trebex

I will be going to Kuwait in January and want to combine it with one of the above. I was in Dubai last year, though for only two days.

In terms of sights, beaches, good food, costs, local culture, ease of getting around - which would you choose?

extramileage

Dubai will have lots more to see and do.

If you're thinking of just 2 days only again, maybe try Bahrain for the sake of newness.

trebex

Ok, let's try this a different way. I am flying into KWI and then flying out of DXB 10 days later. Do I do Kuwait and then the UAE or try to fit in Bahrain in the middle?

SMFlagg

Having spent a significant amount of time in Kuwait, you really can do Kuwait in 2 days. Perhaps even one, honestly. Check out downtown, go to the Gulf War museum, see the Towers, if you wanted to see a giant mall, go to the Avenues.

If you can find a driver, you could find a tank graveyard to go look at (old Iraqi stuff). If you want to go in depth, take a boat out to Failaka Island. There are some ancient Greek ruins from the days of Alexander out there.

If it were me? I'd spend two days in Kuwait and then get to the UAE. Bahrain isn't too much different except that it isn't dry. If you want to see it, go right ahead. But there's more to do in the UAE IMO.

BuildingMyBento

If you're going to end up in Dubai anyway, why not hop over to Bahrain just to check it out?

Though, saying Dubai has more to do than Bahrain just means there is a greater number of malls, cars, hotel lounges, tourists, and if you exhausted those activities, sand dunes. I suppose the Dubai Museum is worth a look too, to change things up.

trebex

Thank you for the replies. I am hesitant about 6 days in Dubai. Will there be enough to do? Are the outer emirates (Sharjah, Al Ain, etc, Ajman) worth a visit?

csdf

Al Ain isn't an emirate, its a town in Abu Dhabi (which, incidentally, is a much bigger emirate than Dubai, albeit less touristy).

muscat

You could easily drive around parts of the UAE.
Dubai to Al Ain. Then head to Hatta,cut over the mountains to the east coast. Up the east coast, cut through to the west and go over to Khasab in Oman. Then head back to Dubai along the coast or stick close to the mountains. That would easily fill three or four days with some spectacular scenery.

steveo

I've spent a fair amount of time in Bahrain and the UAE. Bahrain is a very different animal compared to UAE, however is it that interesting? I don't think so. In Bahrain they do have a pretty old souk, some old sites, a cool fort, and a good museum. Beach wise I've never seen people use them. Night life wise, Bahrain is interesting on the weekends when the gangs of saudi's come in to party.... There is also the dreaded tree of life if you want to drive out into the desert I would give Bahrain 1 - 2 day so you say you did it, but make sure you leave enough time to enjoy the UAE.

In the UAE if you want to do something different go to Al Ain, about 2 - 3 hours outside dubai. There are some great views, a little history, a few oasis's, and even a zoo.

Also everything in the UAE is pretty new, I found Bahrain to be a little run down.

mysocalledlife

Bahrain is really a waste of time. In Manama, while most of the hotels are located on the waterfront, there is no access to actually swim in the ocean. As someone else previously mentioned, saudi's come here in droves and are salivating at the mouth over the female sex. Everything is run down and old, feels very 1970's-ish. If you do go, Bushido restaurant is a very trendy and good Japanese restaurant and the Ritz Carleton has very good restaurants (I went to two of them). Qatar is a better option, although not much going on, still better than Bahrain.

christravelblog

Depends what you want. If you are into some culture, Bahrain for sure has a lot to offer. Old portugese forts, long history on pearl diving. It's quite a free country ! I was there end 2013 just after some protests but with still the burning tires/trees on the roads it was perfectly safe for tourist!

and...... tree of life is interesting in the middle of the desert, and you can WALK just over oil pipelines and get to the industry VERY close (which in Kuwait and Qatar is much more difficult).

how i walked the oil pipelines: http://www.christravelblog.com/?s=bahrain

cheers.
Chris

westmideast

Just to correct the previous poster, if you want a hotel with a beach in Bahrain, you do have a number of options:
- Ritz Carlton
- Sofitel Zallaq
- ART Rotana Amwaj
- Dragon Resort Amwaj
- Four Seasons Bahrain Bay
(Elite Resort)
(Dana Novotel)
(Laguna Resort)

The last three I am pretty sure have beaches but I am not sure.

There is also the Aldar Island chalets and the best western on Hawar Island for some more options.

Additionally, if you are staying inland and want beach access, you can visit: Coral bay, Marina Club, Hamala Beach Club or one of the hotels listed above which offer day passes.

Plenty to see and do here historically and culturally.

jdmlove

add Bahrain Yakht club to your list

westmideast

Yes of course and the Sailing Club, the Amwaj Marina, and the Bander Resort.