I shut my laptop Thursday evening, caught the overnight flight from London to Doha in Qatar and quick connecting flight to Bahrain International Airport
Here I was about to enjoy a spontaneous getaway for the August Bank Holiday, staying with an acquaintance I'd met just a few months earlier.
Hannah (IG handle @wild_shore) and I were partnered to share a Ger Tent together in Mongolia whilst on a photography holiday, and we instantly bonded. By the end of that trip she extended an open invitation to visit her, in Bahrain where she was temporarily working.
Girls savouring a traditional Bahraini breakfast at Saffron in Old Muharraq, and jetski fun in the Gulf of Bahrain at sunset.
I made the Ritz Carlton, Bahrain my base for Sunday, whilst Hannah had to work. I flipped my time between the cabanas by the pool, and the private beach front. The service here is first rate, and the collection of resident flamingos made it the perfect haven for getting some R&R.
Hannah was an exceptional host, and in the short time I stayed with her, she drove me to some of the most photogenic and interesting spots on the island.
We stopped our car to capture the majesty of these stallions silhouetted against the city backdrop, whilst we drove across the oil fields at dusk in search of the Tree of Life located 2km from Jebel Dukhan, the highest point in Bahrain,
This Prosopis cineraria tree is over 400 years old.
Al Fateh Grand Mosque was one of the largest mosques in the world, able to accommodate 7,000 worshippers at any one time.
Qal'at al-Bahrain (also known as the Bahrain Fort) is one of Bahrain’s oldest military fortifications.
When someone offers you an open invitation to visit them - just take it.
I've always found that friends and acquaintances that have been repatriated abroad on work assignments absolutely love it when friends visit. They take pride in showing guests around the area, thanks to their new found level of local knowledge. Plus, knowing your interests well, they are able to package up a bespoke tailor made tour, better than any travel advisor could offer.