Relocation is just a piece of cake- said no one ever. It is not only a shift in your place of living, but your overall lifestyle. With thousands in questions in minds, hundreds of concerns and confusions, you start packing, again landing on a pile of queries! What should I take along? What must be left behind? Will I find the substitutes of what I like? Etcetera.

Here, I would share my experience as a recent expat- not the legal proceedings and the paperwork, but the actual, real life issues that we all face, once we are ready to move.

Let’s start with the basics- the houses/ apartments in Bahrain are mostly furnished- provided with all the furniture, ACs, TV and also cable, refrigerator and sometimes some extra machinery as well, like water dispenser, electric kettle and toasters. Most of the owners also provide crockery and cutlery, but can buy your own (especially if you have hygiene issues).

Apart from the furniture, the kitchen accessories and machines can be bought, new or used, in reasonable prices (mainly including the food processor, sandwich maker, etc). It is thus better to buy all these from Bahrain, keeping in view your needs and requirements, instead of carrying all the stuff from your hometown.  Also, you can re-sell them, whenever it suits you.

Moving on, before arriving in Bahrain, I was really concerned about the food- will I get all the spices that I need? Will they be super expensive? Will they taste the same? Would the restaurants serve good food?

If you have the same concerns in mind, take them off instantly. Two years in Bahrain, I have never ever faced any issue, with respect to food. For once, all the spices, pulses, vegetables and whatever you might want to eat, would be available here- you would just have to look for the right place. For instance, the sub-continental items are usually available at Lulu Hypermarkets, while Alosra has stocks of the European goods. Moreover, the restaurants have amazing options- you just have to land at the right options. There is a vast variety, when it comes to the eating-out options- from continental to Arabic and what not?! In my opinion, Arabic food is the ultimate winner, and is liked by all, irrespective of your nationality and taste.

Next, comes clothing. You can imagine my level of concern from that fact that soon after my visa confirmation I went out to shop, with the aim of getting as many clothes as possible. Only after settling down in Bahrain, I realized that this was a bad decision- really bad one.

I was told, and rightly so, that there is plenty of western clothing available in the stores, but there is serious dearth of desi clothes. True, the Pakistani/ Indian clothes are not available in the stores, but there are several online businesses selling them in reasonable prices. Secondly, you do not need as many formal clothes as you do in your hometown- there are substitutes for whatever you wear present in the stores, everybody is sure to find something suitable to match their needs.

Moving on, there is no need to bring in all your bags, shoes, cosmetics and accessories- you will find really good quality in the markets. So, better not to overload yourself with all the stuff that would not even be required immediately.

As far as the culture of Bahrain is concerned, it is a moderately open society, with not many restrictions- nothing like the neighboring Saudi Arabia. There are no such restrictions regarding clothing, with only a few exceptions, that are applicable in most of the Muslim countries. For instance, bikini is not allowed at any public place, however there are no issues with shorts, sleeveless, tank tops and mini-skirts.

Overall, living experience on the island is amazing. It offers a number of activities, tourist destinations, heritage sites and numerous entertainment options. There are various clubs, online as well as otherwise, providing socializing options to the expats. The law and order situation is perfect- there are the street crimes and other criminal activities are almost non-existent. Thus, put your fears aside, and gear up for one of the most amazing experiences of your life. Wish you an awesome stay in Bahrain.