Index
Day 1 - LAX-DXB
Day 2 - DXB-KWI
Day 3 - Kuwait
Day 4 - Kuwait
Day 5 - KWI-BAH
Day 6 - Bahrain
Day 7 - Bahrain
Day 8 - BAH-DXB
Day 9 - Return
Middle East
The breakfast buffet at the Marriott Executive Apartments Bahrain was a surprising upgrade over the Sheraton Kuwait. Properly cooked beef bacon was nice, and the selection, while not that much better than the Sheraton, felt more accessible as a buffet rather than ordering off the menu. Made-to-order omelete wasn't all that interesting as it was a little too well-done, but given the that the previous (five star!) hotel cooked omeletes well-done too, maybe that's the style here?
What was fun to note at the end of breakfast was the presence of an informal library in back half of the restaurant-- even if just a few shelves of books. A nice homey touch-- makes sense given how many guests here probably have extended stays.
Spent the rest of the day working, then realized it was sunset a bit too late to head out to the roof. Fortunately the patios in the apartment still had nice enough views, then it was off to what was to prove the best meal of the trip at Al Kwar. Not only were the grilled meats great, the staff at this local hole-in-the-wall clearly enjoyed their jobs as well!
Wandered some of the shopping areas near the gold souk after dinner. Felt like small little shops across much of the world, perhaps on slightly neater streets than some other countries. Not quite as familiar as the vibes in Hong Kong, but not too different. Ended up waiting for our Careem by some teenagers playing football in a semi-shaded parking lot not far from the Bahrain World Trade Center and its trio of built-in wind turbines.
Ended up being a short ride over to The Avenues, a regional chain of high-end shopping malls with some spectacular night photography opportunities. The Four Seasons Hotel is across the water, currently the tallest skyscraper in Bahrain (890 feet/270 meters), and the other way is the Bahrain World Trade Center, plus a bunch of cranes as evidence of all of the construction happening in Bahrain. Final note: if taking pictures with a real camera at The Avenues, make sure to stop by the security office for a permit. (also they did not allow us to take photos inside, nor were we supposed to use a tripod, oops-- although much of the waterfront has thick concrete handrails you can easily balance a camera on so you can skip the tripod).