Yousef Mohammed AlKhan, Director of Tourism Marketing & Promotion, Bahrain, is warm and welcoming; just like the country he comes from. Peaklife met the man himself, and discovered more about the luxurious appeal of Bahrain that makes us recommend Bahrain to be the ‘It’ destination on your travel list.

The Indian royalty have been known to have fancied the pearls of Bahrain. The import of these fine magnificent pearls from Bahrain by the erstwhile Maharajas could be called the first instances of interaction between the two countries, India and Bahrain.
Shift the picture to recent times – the idea of destination weddings explored the beauty, luxury and fine service and warmth offered by the country to its guests during two consecutive weddings that were hosted in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The element of luxury dwelling was evident from the fact that two of the most prominent luxury hotels – The Ritz-Carlton and The Four Seasons – were almost completely booked over by the guests of the distinguished wedding. With thousands of guests (primarily from India) joining the festivities of these luxurious weddings in Bahrain, the government of Bahrain made special arrangements for an elaborate firework show to add to the celebratory ambience of the affair.

Strong ties: India & Bahrain

The warmth and friendly welcome for Indians in Bahrain is also evident from the fact that, “With thousands of Indians residing in Bahrain for many generations now, some prominent Indian families have become very close to the HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain. Festivals like Holi and Diwali are celebrated in the Indian community in Bahrain, and in fact the Crown Prince himself visits the homes of some of these distinguished Indian families in Bahrain to greet them for the festival of Diwali,” confirms Yousef Mohammed AlKhan, Director of Tourism Marketing & Promotion, Bahrain.

It’s all about indulgence

With such strong bonds bringing the two countries together, the recent addition of Bahrain on the luxury travelers ‘It’ list is evident. Plus, the fact that the open-mindedness of Bahrain makes it the party destination of the UAE, gives it the special edge of indulgence. Some even coin Bahrain the ‘Goa of the Middle East.’ On that Yousef AlKhan adds, “I haven’t travelled to Goa myself so I can’t confirm on the fact shared here, but what I can confirm is that the government of Bahrain is very open-minded and hence the country has enough avenues of indulgence. Infact a lot of travelers from within UAE also come to Bahrain to party and indulge in its luxurious offerings.”

On the subject of luxury, Yousef AlKhan confirms that Bahrain is a shopper’s delight as it has every possible brand available in its high-streets, and some of the biggest names in luxury hospitality have their presence in the country. He also told us about the fact that the new Jumeirah hotel is scheduled to open its gates in Bahrain in February 2018.

Pearl diving in Bahrain

Telling us about a bespoke experience, Yousef AlKhan said that, “Bahrain has recently started the pearl diving experience, where the enthusiasts are taken for a scuba-dive and can fetch oyster shells from the sea bed.If you’re lucky to find a pearl, it is yours for keeps.” Now that’s something that will make a memorable experience you can talk about!

There’s always more indulgence

Besides the pearls, shopping and luxury hotels and spas, the country also has its own Formula 1 grand prix, and a growing art and gastronomy scene. All this and much more make Bahrain the holiday destination for travelers from the Arab Emirates and also across the globe. Bahrain’s confidence may have been shaken by the uncertain aftermath of the Arab Spring, but its appeal endures, and the lack of visitors means you may have it all to yourself. These are all good enough reasons for you to add Bahrain to your travel destination list.

Destination of Bespoke Weddings  

Coming back to the subject of hosting weddings in Bahrain, Yousef AlKhan confirms that, “The Government of Bahrain understands that weddings are a very important event in the lives of the families of the bride and groom. Hence, we try our best to accommodate the requirements and support in every way possible. In fact, for the recent Indian weddings in Bahrain, we ensured that the required visas and the paperwork were processed in advance, and there was no hold-up at the airport for the guests coming in for the wedding, so that the family could focus on the festivities and not be bothered about these smaller things.” With that kind of support and cooperation being available from the welcoming country, there is no reason why you shouldn’t plan the next wedding in the family in the country, or perhaps just explore its beauty and indulgences on your next holiday.