Romance on a budget
Money doesn’t buy love, you can still have a romantic time on Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank.
Sip Cocktails as you watch the sunset from the terrace of the Novotel – seeing the fiery ball sink behind the World Trade Centre towers is really quite something.
Sunrise in the desert with a picnic – pack up your fave breakfast and maybe even some bubbles and orange juice for a buck’s fizz and head out to the south of the island. Driving through the dark will add to the excitement as you aim for a remote spot to watch the sun come up – but make sure you check a map and avoid the military areas.
Stroll through the winding streets of old Muharrq, getting lost is half the fun. Enjoy some of the best falafel you’ll ever taste and pop into the Bin Matar house for a taste of culture, and it’s all for free – well except the falafel but they’re usually under a dinar.
Take to the ice – it’s a great ice breaker (pun definitely intended) for a first date (as long as neither of you is particularly good), there’s nothing like shared embarrassment to create an instant bond and it only costs BD3 per person at Funland on the Corniche. Call 17292313.
Drive out to the middle of the Saudi causeway – if you go just before sunset it’s really pretty and there’s a tower at the centre with a viewing platform plus a café where you can fuel up on tea and cakes for the return journey.
Visit the bay in front of the Mövenpick, it’s that time of year when the flamingoes visit, watching them lift off in a pink cloud is quite a sight and if your loved one’s never witnessed it before you’ll come off as a bit of a genius.
Go dolphin watching – the wild ones – you can take a short boat trip from Coral Bay for BD5 for adults (39782396) or go a bit further out with Jarada Tours, from BD4, (39643222). We defy you to lay eyes on these gorgeous, playful creatures and not come back with a big grin on your face.
Splash the cash
Like we said, money can’t buy you love but it can certainly conjour up a pretty spectacular date.
How about a villa at Al Areen Palace – completely walled they offer the ultimate in both privacy and luxury, you’ll have your own private pool and beds so big that if you fall out, which of course you won’t on this super romantic day, then you can simply avoid each other. Call 17845000.
Head over to Dubai and skydive over The Palm, you could even try it hand it hand. Your ears might pop and, we have to admit, the suits are not the most attractive thing, but if you’re half an adrenalin-junkie couple, then this could certainly be for you.
Have a Pretty Woman moment, obviously without the shadier connotations, and take a trip to Oman to the new opera house. There are some great performances coming up in the next few months so, if the object of your affections is a bit of a culture vulture, give this one a try.
Take a boat trip from Coral Bay, there’s the short dolphin watching option, or you can book a private craft, capable of holding either 13 or 27 (or possibly just two) people from BD80 to BD100 for an hour for some private time well away from the crowds. Call 39782396.
Dive for pearls. Follow in the footsteps of Bahrain’s long-ago pearl divers with a two-day course run by Robin Bugeja which covers the history of the craft and also the best way to spot pearls.
Best of all, you get to keep what you find, what could be more romantic than a piece of jewellery containing a pearl you’ve discovered yourself? Call 39671748.
