andy_78

Hi there,

I'm moving to Bahrain in Jan and was after a bit of gen from UK Expats, any help is great. I'm married but will be mostly living as a single while the wife hops between Bahrain and the UK.

1. I'll be working near the Airport and I'm looking for the best area to live with a budget of 800bhd. I've stayed in Juffair before and wouldn't really fancy living there, it's a little too crazy.

I'd like to have a few bars, restaurants, supermarkets etc. Amwaj Islands seems the obvious choice but I'm not sure if it'll be a little too quiet, I'm 35.

Is Seef an ok commute to the airport? Is there much going on around that area apart from the maul?

2. I'm a big rugby fan and wondered the best place to catch up on Ints and the English AP would be? Is the rugby club around Saar as this seems a decent distance from Amwaj, any ideas on taxi cost?

3. Is there any good gyms local to Amwaj or Seef as this could be a deal breaker. I like to do more weight stuff these days, possibly a bit of kickboxing??

4. The wife will be coming out for large parts of the year and I'd like somewhere she can just walk around and chill out whilst I'm at work, is Seef ok for this? I don't have much knowledge of either Seef or Amwaj so anything would be great.

I'm really looking forward to getting out there, hopefully meet some fellow expats as I can imagine I'll be a little bored to start with.

Doing a little more research, Adliya & Mahooz seem a bit more upbeat. I'm not sure if Seef would be a little depressing.

Any ideas on commute time form these areas to the airport?

DubInRiyadh

I lived in Adliya for 5 months and it was the best time I had in the ME....nice neighborhood feel about the place and everything in walking distance. You can watch all the sports in JJ's in Adliya and there is a Rugby club in Bahrain but I've never been, also the British club serves booze during Ramadan. You can get a nice apartment in Adliya for around 500 BD.

andy_78

Thanks Dub, it does seem like a nice place to live. The company pay the rent so may as well look to get something around the 7/800 mark.

Are there many restaurants/coffee shops etc in that area?

DubInRiyadh

as many as you can shake a stick at

andy_78

Haha...that's a canny few

Backinthesand

Wouldn't rush into finding a place as soon as you get here, try and stay in a hotel (but depressing) or furnished apartment while you find your feet.

No real idea about Amwaj, don't venture out there too often.
Wouldn't consider Seef but have a look at Reef Island - right next to Seef
Adliya is great for restaurants and the British Club
Saar / Janabiya very popular with Brit Expats due to the proximity to the British School and St. Chris as well as the Dilmun Club and Rugby Club, lots of nice small and large compounds to choose from.

Bear in mind that Bahrain is tiny pretty much anywhere to the airport can be done in 30 minutes.

Feel free to PM me, when you've got enough posts, Bahrain is a great place to live not much to do as compared to the Emirates but a great feel about the place, locals and expats are generally friendly, the odd idiot of course but you get them everywhere. You will soon find your niche and no matter where you live you can always move.

Good luck with the move over.

andy_78

Thanks Sand, sounds like a good plan. I've been to Bahrain a few times having being in the Mob for a number of years but we stayed in Juffair and didn't really venture away.

I do like the sound of Adliya/Mahooz, it'll be good to have a bit of a social scene whilst the wife comes and goes.

Work Widow

A friend of ours got into the Fontana Tower Juffair. A lovely two bed apartment for about BHD600 including cleaning. They are nicely appointed and have a Health club, gymnasium and indoor pool.

We live on Reef Island but it's a bit more expensive although pleasant and very quiet. Not terribly close to any action.

Also checkout propertyfinder.bh - Bahrain's #1 property site for options.

Cheers

andy_78

Thanks WW, I've had a good look at that site.

The Fontana looks amazing, if I could find something like that in Adliya or Mahooz it would be ideal. I'm just not sure if I fancy living in Juffair, it's more a place I'd like to visit and then escape. I remember the traffic being pretty awful too, I'm not sure if the wife would like it.

Tockalosh

Your wife wont be walking or chilling out anywhere for most of the year. Rent her a car when she's out ya tight fisted matelot.
Live up near rugby club and enjoy. Taxis are cheap when you need to see the bright city lights.
Airport is less than 30 mins early in the morning

andy_78

Haha, if I start off like that she'll expect it every time Tock, much better to let her walk. It'll keep her fit, I am really thinking about her well being in the long run.

Saar would be good as I can see the rugby club being a fav of mine but it's just a little away from everything else (bars, work etc). It seems a little family orientated up there too, I've not got kids yet.

smilingcamel

If you are working at the Airport I would recommend Amwaj Islands. Nice area with some western supermarkets and lots of expats about 10 minutes drive from the Gulf Air HQ (where I used to work). I had a small flat for about 550 BHD (2012) sea view etc, swimming pool etc. No traffic problems and no real up-rest problems (burning tyres etc etc). Used to see a few burning tyres and high police numbers around some of the villages just North of the Airport but generally you can keep clear of that and dont have to travel through that area.

andy_78

Hi SCamel, I do like the look of Amwaj, there's some fantastic apartments around that area and I like the idea I can just go out for a run.

I'm just wondering if it's a little too quiet and I might go stir crazy, the small commute to the airport is certainly a bonus.

smilingcamel

Its peaceful and that was an attraction for me. There is an area around the lagoon in Amwaj with a few restaurants. Its not a ghost town. One of them served beer.Good and safe place for a run. Bahrain is such a small place, so to be honest you can be in Manama within about 10 minutes via either causeway crossing point. There are some nice compounds in Bahrain but I wouldnt go out too far and I would personally keep clear of travelling along the Budaiya road if you can avoid. Sometimes demonstrations would cause problems although the police seem to keep things under control generally. I left in 2012 so that may not be a problem now but I would often see plumes of black smoke burning here and there. This is a deep rooted problem between locals but personally of all the places I have lived within the Gulf over the 25+ years, Bahrain is my preference. Its smallness is an attraction in many ways...not far from anywhere, good eating and socializing is great. Locals are very friendly. I still keep in close contact with Bahraini friends I met there in the mid eighties.....you will enjoy Bahrain I am sure.

andy_78

I've got my date for moving over....middle of Jan and I'll be staying in the Seef area for the first month whilst I find my feet.

I'm pretty certain I fancy living around Adliya/Mahooz so any good apartment block recommendations??

Tock, I seen you post on another thread about a Landrover dealer, have you any info? I don't fancy driving a little rental for too long.