The birth place of the Amir of Bahrain in 1933- Al Jasra House
I have already written two blogs about my tours of Bahrain including the Pearling trail ( https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2020/10/neils-tours-of-bahrain-pearling-trail.html ) , and The Tree of life and various beaches and paces of interest ( https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2020/07/neils-tours.html ) . However since I have retired I have done several more tours for Carl May, Gray, and others.
One of my favourite places to take them is Al Jasra House- I love the quietness and simplicity of the place. The grounds are very pretty with sunflowers and well tended trees.
The house is very simply set out on one floor around an open area and each room has a description on the door. From this you can picture how life used to be in the old days in Bahrain with the Molasses, the Majlises and the kitchen. I will not say any more here but I recommend you visit and do chat to the lovely security guard. Close by is the Al Jasra craft centre ( closed Fridays) where you can see model boats, Arabic chests and other crafts and also you have the chance to buy the work direct from the artists.
The History and layout of Al Jasra House.
The funny thing is that having lived in Bahrain for 11 years I have found more new places since I retired and sent my belongings to the Philippines. Often I will see pictures of a place on Facebook and ask my friends where it is and that was the case with the next place... so thanks to Rachelle and family for telling me where they hang out by the sea.
Al Budaiya beach is actually easy to find ( when you know what you are looking for) next to the long stalled Marina West eyesore ( three tower blocks that were sold off plan and never completed- 10 years on those who invested are still fighting to get their money back) . It' s also ear the Laguna Resort (which is well signposted and has a water park if you have kids) and the Pink Disney Palace. There is a pleasant beach, Derby Coffee which sells ice creams and cold drinks, a Mosque and park, with plenty of car parking. The sea is very shallow and calm and there are benches for picnics.
Make sure you pack a towel and a change of clothes as this is one of Bahrain's few free beaches with sand and clean water. Trust me , if it is safe enough for Rachelle to take her kids there it is safe for everyone!
Paddling in the sea with the Prime Minister's island in the far distance
Another picturesque ( very Instagram able!) spot is Karzakkan Forest which is another place very few people know about. It is the scene for many birthday, christening and wedding photos but makes a very pleasant walk down to a beach. Last time I went we found many families having picnics near the sea and lots of kids cycling about and playing in the water.
Sadly there are always some people who drive down the track, try and turn around , or one day we found three wanabees and a 4 x 4 making a hip hop video! Most days it's nice and quiet and you can get some great photos as the sun filters through the trees, and towards the end where there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Special thanks to Carl Max for the amazing photos. This was by the sea at the end of our walk through the forest.
As well as places I had not visited before I have also discovered restaurants I had not visited before I retired and one of those was Shakespeare & Co at Zallaq Springs. I first went there for a farewell lunch with Steve Lever back in February and returned the next day for lunch with my friends as part of my round Bahrain farewell tour in a Chauffeur Driven Limo. You can read all about that tour here: ( https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-wonderful-way-to-say-goodbye-to.html ) So I decided to take Carl there as part of his tour....
Shakespeare & Company at Zallaq Springs
The restaurant is beautifully decorated inside ( do check out the toilets) and the area outside is beautifully landscaped with Flamingoes and ( noisy) Geese on the lake ( but strangely no cameras allowed!).
I hope you have enjoyed some of the places we visited and if you would like your own personal tour just let me know, I am here until 14 December.
Other places we can go ( in addition to all those shown in this 3 part series) are:
- The Grand Mosque ( long sleeve shirt and trousers / neck covered for women, not Friday)
- The National Museum
- Awali
- Dragon city and Thai Mart
- Marisai Beach
- Mall of Dilmunia
Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment