It was the Christmas weekend when we visited Bahrain by road. Coming from Riyadh, we drove for around five hours and spent almost an hour for the passport and immigration processes in King Fahd Causeway Authority. The queue of vehicles going through the processes in the border were long that weekend, or maybe, it's always long during weekends due to the influx of both citizens and residents wanting some time out of the country. The processes were fairly fast anyway since almost all of the gates were operating that time.
What were the documents needed?
Before visiting any places, we first read on about what we needed to prepare. For this specific travel, we had to be sure that we didn't forget anything since we were crossing border control to get to Bahrain. In our case, we did not need to apply for visa beforehand since visa-on-arrival are granted for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) residents if traveling by road.
You can check your eligibility for a Bahrain visa in their visa service website here. Just fill out the information needed and the website will show you if you are eligible or not. Furhermore, we got the following visa conditions if travelling through the causeway:
We brought our passport, original iqama (residence permit), and printed exit re-entry visa (for assurance). We then paid for the car insurance and visa-on-arrival fee of BD 5 per person which allows for a 7-day stay in Bahrain. After the checking processes went smoothly, we were welcomed into the country with the remaining length of the causeway.
Before visiting any places, we first read on about what we needed to prepare. For this specific travel, we had to be sure that we didn't forget anything since we were crossing border control to get to Bahrain. In our case, we did not need to apply for visa beforehand since visa-on-arrival are granted for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) residents if traveling by road.
You can check your eligibility for a Bahrain visa in their visa service website here. Just fill out the information needed and the website will show you if you are eligible or not. Furhermore, we got the following visa conditions if travelling through the causeway:
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| Conditions for Causeway Visit Visa |
We brought our passport, original iqama (residence permit), and printed exit re-entry visa (for assurance). We then paid for the car insurance and visa-on-arrival fee of BD 5 per person which allows for a 7-day stay in Bahrain. After the checking processes went smoothly, we were welcomed into the country with the remaining length of the causeway.
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| Welcome to Bahrain! |
We looked for affordable hotels that fit into our budget using different hotel search engines, comparing the location, rates, and amenities of each. When we found a reasonable place to stay in, we called the hotel to reserve a room but it turned out that they were not fully-booked that weekend so reservations were not necessary.
We chose to stay in Windsor Tower Hotel for a night. We were greeted by the reception and they asked for our passport (which they kept during our stay) and marriage certificate. We paid BD 25 for a night stay with buffet breakfast for two.
We did not encounter any problem staying in Windsor Tower Hotel. We loved our stay though the room would be much better if it were cleaner. The breakfast buffet were good and there were enough parking spaces. We believed we got a good deal with our stay.
What did we do/ Where did we go?
We chose to stay in Windsor Tower Hotel for a night. We were greeted by the reception and they asked for our passport (which they kept during our stay) and marriage certificate. We paid BD 25 for a night stay with buffet breakfast for two.
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| Queen-sized bed, comfort room, and a small entertainment space |
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| It was also our wedding anniversary getaway! |
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| Michael, claiming our passports upon checking out |
We did not encounter any problem staying in Windsor Tower Hotel. We loved our stay though the room would be much better if it were cleaner. The breakfast buffet were good and there were enough parking spaces. We believed we got a good deal with our stay.
What did we do/ Where did we go?
Since we only had limited time to explore, we only went to a few places. Despite the lack of sleep, we managed to attend the last misa del gallo in Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The mass was jam-packed with Filipinos and we definitely felt that it's Christmas for the first time in the middle east. There were Christmas decorations all over, bibingka and puto bumbong were sold right outside the church, and there was a beautiful nativity scene for everyone to see. Attending the Catholic mass was one of our reasons for visiting Bahrain and it was worth it.
We were interested to visit the souq but since it was the weekend, the narrow streets were crowded with people and we had no idea where to park safely. Instead, we just drove around while looking at some stores and found our way out of the crowd after going 'round and 'round.
Next, we came to see the Bahrain National Museum. Entrance fee is BD 1 per person. It was huge; we spent around two hours checking out all the displays and exhibitions there. We pretty much enjoyed exploring and reading the history and cultures of the country.
We also had the opportunity to meet a friend and her family, who we haven't seen in years. We had our brunch together and caught up with what's going on in our lives. We only spent a few hours with them and we're definitely happy to see them.
Our weekend visit in Bahrain wouldn't be complete without going to one of the places that's missing in Saudi Arabia - movie houses. We do not always go to cinema, unless we really like a foreign movie or a really good independent Philippine film would be screened and probably wouldn't be distributed. Anyway, since it was December and a plenty of movies were screening that time, we went to the movie house - twice. We watched Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them in City Center, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in Seef Mall. We enjoyed the two movies, even if I'm not (yet) a fan of both wizards and jedis.
Lastly, we dropped by an old fort called Sheikh Salman bin Ahmed Al-Fateh. It was built in 1812 and well-preserved until now. I wished that there were tour guides here to tell the history of the fort. Nevertheless, the architecture, facade, and the overlooking valley were worth checking out.
We might have a short time to experience Bahrain, but at least we still have a good list of more places to see if we ever find ourselves wanting to visit Bahrain again. Though we loved spending our Christmas there, nothing still beats spending the season of love in the Philippines with family and loved ones.
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| Filipinos lining up to take a photo in the altar |
We were interested to visit the souq but since it was the weekend, the narrow streets were crowded with people and we had no idea where to park safely. Instead, we just drove around while looking at some stores and found our way out of the crowd after going 'round and 'round.
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| Where were we again?! |
Next, we came to see the Bahrain National Museum. Entrance fee is BD 1 per person. It was huge; we spent around two hours checking out all the displays and exhibitions there. We pretty much enjoyed exploring and reading the history and cultures of the country.
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| Michael posing outside the museum |
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| One of the displays inside the museum |
We also had the opportunity to meet a friend and her family, who we haven't seen in years. We had our brunch together and caught up with what's going on in our lives. We only spent a few hours with them and we're definitely happy to see them.
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| Michael and I with Lira's family |
Our weekend visit in Bahrain wouldn't be complete without going to one of the places that's missing in Saudi Arabia - movie houses. We do not always go to cinema, unless we really like a foreign movie or a really good independent Philippine film would be screened and probably wouldn't be distributed. Anyway, since it was December and a plenty of movies were screening that time, we went to the movie house - twice. We watched Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them in City Center, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in Seef Mall. We enjoyed the two movies, even if I'm not (yet) a fan of both wizards and jedis.
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| Took a photo before it got crowded |
Lastly, we dropped by an old fort called Sheikh Salman bin Ahmed Al-Fateh. It was built in 1812 and well-preserved until now. I wished that there were tour guides here to tell the history of the fort. Nevertheless, the architecture, facade, and the overlooking valley were worth checking out.
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| Inside the fort |
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| It was winter when we came to Bahrain |
We might have a short time to experience Bahrain, but at least we still have a good list of more places to see if we ever find ourselves wanting to visit Bahrain again. Though we loved spending our Christmas there, nothing still beats spending the season of love in the Philippines with family and loved ones.
Few more months and it's Christmas again, listen to (and maybe download) this amazing Christmas album by Donewaiting and Each Note Secure:
Hindistonga-sayyohlik-vizasiExcellent and very exciting site. Love to watch. Keep Rocking.
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