If you are a non-Muslim, being in a Muslim country during the holy month of Ramadan might be one serious affair for you. Hundreds of questions must be popping in your mind, every now and then. Numerous if’s and but’s and what if’s must have flooded your mind, and you might be in a fix weather you should visit or not- even thinking about the alternatives.
However, the good news is- all this is normal and very must
expected. After all, we all fear the unknown and the unseen don’t we?
So, in order to bring an end to all your confusions, here is
a complete guide for all the non-Muslim fellows regarding your first Ramadan in
Bahrain:
To start with, Ramadan is The Holy Month of fasting for
Muslims, the 10th month of Islamic calendar, during which the
Muslims fast, pray as much as possible, and the month ends with Eid- the annual
religious celebration.
Being a Muslim country, Bahrain has a ban on eating,
drinking and smoking in the public places during Ramadan, and the rule is applicable
on all the citizens and visitors, irrespective of the religions. Fines are also
places on the one’s not abiding by the rule- and thus it is better to beware
and be cautious. Since the Muslim majority in the area is fasting, most of the
restaurants are closed during the day, but certainly not all of them. There are
certain restaurants in every area, open during day time, with some of them
offering home delivery, others offering take-away and still some open for
dine-in as well. You can find a complete list of all the restaurants operating
during the day hours here.
In addition to the restaurants, almost all the expat clubs
are offering lunches during the day time (to members only), however alcohol is
not served during the month anywhere- only room service is provided. Same goes
for brunches- there are no brunches during the month.
To make up for the absence of vast lunch options and brunches during Ramadan, there is a variety of Iftar Buffets, offered in almost all of the restaurants! All the deprivation you might feel at lunch hours, would utterly vanish if you visit any of this Iftar Buffet, which provides variety of dishes, desserts, drinks and the Arabian specialties- an unforgettable experience for the foodies indeed.
In addition to the Iftar buffets, there are also some
amazing iftar deals, offered by several famous restaurants and food outlets. The
discounts offered by these restaurants are as high as 50% off on the entire
menu, allowing you to have great taste and great saving at the same time!
In case you are not aware, iftar is the meal used to open
fast, and iftar time starts right after the sunset- so all the iftar buffets
and the iftar deals being at the sunset- and the ending time varies from a few
hours to mid-night servings.
Since majority is concerned with the food-related matters in
Ramadan, the month of fasting, I mentioned the food-details first. However,
this is certainly not the end of it! Ramadan is the month of blessing for
Muslims, and everybody is welcome to take their share from the blessings!
There are several special Ramadan Kareem offers in all the
known superstores, combined with the smaller stores as well. Most of the items
of daily use are thus available at much discounted prices- offering greater savings
for everyone.
Moreover, the office timings are lessened during the month-
most of the organization have 6 hours working day- instead of the usual 8-9
hours, with the day starting an hour or two late as compared to the usual time,
and ending at around 4:00 PM- and the timings are same for all the employees. Thus,
you can enjoy half timings for the whole month!
While the office timings are lessened, the malls and all the
other entertainment options are open during day hours, including the malls and
also the cinema! The water parks, resorts and all the other water-sports/
entertainment options are also open throughout the month- with most of them
also offering special discount deals. The Lost Paradise of Dilmun (Water Park) and Al Dar Island will be operative during the whole month, so all you have to do is- keep an eye for
the special discounts, and avail them- making your weekends more productive and
fun-filled.
The malls are, in fact, open till late hours- the usual
weekly timings of 10:00 PM is substituted by 12:00 during weekdays and 1:00 AM
on weekends. in addition, almost all the brands offer special Eid Discounts- so
you can also top up your wardrobe/ cosmetics/ home décor and everything,
availing these special discounts.
The month of Ramadan ends with the celebrations- Eid ul
Fitr. As Eid is the day of celebration and festivity, there is 3 days national
holiday, and all the leisure and entertainment options are open for public. While
all the restaurants and food outlets resume their normal operations
immediately, there are also special eid buffets, dinners and several special
deals for Eid days.
So, with just a little difficulty with the food options (that
too, limited to only the dine-in options), there is a whole bunch of positive
aspects linked to the month of Ramadan. Stay Blessed, and enjoy your Ramadan in
Bahrain to the fullest.
Ramadan Kareem J
#bahrain #visitbahrain #ramadaninbahrain
#ramadaininbahrainfornonmuslims #nonmuslimsinbahrain
#hownonmuslimsspendramadaninbahrain #nonmuslimperspectiveoframadaninbahrain
#whattododuringramadaninbahrain #nonmuslimramadaninbahrain
#firstramadaninbahrain #foodoptionsduringramadaninbahrain #iftardeals
#iftarinbahrain #wheretoeatduringramadaninbahrain #restrictionsduringramadaninbahrain
#howareramadansinbahrain #shouldivisitbahrainduringramadan #eiddeals
#eiddealsinbahrain #foodoptionsinbahrain #foodinramadan #ramadan
#ramadan2017bahrain #ramadan2017 #shoppingduringramadan
#entertainmentduringramadan #brunchesduringramadan #eidcelebrations
#nonmuslimsandramadan #nonmuslimramadaninbahrain #nonmuslimsinamuslimcountry
#ramadaninmuslimcountry #themonthofblessings #ramadan2017blog
#guidefornonmuslimsinbahrain #ramadanguidefornonmuslimsinbahrain
#expartsinbahrain #nonmuslimexpatsinbahrain
#nonmuslimexpatsspendingramadaninbahrain
COMMENTS