Practical information Bahrain

273  sq.mi

Flight duration: 8hrs. London is 3,148 mi from Manama.

708573 hab.

The international airport is 5 miles from Manama (15 minutes). With or without a driver, in luxury or classically, hiring a car is almost unavoidable for getting around Bahrain. Do not hesitate to hire one the minute you arrive. You will find all car hirers at the airport. You can also travel around Manama in a taxi for around £12. There are also free shuttles offered by most large hotels.

Do not go to the south of the island of Bahrain, as it is a military area. You will have no problems as long as you respect the religious customs. However, alcohol is sold freely. During Ramadan, it is forbidden to eat, drink and smoke in public, with the penalty of imprisonment for breaking the rule. Limit yourself to making neutral remarks about Islam. Respect the places of worship. Homosexuality, public drunkenness and prostitution are illegal.

The FCO (Foreign & Commonwealth Office) currently advises against all but essential travel to Bahrain.

Travellers in Bahrain are strongly advised to respect the curfew of 00:00 and 04:00, until further notice.

For more details see the FCO website.

Arabic is the official language. English is spoken by 70% of the population.

Your passport must be valid for six months. You must not have an Israeli visa. The visa is mandatory. Procedures are done at the embassy. Get the form to fill in, a photo, proof of a return ticket and a letter of invitation if you know someone who is already there. The visa costs £36 and delivery takes 24 hours.

90% Muslim (65% Shiites and 35% Sunni). Hindus represent 5% of the population whereas Christians account for 4.5%.

The national currency is the Bahraini dinar (BHD), which consists of 1,000 fils. Bring travellers cheques in dollars so that you can easily exchange them. Bahrain has many banks and ATM machines which accept most credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diner's Club, etc. You can also withdraw cash over the counter at the branches of several banks, including the British Bank of the Middle East. Banks are only open in the morning, from 7:30 am to 12:00 pm, Saturday to Wednesday, from 7:30 am to 11:00 am on Thursdays and they are closed on Fridays, though these times change during Ramadan.

The Government of Bahrain has imposed a curfew on the waterways around Bahrain between 18:00 and 04:00. You are strongly advised to respect the curfew (14 Feb 2012).

Bahrain is the kingdom of the car. You will find taxis in town. A trip around town costs about £10. The bus ticket costs 50 fils (about 10p). Buses serve several villages. Hiring a car is the most practical solution, and the road network is excellent. Speed is limited to about 30 mph in town, and about 60 mph on the roads. Speeding is very severely punished. You will find most international car hirers at Manama airport. An international licence is required. You can obtain one there from the Traffic Department (tel: 688 888). You need to be 25 years old to hire a vehicle. Various airlines offer more than 300 regional flights a week.

No vaccine required. Only drink water from bottles with a sealed lid. Avoid uncooked food. Get good health repatriation insurance. If during a potential hospitalisation the HIV virus is discovered upon a patient, this patient will be immediately deported from the country. You will find good hospitals, including Samaniya Hospital and the International Hospital. The phone number for emergencies at the Bahrein Defense Force Hospital is 667 985.

220 V. Bring an adaptor.

Bahrain receives more than 4 million visitors a year.

To call Bahrain from the UK, dial 00 (973) + the number.
From Bahrain to the UK dial 00 44 + the number without the initial 0.