break? Then jet off to the capital of Bahrain to experience the city’s street art, boutique hotels, organic restaurants and creative quarter

GeT your BearinGsManama is bordered by King Faisal highway, which runs east to west and north to south along the coast. Bahrain international airport is on an island connected by a causeway, north east of the city.

soaK up soMe hisTorystart by visiting Qalat al Bahrain, a museum and fort on the city’s western outskirts. a world heritage site since 2005, the ruins cover 17.5ha – similar to yas Waterworld. allow 90 minutes to explore.

The fort dates back to a settlement when the site was part of the ancient capital of Dilmun from 2200 BC to 2050 BC. When Dilmun declined after 1750 BC, the building was abandoned until Danish excavators rediscovered it in 1954.

The site is home to 8m of archaeological layers, and only a quarter has been excavated. as you browse the museum you’ll see cannonballs, tombs and stone camels used as children’s toys, as well as receipts carved into baked clay, The Flintstones style.

a taxi back to the city is 6 BD (aeD 58) and takes 10-15 minutes. While you wait for one, sit in the museum’s café, Darseen, which has a deck overlooking the beach. Museum Tue-sun 8am-8pm, 2 BD (aeD 19). Fort daily 8am-6pm, free. Café daily 8am-10pm. Contact: museum 00 973 17 567 171, fort 00 973 17 564 654 qab_sitemuseum@moc.gov.bh www.moc.gov.bh

Bahrain national Museum is on the waterfront in the city’s north east corner, near the causeway that leads to the airport. since it opened in 1988, its nine halls have been guiding visitors on a journey through Bahrain’s 4,000-year history. some of its permanent exhibitions are dry, but the traditional crafts and trades hall, where you can see pearling, fishing and farming scenes, and the customs and traditions hall, which looks at pre-oil life in Bahrain, are worth visiting. you’ll learn about alternative medicine and wedding traditions, such as how brides spent the first day of marriage being admired by friends, while sitting in silence with their eyes closed.

a temporary exhibition on saudi art is running until 6th March 2015. The collection, which was established by a saudi princess, is made up of 104 works from 30 artists. it shows paintings, sculptures, photography and video art from the 1980s to the present. look out for paintings by safeya Binzagr who documents daily scenes to preserve saudi culture, and the ‘evolution of Man’ (2010) by ahmed Mater, a series of five silkscreen prints which show a petrol pump transforming into an X-ray of a man holding a gun to his head. Daily 8am-8pm, 1 BD (aeD 10). Contact: 00 973 17 298 718 or 00 973 17 298 777 www.moc.gov.bh

a return direct flight with KlM takes one hour 10 minutes and costs around aeD 460. For more information contact: www.klm.com or search for KlM on Facebook. Depending on your nationality, you may need to pay for a visa on arrival – so take local currency, BD.

GeTTinG There

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see The siGhTsBahrain national Theatre is next to Bahrain national Museum. even if you don’t catch a show, it’s worth a peek as its golden shell shimmers at sunset and it’s on a lake by the sea, making it appear as if it’s floating. after Cairo’s and Muscat’s, it’s the third largest theatre in the gulf – its auditorium seats 1,001 people – a homage to the folk stories ‘1,001 arabian nights’. Concerts, orchestras and ballets from 20 BD (aeD 195), operas from 40 BD (aeD 390). students get 10 per cent off. Contact: 04 435 9300 www.tickets.virginmegastore.me www.moc.gov.bh

afterwards, pop by Bahrain art Centre, next to Bahrain national Museum. exhibitions change regularly; on our visit, we saw acrylic abstract canvases and paintings on windsurf sails in the

garden. Don’t miss the graffitied wall outside: think close ups of a primate with hollow eyes and a spray-painted woman with Medusa hair. exhibitions sat-Thu 8am-8pm, Fri 10am-1pm, 4pm-8pm. Free. Contact: 00 973 17 298 744 www.moc.gov.bh

al Fateh Grand Mosque is a five-minute taxi ride south of the art centre. opened in 1988, the 6,500sqm mosque was built to accommodate 7,000 worshippers. While it isn’t as grand as abu Dhabi’s, it is worth a visit so you can admire its italian marble floor and fibreglass dome, which has 12 stained glass windows in it. visiting al Fateh is the same drill as visiting sheikh Zayed: women can hire abayas and men must dress modestly. sat-Thu 9am-4pm. Contact: 00 973 17 727 773 www.alfateh.gov.bh

Tucked away in the city’s side streets, half way between al Fateh Grand Mosque and Bahrain national Museum, is la Fontaine Centre for Contemporary art. a 150-year-old mansion, it was restored by a French artist and resembles a european chateau with an open-air amphitheatre and a fountain in a courtyard.

The centre is home to a fine dining restaurant, pilates studio, rooftop pool and spa, which offers an hour’s coffee and orange scrub for 20 BD (aeD 195). While you’re there, explore its art gallery, which is free. From 12th March you can see ‘encounters’, a photography exhibition by the lebanese artist sueraya shaheen made up of documentary-style portraits shot on location. Centre daily 9am-11pm, restaurant Tue-sun 9am-10.30pm, spa Tue-sun 9am-6pm. 92 hoora avenue, Manama 306. Contact: 00 973 17 230 123 info@lafontaineartcentre.net www.lafontaineartcentre.net or search for la Fontaine Centre for Contemporary art on Facebook.

art fans should also pop by al riwaq, an art space in Manama’s hippest district, block 338. it

hosts film screenings, talks and workshops, and has a bookshop, boutique and café with outdoor seating. sat-Wed 9am-10pm, Thu-Fri 9am-10pm. Free. Contact: 00 973 17 717 441 info@alriwaqartspace.com www.alriwaqartspace.com www.laboutique92.com

Dinner anD DrinKsBlock 338 is teeming with trendy restaurants and cafés. For a light bite, seek out salad Boutique, which has 244 items on its menu. salads cost around 6 BD (aeD 58). its velvet chairs and white mirrors make it a popular spot with ladies who lunch. sun-Thu 9am-midnight, Fri-sat 11am-1am. Contact: 00 973 17 009 707 sb.bahrain@saladboutique.com

oliveto, meanwhile, is an italian fine dining restaurant with a meal for two costing 40 BD (aeD 390). a grand piano and tall ceilings make it glam, and its floor to ceiling windows overlook an outdoor pool and cabanas. its indoor bar has a DJ and 70s vibe. sun-Thu noon-11pm, Fri-sat noon-2am. Contact: 00 973 17 716 747 hello@oliveto.net www.oliveto.net

The CeilinG oF Bahrain naTional TheaTre is MaDe FroM Woven aluMiniuM To alloW liGhT anD air To CirCulaTe, a DesiGn inspireD By TraDiTional Bahraini hoMes

Bahrain national Theatre al Fateh Grand Mosque

paintings on sails at Bahrain art Centre

la Fontaine Centre

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la vinoteca Barcelona is one of the coolest spots in town, as its walls are lined from floor to ceiling with bottles of red. its garden, which has ampitheatre style seating, is shared with Café amsterdam which has a split personality: downstairs it has chandeliers, plants and floral cushions, upstairs is a sports bar. la vinoteca Barcelona, daily noon-2am. Contact: 00 973 17 007 808 ccerro@vinotecabcn.com Café amsterdam, daily 8am-2am. Contact: 00 973 17 007 404 tkarrenbeld@cafeamst.com

alternatively, nicole’s Mediterranean restaurant and lounge is just around the corner. This multi-storey restaurant opened in october 2014 on a street lined with colourful buildings. inside is decorated with splashes of orange

and mirrors, but its rooftop bar is the main draw. With its white-washed walls and blue canopies, it has a Greek feel to it. restaurant sat- Tue noon-3pm, 6pm-11pm, Wed-Fri noon-3pm, 6pm-midnight. rooftop daily noon-2pm. Contact: 00 973 17 280 700 www.nicolesbh.com

sleepsplurge on The ritz-Carlton Bahrain hotel & spa, a 7 BD (aeD 68), 15-minute taxi ride from the airport. While the exterior would benefit from a renovation and the bedrooms have small windows, the rest of the hotel has been revamped to rival The st. regis saadiyat island resort. spread across 8ha – the same size as saadiyat’s Cranleigh school – it has a private beach and an island you can swim to. it also has a hammam and

indoor and outdoor pools.The hotel’s indian restaurant,

nirvana, is a good bet as it’s decorated with carved wooden screens. as well as an open kitchen, musicians playing a sitar (guitar) and tabla (small drums) provide entertainment. our tip? Try the tandoori lobster, hammour and prawns, marinated in indian spices for 16 BD (aeD 155). Daily noon-3pm, 7pm-11.30pm.

later on, have a quiet drink over a cigar in Burlington Club (daily noon-2am) – a grand piano accompanies a singer crooning norah Jones. if you’re after something more upbeat, swing by Trader vic’s, which is lit by flame torches. it overlooks a lake with flamingoes. restaurant daily noon-3pm, 7pm-midnight; bar daily noon-2am. a single or double deluxe room with no breakfast costs from 135 BD (aeD 1,315), with a single breakfast 143 BD (aeD 1,393) or 151 BD (aeD 1,471) for a double breakfast. Contact: 00 973 17 580 000 www.ritzcarlton.com/bahrain

palace Boutique hotel near block 338 is a cheaper option. its signature restaurant, Masso, is a hit, as its Mediterranean dishes

are made from ingredients from the chef’s garden and sustainably grown organic produce. Bag a seat in the courtyard if you can. restaurant daily noon-3pm, 7pm-11.30pm, lounge daily 5pm-2am. Contact: 00 973 17 721 061 reservations@massorestaurant.com www.massorestaurant.com

The orangery, behind Masso, is a hidden gem. since it opened in January, it’s gone down a storm with locals in the know who go there for afternoon tea and cake. Daily 9am-11pm. Contact: 00 973 17 369 696, 00 973 3971 9696.

single rooms cost from 60 BD (aeD 585), doubles 70 BD (aeD 682). Contact: 00 973 17 725 000 info@thepalace.com.bh www.thepalace.com.bh

sarah riches

nicole’s

oliveto restaurant

BeWare: The CiTy is sWarMinG WiTh Cheap BuT

unliCenCeD TaXis

The ritz-Carlton

palace Boutique hotel