Bahrain's unique all-villa escape

Thousands of years ago, during the Dilmun Civilisation, there was a place called the Land of Immortality, rich with treasures of the earth, filled with a million palm trees, surrounded by the Arabian sea, and gifted with fresh water from the springs. Amid the beautiful palms, a young boy named Arif grew up with a passion for gardening. He spent his days dreaming of one day creating a beautiful garden that he could enjoy with his family and friends. As Arif grew older, he travelled the world collecting exotic seeds to bring back to his home land. Cultivating the land surrounding his courtyard house, he began planting the most wonderful garden in the whole kingdom. After each long day spent in the garden, Arif collected fresh water and cardamom from the garden to brew his favourite ghawa. The aromatic scent of brewed cardamom attracted visitors from far and wide to Arif’s garden, leaving special gifts of their own in return for sampling Arif’s delicious coffee.

His visitors were: the artisan, a master craftsman who uses wood to create art, chests and furniture, and clay to create beautiful pots; the calligrapher, bringing spiritual and positive messages in the form of beautiful Arabic writing; the pearl diver, because the land was known to have the best natural pearls; the musician, bringing joy and merriment using his traditional oud; and the weaver, with an array of beautiful baskets woven from palm leaves. Arif’s garden became a haven for travellers – not merely a place of trade, but an oasis for the well-travelled. Today, what was known as the Land of Immortality is now named The Kingdom of Bahrain, and what was once a young boy’s dream is now known as Raffles Al Areen Palace.