Beautiful Bahrain, said to be the Garden of Eden from Biblical times, is also known as the "Pearl of the Gulf". Part of an archipelago of 33 islands, it was strategically located on the ancient trade route between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Today it’s on the petroleum supertanker route from the oilfields of the Gulf to the rest of the world.

Though liberal by Gulf standards, Bahrain is still conservative by western yardsticks. Arabs and foreigners have an easy going business relationship with this country. Manama, the capital, is very modern, almost western in the way it looks. At the same time, its historical treasures have been well preserved. Excellent museums, the glorious beaches of Al Jaza'ir and Az Zallaq, the option of water sports and mountain biking in the Jebel-Al Dukhan are certain to make your visit an enjoyable one.