Recommendations in Bahrain and Dubai

[texifornia 56,917]

Heading to Bahrain and Dubai/Abu Dhabi for a couple of weeks. Anyone have any recommendations? Especially food and sights that don't cost my monthly rent?

[HenryJames 66,041]

47 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Heading to Bahrain and Dubai/Abu Dhabi for a couple of weeks. Anyone have any recommendations? 

Go somewhere else?

[ATX_Horn 1]

The Movenpick hotel has a Thursday night brunch that was great! About 50 bucks all you can eat/drink incl. wine and champagne. Coco's was another spot in Manama that had good food.

There's plenty of American comforts near the base in Manama. American Alley. Everything from KFC to Macaroni Grill. Nando's was my spot to grab some peri-peri chicken to go as I left the base heading home.

Sights in Bahrain include the Grand Mosque, Bahrain fort, and shopping at the Bab El-Bahrain souk. 

It's been about 7-8 years since leaving, but I had some good times and met some good people there. Enjoy.

Plenty of stuff to do in Dubai...spend all day in the Dubai Mall checking out the aquarium as well as making your way to the Burj Khalifa(world's tallest bldg) observation deck.

Go skiing, ride camels or 4 wheelers in the desert and check out the man-made Palm Islands and the 7 star Burj Al Arab hotel.

[texifornia 56,917]

Thanks! Bahrain I'm visiting a local friend for the Formula One race but I'll have plenty of free time. Dubai I have five days solo to while away - camels and the aquarium sound great and the Burj is a given haha.

[G650 14,250]

Looks like we are gonna build the next yacht in Dubai again, so I have a return trip to the strangest fucking place on the planet this winter.

 

The Burg Al Arab kinda sucks btw. It's nice, but relative to it's marketing it's nothing to write home about. The Burg Khalifa is worth seeing though.

[texifornia 56,917]

57 minutes ago, G650 said:

Looks like we are gonna build the next yacht in Dubai again, so I have a return trip to the strangest fucking place on the planet this winter.

 

The Burg Al Arab kinda sucks btw. It's nice, but relative to it's marketing it's nothing to write home about. The Burg Khalifa is worth seeing though.

I ended up having a terrific time. I ate a different country in the Middle East's food for every meal and it was phenomenal - the Dubai Creek/old city area has some serious food for not very expensive. The BK was amazing.

[G650 14,250]

3 minutes ago, texifornia said:

I ended up having a terrific time. I ate a different country in the Middle East's food for every meal and it was phenomenal - the Dubai Creek/old city area has some serious food for not very expensive. The BK was amazing.

Dubai Creek is definitely the most interesting part of town. I'm usually out by the Marina at Jumeirah. Fun enough but a bit sanitized. Did randomly see Coolio in concert there in 2011, where I guess he has been hiding for the past decade.

[texifornia 56,917]

Just now, G650 said:

Dubai Creek is definitely the most interesting part of town. I'm usually out by the Marina at Jumeirah. Fun enough but a bit sanitized. Did randomly see Coolio in concert there in 2011, where I guess he has been hiding for the past decade. 

Agreed - definitely a hike from the Marina though. That area was so wild - just how tall and close together the buildings are (and I live in NYC). Ate dinner at an alright Afghan spot and lingered for an hour or two watching the world go by.

If I had a complaint, since the locals don't drink (publically at least) I never found a relaxed bar where you could just have a chill beer and chat with the bartender. They were all so anodyne and staffed by disconcertingly perky Filipinos.

[G650 14,250]

9 minutes ago, texifornia said:

 

If I had a complaint, since the locals don't drink (publically at least) I never found a relaxed bar where you could just have a chill beer and chat with the bartender. They were all so anodyne and staffed by disconcertingly perky Filipinos.

You have to find the expat neighborhoods. I have a friend that flew for Emirates that had a great little neighborhood spot.

[HOOK'EMHOOAH 1,610]

Drinkin is always good in Dubai. But never ever go to a conservative oral surgeon there. That's code for "no pain meds for wisdom teeth removal."  that shit will fuck up your life.

The mall is nice, but after you walk around it the first two levels, the 3rd is pretty daunting.

Take a business card from your hotel to show your taxi driver exactly where you need to be taken to, especially if you are planning on drinking. Speaking with anyone through a language barrier is hard enough as it is when your drunk it's damned near impossible.

[G650 14,250]

6 hours ago, HOOK'EMHOOAH said:

Take a business card from your hotel to show your taxi driver exactly where you need to be taken to, especially if you are planning on drinking. Speaking with anyone through a language barrier is hard enough as it is when your drunk it's damned near impossible.

Plus if you are hammered some cabbies will take you straight to jail.

Also, don't flip people off, had an Aussie mate of mine deported for flipping an Emirati the bird on the highway. Sat in the joint for about 3 weeks too.

[G650 14,250]

So a guy walks into a bar in Dubai. And sees an old acquaintance from Virginia Beach randomly...

 

Christ what are the odds.

[Sbbruin 21,842]

On 4/3/2018 at 2:08 PM, texifornia said:

Anyone have any recommendations? 

Get really drunk.

Do lots of drugs

Rock out with your cock out

Wear funny shirts depicted the Prophet Muhammed in various cartoonish situations

Wear a USA #1 hat

Profit

 

[WBT 20,561]

In Bahrain you can watch all the Saudis come across the causeway to do their drinking and whoring

[ChiTownDoc 21,152]

22 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

Get really drunk.

Do lots of drugs

Rock out with your cock out

Wear funny shirts depicted the Prophet Muhammed in various cartoonish situations

Wear a USA #1 hat

Prophet

 

There you go...

[Rougarou 594]

Will be there for work soon, was wanting to look into doing something cool like renting an ATV and riding on sand dunes or something. Anything neat as far as beach recommendations or fun things to do when not working?