It’s the most livable of all the GCC countries. Oman is the prettiest landscape but super dull if you don’t make use of the outdoors

I love Bahrain. Spent about 5 years collectively there in-between other deployments to the region. Still have local friends there and speak with them on the reg. They have all shown me some of the best the country has to offer. Back in the early 2000s, there were less laws...or at least enforced laws...as there are now, so it's not nearly as fun anymore for the US Military member, but there is just so much there to do. Most people there unfortunately just stay in the Manama area or stick to the more well known tourist areas. Sure, the black flag areas are off limits, but before Nabi Saleh became a restricted area to the US servicemembers, I used to walk from my villa to this place nearby that had the most amazing gnocchi. The locals were friendly and their kids loved to use my remote control nitro truck I used to have. Good people, even if they aren't too keen on my country's government.

I've been spat on while there, but that's few and far between. They cheered when the twin towers got hit...they chanted "death to America" when United Flight 93 (the movie) was in theaters and pretty much h put us on lockdown...but theres bad apples everywhere. It's the only country that I know of where I could get Chateaubriand, a bottle of red wine, hummus, Naan, fries(chips..whatever), veggies, and mashed potatoes with peppersteak gravy for 5.5BD (about $13 US)...its a shame they knocked down the Middle East Hotel where that restaurant was...what popped up after to take its place just capitolalized on our fetish for good beef and now we pay American prices (sometimes $80 for a good steak).

It's a tourist trap like Vegas with adultery laws and prohibition on public drinking

Fine for a visit, I wouldn't want to live there