Stunning beach retreat

One of Bahrain’s most popular short getaway destinations, Al Dar Islands, has reopened for the season and is now offering visitors the opportunity to spend the night in one of six new beach-front chalets.

And GulfWeekly’s Charlie Holding, pictured below, became the first Bahrain journalist to enjoy the facilities as the waves of the Gulf lapped up on the shore close-by.

The chalets, housed on Al Dar North Beach Boutique, an expansion of the resort, were purpose-built to offer city-dwellers a stress-free getaway.
    
The long-awaited project, developed by Rashid Investment Holdings (RIH), has been ongoing since last year and was held up due to bureaucratic issues, not, as reported in other media, as a result of the recent unrest. Rental prices vary depending on the size of the chalet and day booked. There are one, two and three bedroom options available.

Comparatively speaking, life in the kingdom can be pretty slow but every once in a while it’s nice to change the pace and do something completely different.

Everyone likes to get away from the stress and strain of everyday life and for those looking for the perfect solution close to home, why not jump on a sea taxi and head for Al Dar Islands?

Just a five-minute journey from Sitra’s fisherman’s port, the resort is like a haven of tranquility from the hustle and bustle of Manama.

Upon arrival there is a big sign which reads: ‘Welcome to Al Dar Islands’, and that is just the beginning of the hospitality to come.

The friendly and courteous staff welcomed my girlfriend Layla and I with big beaming smiles and escorted us to our chalet. After a leisurely stroll along the beach we arrived at a secluded part of the island which houses the six stunning beach-front chalets.

Ours was a three-bedroom complete with en suite bathrooms, a sitting room decked out with comfy sofas and a flat-screen TV and, a private hot tub and patio area with a gazebo and hammock.
 
The bed was exceptionally comfortable and it felt a bit like sleeping on a cloud. And the best is yet to come. In the morning, when you wake up and open the curtains you are greeted with astounding views of the sea and get great delight knowing that you are only six feet from the beach.

One of my favourite things about the resort is that you can do as much or as little as you like.
 
If you crave excitement and adventure, there are fishing, pearl diving and dolphin watching trips, not to mention boat rides to some of the kingdom’s lesser-known smaller islands.

If you want to do nothing but work on your tan and gorge on the best of barbeque delights, that’s also an option.

Since I love adventure but also enjoy a bit of downtime Al Dar ticked all of my boxes. The food on Al Dar is simple but delicious too, it’s a real ‘no nonsense’ type of cuisine. During our stay we enjoyed fresh salads, and a fantastic mixed grill that still titillates my taste buds when I think back.

Layla and I decided to do as much as possible during our day on Al Dar and took in a great dolphin watching trip. We spotted some of the playful mammals splashing around and spent a good hour snapping pictures and enjoying the fresh air.
 
The pearl diving trips are another great example of what makes Al Dar so special. Island manager Mo Slaise took us out on the boat a few knots away from the resort to a part of the sea that was no more than knee-deep.

Armed with snorkeling gear and flippers we took to the beautifully warm turquoise water in search of Lulu … no, not the supermarket, the underwater treasure Bahrain was once famous for.

Mo told us beforehand that the likelihood of finding a pearl was slim but I took no notice and went on a mission to find Layla the biggest pearl in the ocean.

After a disastrous attempt on my part, the highlights of which include me swallowing a lung-full of water, impaling my foot on a barnacle and dropping my bag after spotting a stingray … I emerged from the water with a measly, pitiful seven oysters.

Layla, on the other hand, came out with a huge bag full and a massive grin. When we got back to the resort, we opened up each oyster in the hope of finding a big, gleaming (and hopefully very expensive) pearl.

As luck would have it, the last oyster we opened contained not one, but two! Admittedly, they were both the size of a grain of sand and probably worth no more than BD10. However, as far as I’m concerned with Layla in tow I still went home with the greatest treasure of all.

l Just a five-minute boat ride from the main land, the renovated beach resort boasts an impressive list of activities including jet skis, fishing, pearl diving and dolphin watching trips.The sea taxi and island entry costs BD5 return for adults and BD3 for children.

The basic rate for a one-bedroom chalet is BD50++. For details, contact 17704600.