Hawar Resort by Mantis

Hawar Resort by Mantis opened in January 2025 on Hawar Island, a protected biosphere reserve in the Arabian Gulf off Bahrain's coast. The resort sits within one of the region's most carefully managed wildlife sanctuaries, where Arabian oryx herds, gazelles, and osprey nest sites coexist with 104 elegantly designed accommodations, including overwater villas with private pools. The island's isolation, reached only by a 30-minute boat ride from the mainland, creates a genuine sense of escape without the scale and density of comparable properties in the Red Sea or Dubai. Mantis Collection, the operator, is known for eco-conscious luxury across Africa and now the Middle East, bringing that philosophy to a property that commits to regenerative hospitality as a core principle rather than a marketing layer.

The overwater villas are the draw. Hawar offers single-bedroom and two-bedroom variants, each built on stilts above the turquoise water with a private infinity pool, outdoor shower, and direct beach access from a shared sand area. The one-bedroom overwater units are compact at around 50 square metres, suitable for couples or solo travellers who want the water experience without sprawl. The two-bedroom overwater villas expand the footprint considerably, adding a separate living and dining zone that opens onto a generous terrace. The resort also offers beachfront villas (studio through three-bedroom configurations) for those who prefer land-based stays but want beach proximity. The three-bedroom beachfront villa reaches 350 square metres and includes a private kitchen with chef service, fire pit, and separate staff quarters. All accommodations feature sea or dune views, air-conditioning, premium bedding, and balconies or terraces designed for morning coffee with the water as your backdrop.

The dining strategy spans five venues covering Bahraini, regional, and international cuisines. Bahri, the main restaurant, anchors the property with daily breakfast service and dinner across rotating menus. Remal Lounge handles lighter bites and drinks. Celebrity chef pop-up offerings rotate through the venues seasonally, bringing occasional fine-dining moments without requiring travel off-island. The resort does not publish a full menu online or price the meals individually, which reflects the all-inclusive approach common to Mantis properties, where guests typically prepay a package rate covering accommodation, meals, non-alcoholic drinks, and most activities. A separate bar serves alcohol for those who want it. Breakfast buffets are standard and ample; dinner moves between plated and family-style service depending on the evening. The kitchen sources fresh fish and Gulf seafood alongside imported proteins, and vegetarian menus are standard, not an accommodation, which matters if that is your primary diet.

The resort positions itself as an adventure destination, a departure from the spa-and-sunset focused narrative of many Gulf overwater properties. The Bear Grylls Adventure Zone by BGSA, opened alongside the resort, runs structured outdoor programs including rock climbing, abseiling, and survival skills courses taught by instructors from Bear Grylls Survival Academy. Guests can book individual experiences (typically a few hours) or multi-day expeditions deeper into the island. The property also offers kayaking, paddleboarding, horseback riding, and guided mountain or quad bike tours across Hawar's terrain. For younger guests, a kids water park, adventure park, and supervised kids club with nanny services mean families can split time between group activities and adult-focused experiences. The 1.8 kilometres of private beach allows for simple beach days if you prefer to opt out of structured programming, though the island's currents and tidal patterns mean swimming is best during designated times that staff will advise. This is not a lounging-only resort. The ethos is active, and bookings here tend to draw people who want to do something, not just be somewhere.

The wildlife sanctuary is genuine and integrated into the guest experience in a way that feels earned rather than manufactured. Hawar Island is a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve where Arabian oryx herds, Arabian gazelles, and osprey populations are actively managed and studied. Guests can encounter these animals during hikes or dedicated wildlife tours, and the sight of oryx clustered near the shore at dawn is memorable. The osprey nesting season (roughly October through March) is a birding highlight. Staff provide naturalist guides for deeper exploration, which transforms a simple walk into education about Gulf marine ecosystems and desert adaptation. This is not a safari property, so encounters are less predictable than in East Africa, but they are authentic and frequent enough that most guests spot the main species during a three-day stay.

The guest experience distinguishes itself through the boat journey to and from the island, a 30-minute crossing that becomes part of the narrative rather than logistical friction. The dedicated ferry runs on fixed schedules (3 PM check-in, 1 PM check-out departures are standard), which means arriving guests have no flexibility around timing once they commit to a date. The island has no fresh water source or power generation beyond the resort, so supply chains are entirely managed from the mainland. This isolation is the draw for some and a constraint for others. The resort carries high standards on sustainability, including solar panels, seawater desalination, and reef-safe protocols in all cleaning products and sunscreens. If you are travelling with mobility challenges, the sand terrain and multi-level resort layout mean some areas are harder to access than others. Staff are accommodating within these physical limits, but it is not a universally accessible property. Rooms do not have a printed directory or "do not disturb" signage; everything is managed via a mobile app or direct staff coordination.

Pricing for Hawar Resort comes as an all-inclusive package, typically starting around USD 400 per person per night for a shared overwater villa during low season, rising to USD 600 plus per night during peak months (November to March). The two-bedroom overwater villas and larger beachfront options scale higher. The rates quoted online are often subject to dynamic pricing, and the resort recommends checking dates directly rather than relying on aggregators. Most guests book multi-night packages, and three to four nights is the practical minimum to justify the ferry transfer and island logistics. Day-trippers can visit the Bear Grylls Adventure Zone without staying overnight, but the core appeal of Hawar emerges over a longer stay once you settle into island time. Compared to the Red Sea resorts now dotting Saudi Arabia, Hawar's pricing is moderate. Compared to established Maldives overwater properties, it offers a newer, less crowded alternative at roughly half the nightly cost. Compared to Dubai city resorts with water views, Hawar's isolation and all-inclusive model create a genuinely different value proposition.

Hawar Resort by Mantis suits guests seeking an active escape with wildlife interest and overwater villas, who can navigate some logistics and prefer newer, understated design over the maximum-grandeur aesthetic. It is a fit for families wanting children to engage with nature and adventure programming, though the island setting and structured activities mean free-roaming young kids need closer supervision than in a resort with multiple pools and kids clubs scattered across sprawling grounds. It works for couples wanting overwater villas and regenerative tourism credentials without the resort architecture and crowds of newer Red Sea properties. It is less of a fit for guests wanting maximum activity density, fine dining with Michelin-level execution, or those who cannot tolerate a degree of unpredictability around supply, weather, and ferry schedules inherent to island living. The resort is genuine, not a performance of eco-luxury, which appeals to a specific traveller and may frustrate those arriving with five-star city resort expectations.