Art Therapy, Jacuzzis & Watercraft At Art Rotana Hotel Bahrain

Art Therapy, Jacuzzis & Watercraft At Art Rotana Hotel Bahrain
Another day, another airport terminal at some ungodly hour of the morning. However it seems petty to moan as I was off to Bahrain to stay at the new Art Rotana Hotel and take in the sights and sounds of this island jewel set in the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
I was flying with Gulf Air which is the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, so we arrived in Muharraq, a little island just off the capital city of Manama, on time and in comfort. Gulf Air is extremely well run with comfortable seats, good food and personable cabin crew. Flying economy feels like business class on any other airline and first class is so good it feels like you’ve already arrived at your destination and you can start the holiday on take off. The flight was a breeze and once landed in Bahrain we moved swiftly through customs as the airport is small and well organised, only to hit a small snag which concerns anyone working in media. We were detained by security along with a seemingly random group of women and children for no apparent reason after passing through passport control. The snafu, it turned out was that one of our party had put “publisher” as his profession on the landing form. This is also the same mistake that one lady with two very small children had made. She published children’s educational books, so no real threat to national security, but be warned airport security will detain anyone who lists their profession on the landing card as either writer, publisher, photographer or media, and you will stay there until someone can vouch for you. So be advised do not count yourself as any sort of media unless you have cast iron permits to practice that profession in the country.
However after a little while the hotel sorted out the delay and we arrived safely at the Art Rotana in the Amwaj islands, less than half an hour from the airport. The hotel entrance is imposing, modern with curved swooping lines and the staff greet you immediately with hot towels, dates, tea and great big smiles. The lobby is a vast pillared marble extravaganza, beautifully designed to bring you into the space, past the check in desks and then off to the lifts. Check in is swift and painless and very soon I was ensconced in the luxury suite overlooking the pool, sea and brand new marina.
I was staying in the classic suite which is magnificent, consisting of a large terrace with covered double wicker lounger and Jacuzzi, a huge living room and a large king sized bed with adjoining bathroom, shower and giant jacuzzi bath, all tastefully decorated in marble and subdued browns and greys. Including giant screen tv, instant wifi and fully laden complimentary fridge There were also dates, chocolates and other treats attractively arranged on the dining room table in warm welcome. The chocolates were absolutely sublime and I would heartily recommend the place for them alone.
I quickly changed and made my way down to the pool, the best way to get over any plane journey, however comfortable. There are two main pools, one for families and one for adults only, which is where I found my reserved pool longer and immediately ordered a wonderful fruit cocktail from the waiting attendants. The service at the pool is friendly and attentive and if you have reserved your lounger they will keep it for you too. No pushy tourists stealing the pool beds here!
My delightful companions soon joined me and we made our way off to Choices for lunch, the Art Rotana all day restaurant. I was instantly in heaven, there was a vast platter of sushi and plates of lobster and crayfish, all beautifully prepared, sea fresh and tender. After lunch we made our way to the dock just past the pool to board a lovely luxury yacht the hotel keeps for guests and sailed off around the island. You cannot go to Bahrain and not take a boat out, the sea is very warm even in October and the vistas of the island from the sea are magnificent, where you can admire all the incredible palaces, minarets and developments underway. We even sailed past the house where Michael Jackson lived when he was producing an album with the Prince of Bahrain, Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Khalifa.
Bahrain has for millennia made its living from the sea and not just fishing, with a large proportion of its population diving for pearls, which was its main industry. Bahrain used to be called ‘Dilmun’ or Pearl Islands and was famous for the quality and size of its pearls dating back 2000 years BC. At its peak the pearl industry employed half the population of the islands on around 3000 boats. The annual income apparently reached $10 million at its peak, giving the people of Bahrain one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. The pearling methods used changed very little over a thousand years with divers still using traditional diving methods well in the 1900’s. They would dive down from the side of the boat with a rope for guidance and another to haul up the booty in a net bag. They would use beeswax to stop up their ears and dive to depths of 50 feet or more, remaining submerged for up to three minutes! A single diver could collect a dozen oysters at a time and make around 60 descents in a day.
The pearl industry continued until the 1930’s when it crashed because of cheap imports of cultured pearls from Japan. Luckily enough the Standard Oil Company of California struck oil in 1932 and this new income more than made up for the loss of the pearl industry. However you can actually go pearl diving and what an experience that would be, I did not have enough time while I was there, but it gives me a fantastic reason to go back. You can even keep the pearls you find and there is a recent tale of a women finding a large rare black pearl that sold for $10,000. There are various tour operators offering this experience and of course the Art Rotana can arrange a trip if you so request.
Dinner at Rosso’s that evening was a great success, the restaurant is well lit and welcoming, overlooking the terrace with views out to sea. The chef Federica Piccioni is an absolute charmer who is takes great personal pride in her wide range of Italian cuisine made from the freshest local ingredients. She is clearly passionate about presenting a varied popular menu, such as great pizza, as well as surprisingly inventive signature dishes in an open and inviting kitchen. It is her personal touch that really makes it and we eat there many more times during our short stay as she made it such a fun experience.
After dinner we retired to Cellar 59 Bar where a DJ mixed some excellent sets and got the crowd hip hopping away, whilst we tried out some very tasty and visually stunning smoky cocktails that seems to come straight out of a Harry Potter potions mixing class. They have a great range of fine wines and some seriously good whiskies too. It is a wonderful place to lounge, chat, relax and luxuriate the evening away.
The next morning we were booked in for a painting class with the exceptional art therapist Dalal Al Sindi, who generally works with people with psychological problems or just those who feel the need for a little help in life. She offers a one to one class or group sessions in art for people with learning disabilities, anger problems, stress, anxiety, fear, trauma and communication difficulties. Despite her great reputation for helping children and people traumatised by war, I was little sceptical as to how effective art could be as a therapy tool. The next two hours could not have been more effective in convincing me how wrong I was. I was in a group of six fairly different people and yet it was simply astounding to see how Dalal reached everyone in the group in quite a profound way. Her manner was extremely impressive, warm, sincere, open and honest, the sort of person you trust immediately. At first everyone was curious and saw it as a little bit of fun, but once they started drawing, the mood became much more serious and contemplative. Much thought went into each drawing and it became clear that it really was a very impressive way of getting people to open up. With gentle guidance from Dalal on what kind of things we might draw and examples taken from famous paintings, we all bared our souls. One of our party was moved to tears and deeply touched, but we all were affected in different ways.
Dalal is quite exceptional and it is worth going to Art Rotana in Bahrain simply for this experience, even if you have no communication problems but especially if you feel that a kind and sympathetic soul might just be able to help you with any problems in life you might be facing.
After another magnificent 7 course meal at Rosso’s with Federica’s kind care I headed off to the pontoon to pick up a classic Sea-Doo watercraft and headed out into the Persian gulf to clear my head and kick the heart rate up a notch by flying over the waves at around 50 miles per hour whilst admiring the incredible panoramas. There were three old oil tankers rusting away in the bay, with the new Arabian palace under construction on the opposite shore and the city’s minarets festooned along the coastline. It was a magnificent fusion of old Arabia mixed with the modern architecture for which the country is now becoming justly famous.
In the early evening we popped along to Block 338 which is a newly arising art district with trendy galleries and cafes, much reminiscent of Berlin’s underground art scene, with street works decorating cross roads, roundabouts and the narrow pedestrian alleys. We dined there at Lanterns Indian restaurant, which has a lovely outside bar festooned with lanterns along side a warm convivial restaurant with great food and service. Original indian authentic cuisine with an Arabian twist.
The next morning we took breakfast at the delightful Saffron Cafe founded by Naris Kambar, a business woman who was also ambassador for Bahrain at last year’s Expo Milan. The cafe is set in an old Madbasa which is where dates were pressed for their honey. The cafe is very popular with authentic Bahrain cuisine and classical, elegant decor. You can even see the old date press rooms in the basement though the glass floor. After we visited the Al Jasrah Handicrafts Centre which is a great place to pick up local hand made gifts for friends and family and were treated to an impromptu concert by a famous local musician on the lute, who also made stunning bespoke pearl jewellery. You can find pottery making, cloth weaving, wood working, basket weaving, and sadow making all housed in a restored classical style mansion. In contrast to this we stopped off at the Bahrain National Museum which is a great example of modern middle east architecture, strong imposing lines of steel, cement and glass with historical references to Bahrain’s rich history. The museum has full size life stories of Bahrain’s past and a great map of Bahrain sunk into the marble floor, so you can stride across the island like Gulliver in Lilliput, stepping from one area to another with giant ease. They have a great pearl diving display there too!
The day finished off with a swim in the pool and a few drinks followed by a wonderful massage in the hotel spa before dinner at the superb Flames restaurant. Great cocktails and a wonderful surf and turf menu, in good company and opulent surroundings, made it a perfect end to a wonderful few days. I would highly recommend Art Rotana as the perfect place to stay when visiting Bahrain, to take in the history, the fine dining, the scenery and relax in the warm wonderful sea, with a little jet skiing to keep you fit and perhaps a little pearl diving just for the adventure.
ART Rotana Hotel:
Stay at the five star ART Rotana in Bahrain from BD122 (approx. £211) per room, per night, inclusive of breakfast based on two adults sharing a Classic Room. To book or for further information, please visit  www.rotana.com.
Gulf Air:
Gulf Air offers twice daily flights from London Heathrow to Bahrain. Return economy tickets start from £584 per person, and business class tickets start from £2,047. All fares include taxes and are pending availability. To book, call 0844 493 1717 or visit  www.gulfair.com
Dalal Al Sindi Art Therapy Bahrain: http://www.arttherapybh.com/
Al Jasra Handicrafts Centre: http://culture.gov.bh/en/visitingbahrain/destinations/Name,10286,en.html...
Bahrain National Museum: http://www.bahrain.com/en/vp/things-to-do/top-ten-sights/Pages/Bahrain-N...