Moving to Bahrain!

Hello Alison,

Welcome to the forum and Bahrain. Even though I haven't been in Bahrain for 10 years, I read a lot about the changes and the developments in Bahrain and been talking to so many people in different forums online and here in Bahrain. There are number of places you can 'safely' live in Bahrain, and most of these places happen to be occupied by expats mostly. Some of the places I can recommend:

- Amwaj Islands: It is a reclaimed island, close to the airport. It seems to be where everybody wants to live nowadays. It is a bit far from the main attractions in Adliya, Juffair and Seef but, it is not that far because Bahrain is a small country, as you know. You will have a beach here, cafes, shops and restaurants. It's a nice place to live.

- Juffair / Adliya: Where all the bars and clubs and cafes and restaurants are. In Juffair you will mostly find Americans and in Adliya mostly Brits. But since they are so close to each other, they are mostly mixed up. The area is safe and lively, so for your two year old I am not sure it is the 'best' place to be. I'm sure it will be OK. Just don't expect many parks and areas for your two year old to run around.

- Seef: The 'posh' part of Bahrain as they call it. Targeting 'upmarket' people. There are many different shopping malls here, City Centre Mall, Seef Mall, Dana Mall, Bahrain Mall to name a few. You will also see some skyscrapers such as Era Tower, Orchid Tower, Dream Tower, Abraj Lulu etc. which are luxury apartments. 2Bed rents in these places varies from 500BD to 900BD depending on which floor your flat is on and what view you have from your windows. Your 2 year old might get bored here, as there isn't much going on in Seef except in shopping malls. I don't think any of these shopping malls existed 10 years ago so it will be completely different to what you remember.

- Reef Island: Close to Seef (I think technically in Seef actually) is another reclaimed island where you will see nice properties and sea views and nice facilities. The prices vary here depending on which building you live. For 2 bed, prepare to see prices varying between 650BD to 1100BD. Some areas to play for your kid.

I hope this helps.

Edit: Added Reef Island.