Passport/Visa Requirements: Citizens of Canada and the U.S. need passports, visas and proof of onward passage. An airport tax of BD3 must be paid in cash, though some hotels collect the tax at checkout (you'll be issued a voucher to present at the airport). Reconfirm travel document requirements with your carrier before departure.
Population: 677,886.
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, English..
Predominant Religions: Islamic..
Time Zone: 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+3 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
Voltage Requirements: 220 volts.
Telephone Codes: 973, country code;
For More Information
Tourist OfficesBahrain does not have tourist offices in Canada or the U.S.
Bahrain Embassies
Bahrain does not have diplomatic representation in Canada. Canadians should contact the embassy in the U.S.
U.S.: Embassy of the State of Bahrain, 3502 International Drive N.W., Washington, DC 20008. Phone 202-342-1111. Fax 202-362-2192. http://www.bahrainembassy.org.
Foreign Embassies in Bahrain
Canada is represented by its embassy in Saudi Arabia: Canadian Embassy, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh. Phone 966-1-488-2288. Fax 966-1-488-1361.
U.S. Embassy, Building 979, Road No. 3119, Zinj District (by Al Ahli Sports Club), Manama. Phone 973-273-300. Fax 973-256-242. http://www.usembassy.com.bh.
Additional Reading
Culture Shock! Bahrain: Survive and Succeed in Bahrain by Harvey Tripp and Margaret Tripp. (Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company). A useful look at aspects of Bahraini culture that may seem puzzling to the Western traveler.
Time Out Bahrain (ITP Publishing). Quarterly magazine available in many hotels and bookshops. Gives the lowdown on the best (and worst) restaurants, bars and malls, as well as listings for activities around the country.
Bahrain: A Heritage Explored by Angela Clarke (MEED Books, London).
Looking for Dilmun by Geoffrey Bibby (New South Wales Press). An account of the archaeological excavations that uncovered remnants of the ancient Dilmun civilization, the book also offers insight into modern Bahraini life.
Arabia by Jonathan Raban (Harvill Press). The chapter on Bahrain is humorous and gives a good account of expat life in the country during the oil boom of the late 1970s.
