Asia
Pearl-diving heritage, old souqs and an island made for short stays.
Bahrain is an island kingdom in the Gulf, compact enough to cross in under an hour. Manama combines modern towers with the Bab Al Bahrain gateway and the old souq, while Qal'at al-Bahrain, the Dilmun burial mounds and Muharraq's Pearling Path trace thousands of years of trade and pearl diving. The Al Fateh Grand Mosque and the Bahrain National Museum are easy, rewarding stops.
The pace is relaxed and social, with machboos, grilled fish and sticky halwa, plus a busy café and restaurant scene in Adliya. Taxis and hire cars are the easiest way around, as buses are limited. Visit from November to March, when days are warm and sunny; summer is extremely hot and humid, and outdoor sightseeing is best kept to mornings and evenings.
January, February, March, November, December.