Bahrain is a small island, but it has been important for a very long time. Under the name Dilmun, it was a trading centre of the Bronze Age, linking Mesopotamia with the Indus valley, and the fresh water that bubbles up from beneath the seabed made it a stop for ships. Janabiyah lies on the western side of the main island, near the coast road, a village among low, flat land where date palms, farms and new housing meet the edge of the desert.
The surrounding area is full of history. Thousands of burial mounds, built by the Dilmun people about four to five thousand years ago, dot the landscape, forming one of the largest ancient cemeteries in the world. Some are low humps, others are large enough to contain chambers, and they appear in unexpected places, between houses and at roadsides. The Bahrain Fort, Qal'at al-Bahrain, on the north coast, is a World Heritage site, and the Tree of Life, a lone mesquite that has survived for centuries in the desert, is a popular curiosity.
Bahrain is also a place for motorsport. The Bahrain International Circuit in the south holds a Formula One race each year, and the island has a strong culture of cars and bikes. The roads are wide, flat and well surfaced, with modern highways linking the main centres, and traffic can be heavy in the evening. Speed cameras are common, and fines are high. The King Fahd Causeway, which links Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, is a few minutes away to the east.
Fuel is cheap and available everywhere, and there are shops and cafes in every village. Madinat Isa, about seven kilometres away, is a large, planned town with every service. The best time to ride is from November to March, when the days are warm and the nights cool, while summer is extremely hot and humid. In the evening, the sea breeze is a relief, and the coastal road toward Bu Mahir and the old pearling coast is pleasant.