TBK Travels - I love Bahrain

Neil at the I love Bahrain sign in Adilya in Ramadan 2020 during COV 19

It’s a sign and a message you see all over Bahrain and a bit of a cliché . Having called this lovely Island my home for 12 years I can say it’s true. For my last 2 years I counted down the days until my departure for the Philippines, but now looking back, I really miss the place and definitely the people

So here are my top nine reasons why I love Bahrain:

Two of my wonderful houseboys Jake and Corleen

One- the people-

It’s number one on everyone’s list. Where else could you work alongside Bahraini’s , OFW from the Philippines, Canadians, Americans, Brits, Indians , South Africans, Bangladeshi’s, Thai’s, and many more nationalities. The different religions pray side by side and the Christians celebrate Eid as wholeheartedly as the follower’s of Islam enjoy the Christmas celebrations.

My home town, Awali, was always lit up for Diwali , the Indian festival of light. All nationalities came together for the annual Bahrain National day celebrations when the country was swathed in the red and white of the Bahraini flag.

At the main roundabout in Awali, where I lived, we had two "I love Bahrain" signs

Two- The rich history

This is so beautifully preserved by the Ministry of Culture and Antiquities. From the award winning and UNESCO recognised Pearling Trail in Muhurraq, to the Souq’s and Museums, Forts and of course, the Tree of Life. I have spent many happy hours visiting and walking in all these places and then proudly sharing them with my many visiting friends and colleagues and their families.

A memorable concert by Seal which I attended with Mike Roche- we sat on the back row and he jumped off the stage and did his first number from the back row

Three- The many cultural events

th The Kingdom Hosts so many wonderful events each year . These include ,from the “Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, the Bahrain International Circuit ( BIC) the annual Formula One grand Prix .

Then there are the annual “Spring of Culture” and “Summer of Culture” events where my friends and I have had the pleasure of seeing Seal, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Flatley and Lord of the Dance and so much more.

One of 5 malls in Juffair that have opened in the last 5 years

Four - The Malls-

These seem to reproduce overnight, and include the Wahoo water park, an ice skating ring each December, and many exhibitions, restaurants and world class shops .In Bahrain there are all the International favourites like H & M, Marks and Spencer, Boots, Dolce and Gabana, Pierre Cardin. To his add Middle Eastern favourites like Cheesecake factory, Shake Shack, Jasmi's, TGI Fridays, Rendezvous, Bath & Body works, Jashanmal book shops and so on.

Bahrain also has a Chinese Mall ( Dragon City) and Thai Mart as well as many Souq's ( Gold Souq etc.)

Areesh, a restaurant that Miss Andrea recommended and Ayan and I tried out in Amwaj Lagoon

Five - The restaurants-

Wherever you go there are Restaurant districts such as Block 338 in Adilya, Riffa Palms, The Walk, American alley , The Lagoon at Amwaj etc. For those too lazy to leave home the nation is served by an army of delivery services such as Talibat, and you can even have your McDonald's or Starbucks coffee delivered to your home. It’s the only place you can get obese without leaving your arm chair.

Sunset at Seef ( Karbabad) beach

Six- The weather.

The name BahRAIN is a bit misleading because they have rain maybe 5 days a year! When it rains it brings the Island to a stand still with flooded roads, people stopping to take photos. Sadly there are many traffic accidents as people drive like idiots when they cannot see 100 meters ahead of them. I will admit that 50 degrees in the summer takes a bit of getting used to but I love the winter months when its between 18 and 24 degrees (the height of summer temperature in the UK) . As an early riser there is nothing better than wandering around the garden at 5 am when the sun comes up and its 30 degrees and the sun is shining and the skies are blue. We also have the most stunning sunrises and sunsets which I have enjoyed photographing over the last 12 years.

My maganda anak Jhoanna who I sponsor at PSU

Seven- No Income Tax!

Having paid over 30 % of my wages to the British Government through Income tax in the UK it was fantastic to keep all my money for myself in Bahrain! I also had a free house and free fuel so was able to save over half my wages each month ( and that’s a lot of money over 11 years, enough to buy a house in the Philippines!) . I was also able to support those less fortunate than myself in Bahrain and the Philippines paying for a girl to go to school, Aimea , and Jhoanna to go to college . I was also able to help many families during the COV 19 pandemic when many of my friends had no work and no money. In addition I donated each year to a charity run by my friend Mama Jam, in the Philippines, called HOPE to help children to read.

Our hard working Janitor, Raikesh , from India, just 21 years old when he arrived in Bahrain - who worked 6 and a half days a week to look after us all

Eight- Charity is one of the 5 pillars of Islam.

I was also very proud when my colleagues clubbed together at Christmas and Eid to give our Janitor some money to supplement his meagre wages. The look on Rakesh’s face said it all for us, he was so amazed and happy .

“For me?” he kept repeating before running around in circles thanking everyone “Thank you sir” he kept saying.

The Building B Ramadan Survivors, 2020

Nine - Friendliness and support and humor. When I announced I was having a hip replacement in my final year i had messages from my colleagues offering support and asking if they could do anything for me. When I was not sure how to deliver on line training Evan patiently showed me what to do and drove to the office to help when it all went wrong one day. People brought in food to share with each other and we all pranked each other - writing "Wash me" on dirty cars, coming up with theme Music for John's Webinars ( Road to Hell was my favourite!) and teasing Daniel about his loud phone ring! It was a fantastic team to work with in Building B, and together we survived Ramadan- thanks Guys ( and Chester who made our souvenir)