What was your experience?
I was an invited athlete, but was discouraged from going after being told that I should travel with another female by the prince inviting me! After that exchange, I got the distinct impression that it’s still not a safe place for a woman to be and stayed home. Having to travel with an escort is too high a barrier for me to overcome for international triathlon participation.
I’m surprised at that, I live in one of the more conservative neighbours and I’ve a lot of single western female friends who’ve neither had problems at work or socially.
That said, I also know lots of people travelling in to Manama at the weekends to party like rock-stars from SA because its quite liberal, so perhaps it is riskier for females there, I am, none the less, surprised.
Nice bag door brag.
You could have been invited as well. It was on the ST Challenge Bahrain thread and offered to those with fast fingers.
I accepted, but did not have other females in shape to race who were single, etc. and typically travel alone to race venues.
Nice bag door brag
Hermes? Louie Vuitton?
Sorry, couldn’t resist. Nice Freudian slip…
My take on a message advising me to travel with another female would be that the message wasn’t referring to safety but to social or cultural norms. As someone else mentioned (Andrew?) I think the Middle East is quite safe; however, the countries are largely Islamic and more conservative, so if I got a message like yours I’d interpret it as someone informing me that in their country women shouldn’t be seen alone to avoid giving men the wrong message.
As a female I wouldn’t hesitate to travel to Bahrain alone, especially if it was only for the race. You’re staying at the hotel (full of other people), training on a race course (with other people), and you can probably find others traveling back and forth between venues and catch a ride with them.
My mum went to the Abu Dhabi triathlon three years ago, alone, and had not a single problem. That’s despite being a citizen of a country that has no diplomatic relations with Abu Dhabi, and technically not allowed to travel there (she went indirect and used her German passport). She bought a long-sleeve summer running shirt, just in case she needs something “modest” - said she felt almost a prude in the hotel areas in her t-shirt and loose jeans.
In four years living in the region, I’d suspect that the advice was in the context of “having a chaperone” as opposed to the risk of being attacked or something else, but again I can’t speak for him.
If nothing else - this is by far and away the most hospitable, safest, family friendly part of the world I’ve ever visited let alone lived in and the consequences for offending women can be severe. (I’m not being pollyanna about other things (social issues etc), but at a family level, when out and about, travelling through the region, restaurants, hotels etc the service etc can be amazing)
I’ve no idea of the intent in the message, but I can tell you, if a Prince invites you to his country, he’ll make absolutely sure nothing happens to you when you’re there (how often do you get to write something like that?)
Hi it is the prince that originally contacted you and I have been incarcerated by my fellow countryman. I need you to deposit 20,000 US dollars in my bank account and once i get out I will handsomely repay you 100 x 's over :0)
I’ll gladly accompany you next year 
.
I heard the area was really safe for men with 7 wives.
I heard the area was really safe for men with 7 wives.
Are they all going to St. Ives?
John
I heard the area was really safe for men with 7 wives.
Are they all going to St. Ives?
John
I had to google that. I’m old but not that old…
As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives,
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits:
Kits, cats, sacks and wives.
How many were going to St. Ives?
I’ll remember this! If the prince offers to sponsor athletes. In Oman especially, there’s no way I’d go there alone.
My take on a message advising me to travel with another female would be that the message wasn’t referring to safety but to social or cultural norms. As someone else mentioned (Andrew?) I think the Middle East is quite safe; however, the countries are largely Islamic and more conservative, **so if I got a message like yours I’d interpret it as someone informing me that in their country women shouldn’t be seen alone to avoid giving men the wrong message. **
As a female I wouldn’t hesitate to travel to Bahrain alone, especially if it was only for the race. You’re staying at the hotel (full of other people), training on a race course (with other people), and you can probably find others traveling back and forth between venues and catch a ride with them.
This is how I interpreted it as well.
It’s difficult enough to travel alone with a bike in tow. Having gone to IM Cabo San Lucas last March, I remember having to struggle with luggage that was bigger than I was. I was afraid of sticking out rather dramatically in Bahrain, even if I was covered in a chador. I really wanted to go.
Maybe the next generation of women will have safe passage to the Middle East without fear of reprisal.
I heard the area was really safe for men with 7 wives.
Are they all going to St. Ives?
John
I had to google that. I’m old but not that old…
As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives,
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits:
Kits, cats, sacks and wives.
How many were going to St. Ives?
Is the answer 1? I think I remember this from a Die Hard movie.
why would you not go to Oman alone?
Seriously, home to some of the most amazing luxury resorts in the world, amazing scenery, humble people, relaxed and far less developed and in your face than Dubai and AD, why would you not go?
I heard the area was really safe for men with 7 wives.
Are they all going to St. Ives?
John
I had to google that. I’m old but not that old…
As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives,
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits:
Kits, cats, sacks and wives.
How many were going to St. Ives?
Is the answer 1? I think I remember this from a Die Hard movie.
Yes it’s got to be “1”. The rhyme says nothing about anybody else going to St Ives except the
person reading the rhyme.
why would you not go to Oman alone?
Seriously, home to some of the most amazing luxury resorts in the world, amazing scenery, humble people, relaxed and far less developed and in your face than Dubai and AD, why would you not go?
Will you expound on this if you have been to Oman? Or see my separate thread about Oman?
why would you not go to Oman alone?
Seriously, home to some of the most amazing luxury resorts in the world, amazing scenery, humble people, relaxed and far less developed and in your face than Dubai and AD, why would you not go?
For the same reason that apparently ZERO single, American women went, if this forum is any indication.Women don’t feel comfortable traveling to this part of the world alone and men aren’t comfortable with women traveling alone.
So far, no women have posted about their experience of traveling solo to this event, which is disappointing.