Bahrain could be the next holiday destination for the rich and famous after being included in a $1 million (BD378,000) travel package. High rollers who shell out for the premium one-week holiday will be flown into Bahrain by private jet for a day of pearl diving.
They will then get professional help in designing a jewellery setting with the pearls they find on the seabed, which they will take with them as a souvenir of their time in the country.
Bahrain was included in the holiday package for its long tradition of pearl diving, which was one of the country’s main industries before the discovery of oil.
The lavish Million Dollar Package is being offered by the luxurious Emirates Palace hotel, in Abu Dhabi, and covers the cost of two people - including flights, accommodation, food and activities.
Couples can choose between being the only couple on the trip or sharing the experience with others.
It includes a daytrip by private jet to Iran, where the holidaymakers will create their own Persian carpet with a renowned carpet maker, as well as a day trip by private jet to Jordan’s Dead Sea - where they will have an afternoon Anantara Spa treatment at the Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea hotel.
The package also includes first class return tickets to Abu Dhabi from any international destination serviced by Etihad Airlines and seven nights in a decadent, 680sq m Palace Suite at the Emirates Palace - decked out in gold leaf and marble.
Your $1 million also gets you The Royal Experience package at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, which includes Maybach or helicopter transportation, Rolls-Royce golf carts, access to an exclusive executive lounge and fine dining.
It will also allow you to make your own perfume with experts from YAS Perfume, which has 18 outlets across the UAE and Saudi Arabia and is about to open a new store at Bahrain City Centre.
Now throw in a deep sea fishing trip, helicopter sunset and desert island tour, gifts - including the rarest pearl in the world - and a selection of Holland Sporting Guns before deciding for yourself if it’s money well spent.
The package is described as the first of its kind in the world and a hotel spokesman said it was hoping to get it listed in the Guinness World Records.