Bahrein (600.000 inhabitants) - a 665 sq km Persian Gulf island off the coast of Saudi Arabia - cannot be considered a very thrilling travel destination in itself but it can be a perfect 1 day stopover on your voyage to some other challenging destination. Bahrein declared itself a constitutional Kingdom in 2003. The King's Al-Khalifa family rules Bahrein since 1783. The capital and largest city is Manama. A primarily muslim country, Bahrein is considered one of the more liberal Arab lands.