Golden sand, clear water, breath taking view- simply one of its kinds! That is how I would describe Jarada island, and I am sure everyone who has been there, would agree.

The disappearing island is specifically known for its small size, its location (in the middle of Gulf) and the fact that it is completely submerged in water during night, surfacing the other day.

Before my visit to Jarada Island last month, I had several doubts about the island- there are no activities, what’s the point in going there? It is pretty far, the boat ride would be too long and I might get sea sickness. It might be very expensive, certainly not for everyone. Only people with their personal yacht / speed boat can visit- there are no options otherwise.

However, we decided to head to the island the tour was booked - to see for ourselves what all the hype is about (the tour operator was offering special discount in August, and that was a plus indeed).

The tour included drinks and snorkeling kits, and we were allowed to take our own food (whatever we want to take. There were no extra charges and no questions were asked). The booking process was pretty simple; we just made advance booking over the phone and paid at the office on the same day, after showing our original CPR.

The tour began from Amwaj Island Yacht club, in a speed boat, carrying 4 passengers.

The boat ride was said to be 30 minutes long, but in fact it took 40-45 minutes to be there. The sea was quiet and the ride was really fun- the longest one I ever had in Bahrain and enjoyed it to the core.

 

Upon reaching the island, while the boat was being anchored, I was truly mesmerized by the beauty of this disappearing island. All the questions I had previously, were substituted by one- why did I never visit before?

The water was crystal clear, golden sand was soft (unlike most other beaches in Bahrain) and the beauty was simply beyond words. Since we opted for afternoon tour, a part of the island was already partly submerged- providing a remarkable view.

The tour lasted for 4 hours- leaving Amwaj Yacht Club at 2:00 PM and had to return by 6:00 PM. While ours was half day tour, the operators are offering full day tours as well. Luckily, we were also able to witness sunset in the middle of the ocean, on our way back.

Overall, it was a day engraved in our memories forever- totally worth a visit if you are in Bahrain. If you haven’t been there yet, make a plan, and you will not regret anything, at all.