TDY Gouge - Bahrain

Bahrain - Book rooms at the Diplomat Hotel through the Navy ATOC. Hotel is amazing for the Middle East. Great Irish pub downstairs and just short cab ride away from the islands bars. Great pool and poolside bar(usually being visited by British Airways flight attendants); Good restaurant. Highly recommend hitting the Savage Garden disco a few blocks away. Note for aircrews, make sure you get everyone's room number since the staff sometimes had trouble looking up English-sounding names. The Gulf Hotel 00973 713000 was fabulous. No less than 4 fine restaurants (Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Lebanese) within the hotel. Also no less than 4 different bars / lounges within as well. Spare no expense here. If time permits, use the health club, swimming pool, and tennis courts. Enjoy. ~If you are just quick turning Bahrain International make a food run to the Indian Place in the back of the Gulf air maintenance hangar. If you are facing the ATOC from the ramp if is at your 7 o'clock position. Go through the hangar and then behind the hangar is a little trailer. You can full up on all kinds of curry goop for way under 5 bucks. Take it to go or eat it there. Make sure to get a few pieces of Naan (bread). In US Indian Restaraunst Nann us usually a buck or two a piece. These guys will throw it in for free or for only a few cents. The Merridian is a 5 star hotel with pool bar, 4 restaurants, large rooms and exceptional service. It also has an Irish bar and is close to a descent mall and Chili's.

~Novotel hotel 97317 298 008 was decent. Very nice rooms. Very well appointed, but the service was poor and the staff arrogant. Nice place to rest or overnight, but not much to do. Very poor restaurant selection. Novotel Al Dana is the nicest, newest resort in Bahrain. Super rooms, close to base, more of a mid-east clientel -- no flight attendants here! Full breakfast buffet (with omelets, salmon, etc) included. Twenty plus english tv channels, best hotel gym I've ever seen.

~Rick's Kountry Kitchen has good american style food. Ciro's Pomodoro has Italian with a good selection and good quality.

~If you are in Bahrain, the best place to stay is Le Royal Meridian Resort Hotel. Having spent two months staging out of Bahrain, we stayed at the other hotels listed here and while they are good, they don't compare! It has several great restaurants, two work out rooms, two huge pools, one indoor and one outdoor. A private beach/cove with Wave Runners to rent, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts and an excellent spa. This place is incredible! UPDATE: The Meridian is now the Ritz Carlton Bahrain, but the taxi drivers still know it as the Meridian. It's an awesome hotel with several good restaurants, including Trader Vic's.