Situated in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Manama is the capital city of the impressive and ever-growing Bahrain. The city has a beautiful downtown with a plethora of stylish restaurants, cafés and shops. The stunning waterfront marina is always full with multi million-dollar yachts and sailing boats, which is a sign of what the country has become; a financial and social hub of the region.

Bahrain’s wealth has primarily been generated from its oil reserves, but the country has gone beyond that with processing plants and establishing the country as an important economic centre for the Middle East. The city of Manama, being the capital, has seen an impressive influx of modern development which blends in with older Islamic traditional buildings.

Located in the western suburbs of Manama is the impressive UNESCO-protected Bahrain Fort, which was once the Dilmun civilisation's capital. The current fort is 400 years, but the site has been inhabited for over 4,500 years.

In addition, the city is home to some magnificent ancient mosques that have a rich history and heritage. The Al Saboor Mosque is positioned in the Zinj district of the city and is particularly interesting, as it does not have a ceiling. Numerous attempts at renovating and constructing a roof have failed mysteriously, which has left the locals dumbfounded.

During the month of April every year, the Formula One motor-racing event is held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. The event attracts thousands of visitors from around the world to watch the exciting race.

Accommodation in Manama ranges from budget-friendly guesthouses to relatively inexpensive family hotels, to unparalleled luxurious resorts offering the best of everything. Being a financial hub for the region, Manama has increasingly catered for business travellers, offering such facilities as conference rooms and communication connectivity. Manama can be busy year-round, but generally the peak season is in the cooler months between October and March.

Generally, most visitors to Manama arrive by air at the international airport located on the nearby island of Muharraq, which is connected to the capital by a causeway. Numerous airline carriers offer connections to all major cities in the region as well as to Europe and Africa. The King Fahd causeway links Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, and there are daily bus services connecting the main cities.

The climate of Manama can be distinctly separated into two main seasons; a hot and humid summer season and a relatively mild winter season. Between April and October the temperature is consistently above 40°C and sometimes rises to over 50°C in the middle of the day, but rarely drops below 30°C, even at night. The cooler winter months between October and March are welcomed with an average temperature of around 17°C.

The weather in Manama and the whole of Bahrain is determined by the weather patterns of neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Iran. During the cooler months, cold winds often blow from Iran in the east, which can occasionally bring chilly temperatures to Bahrain. The country does not experience much rain, but the little rain that does fall is usually in the months of December and January.