Triparound travel community

Holidays in Baker Island

Understanding Baker Island

Or maybe not

In the early 2000s, a writer of "alternate histories" put up a web site which presented itself as the official site of the government of the "Republic of Baker Howland and Jarvis", portraying a bustling tourism destination, including a fake CIA World Factbook article providing statistics for the island nation The web site is no longer online, but puzzled more than a few armchair travelers

The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast

Climate

Equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

Landscape

Low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef Treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife

Talking in Baker Island

Arabic is the official language, although English and Persian Farsi is widely spoken Urdu and Hindi is also understood and spoken by Indians and Pakistanis on the island

What to see in Baker Island

A cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast

What to do in Baker Island

Bahrain has history dating back 5000 years, from the ancient Dilmun period through the Islamic era The country offers three forts which have been meticulously restored and opened to the public, although a lack of signs and general promotion by the country's tourist industry sometimes makes finding these sites difficult

Bahrain's biggest yearly event is the Bahrain Grand Prix F1 race, held each April at the Bahrain International Circuit 5 Plan well in advance, as flights sell out and hotel prices triple

The high temperatures in Bahrain make sea activities seem extra tempting and water sports are extremely popular in Bahrain, with tourists and locals indulging in their sport of choice all year round in the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf Sailing and scuba diving are particularly popular

Although a desert country, Bahrain boasts an international 18-hole grass golf course, which is about 15 minutes outside the capital, Manama The par 72 championship course features five lakes and is landscaped with hundreds of date palms and desert plains

Enjoy riding a camel along a highway

Purchase souvenirs and buy some authentic pottery at A'ali Village Pottery

Haggle for goods at the local souk markets

Buying stuff in Baker Island

There is no economic activity on Baker Island

Food and eating in Baker Island

See Manama for detailed restaurant listings

Restaurants in Bahrain run the gamut for cheap stalls offering local food to fancy restaurants in fancy hotels American fast food franchises such as Burger King and McDonalds are ubiquitous Western mostly American style-foods and franchises can be found around the malls and in the city center, offering food for upper mid-range prices

Drinking in Baker Island

See Manama for detailed nightlife listings

Bahrain has relatively liberal laws regarding alcohol and has long been a favorite getaway for visitors from Saudi Arabia and other nearby "dry" countries — don't be surprised to see Arabs in thobe and gutra sipping cool brewskis as they watch dancers strut their stuff in the nightclubs

Accommodation in Baker Island

There are no accommodations on Baker Island

Working in Baker Island

Bahrain has a number of expatriates they make up almost 30% of the population The predominant industry is the financial sector where over 400 banks are licensed, although only about 30 can accept deposits from retail customers- the rest are basically investment houses The construction industry is also finding takers in Bahrain Large building complexescommercial and residential are coming up

For an expat, life is easy By law, a company must provide:-

  1. House or housing allowance
  2. Medical insurance
  3. Free flights home every year
  4. An additional salary of a minimum of 15 days for every year worked there are slabs according to the number of years worked
  5. No personal income or sales tax in Bahrain

At present, there is a 1% charge on salary gosi tax which goes to subsidize the unemployed, but a lot of employers are giving their employees an additional bonus by paying it themselves instead of deducting it from the salary

Most executive positions would have their children's education sponsored

Working hours differ across different industries Government offices work from 7:30 to 2:00; banks from 7:00 to 3:00

Cities in Baker Island

What do you think about Baker Island?

TripAround.org, your travel companion

We all like to travel. I created Triparound.org for you and me and others like us, people who are always looking for somewhere to travel. Be it a country you've never been to before, or a country you've visited for seven times already. Create your travel profile and share your travel updates with friends, find the perfect cheap flight tickets and book the cheapest hotels around the world. In case of any problems, just drop me a line!

Where to start?

The best place to start, obviously, would be to create register (for free) and create your own traveller profile and start sharing your travel updates with friends. And of course, any time you start thinking of going travelling, use Triparound.org to search for flights, cheap hotels and rooms as well as things to do while travelling.

Disclosure

Please note that we really do recommend the sites we share with you, be it for hotels, flights or anything else. We use them ourselves as well. In case of some links our affiliates codes have been embedded, just to help us keep working on this site.