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The Al Areen Wildlife Park & Reserve in Bahrain is a conservation project that’s home to a variety of Arabian indigenous species. It is a sanctuary for bird, plant, and animal life, and has attracted a large number of migratory birds since opening in 1976. The park protects and breeds a number of endangered mammals, including native leopards and gazelles, plus Bahrain’s national animal, the Arabian oryx.

The park covers an area of seven square kilometers and is divided into four main sections: the Water Birds Parks, Wild Birds Park, Wild Animals Complex, and the Desert Flora Garden. As a visitor, you are free to explore most of these areas on foot, allowing you to get up close to the unique plant and birdlife. There’s also the option to watch a short film to introduce you to the park and its inhabitants, before boarding a bus to transport you on a tour around the reserve and past the animals that live there.

The Al Areen Wildlife Park & Reserve is ideal for families, wildlife enthusiasts, and budding naturalists of all ages, and can be combined with other attractions in the area to make for a fun and informative day out. A full-day tour to discover the highlights of Bahrain might include visiting Al Fateh Grand Mosque, the Bahrain National Museum, Arad Fort, and Bahrain International Circuit.

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Strategically located overlooking a number of sea passages, Arad Fort is one of Bahrain's most important fortified castles, and is a classic example of Islamic fort architecture in the 15th and 16th centuries. It used to guard a separate island of its own, but the fort has since been connected to Muharraq Island.

Arad Fort was used as a defensive fortress throughout various phases of Bahrain’s history, and was the site of many conflicts, including the country’s occupation by the Portuguese in the 16th century. It has undergone various construction phases throughout the years and is now open to the public to visit, as well as playing host to a number of seasonal festivals.

History and military buffs, as well as those interested in architecture, will be particularly enchanted, with three archeological layers of the fort to explore. Among the site, there’s a trench, two wells, a canal, plus lookout towers at each of the fort’s four corners with passages that connect them.

A visit to Arad Fort can be combined with other attractions in the area to make for a fun and informative day out for all ages. A full day tour to discover the highlights of Bahrain might include visiting Al Fateh Grand Mosque, the Bahrain National Museum, Al Areen Wildlife Park, and Bahrain International Circuit.

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TheTree of Life (Shajarat-al-Hayat) is a lone mesquite tree that stands in the desert atop a sandy hill near the highest point in Bahrain. Approximately 400 years-old and standing at almost 10 meters tall, the tree has continued to grow despite the extreme temperatures and lack of any apparent water source for miles around.

The tree’s source of water is a mystery and the fact that it has thrived for so long has made it something of a mystical legend in Bahrain. The locals believe that the tree is looked after by Enki, the mythical God of water, and some believe that it is the last vestige from the Garden of Eden. Presumably, the old tree has tapped into an underground spring somewhere, a feat of nature that is impressive even without the legends and myths.

Both its age and location make the Tree of Life a true natural survivor, although the sheer volume of visitors it attracts might be its eventual downfall; spray paint and etchings are clearly visible on its old bark, and a protective circular fence now surrounds the tree in an attempt to preserve it.

The best way to see the Tree of Life is to join a short tour that also takes in other attractions in the desert, including the Sheikh Salman Bin Ahmed Al-Fateh Fort and the first ever oil well, plus the Oil Museum next to it.

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