Bahrain is a small town on the Swat River 60 km north of Mingora, at about 1,430 metres. The name comes from the meeting of two rivers — the Swat and the Daral — and the town has long been a stop for travellers heading further up the valley toward Kalam and the Ushu Forest. It is the centre of Torwali culture, with its own language and traditions distinct from the Pashto-speaking lower valley.
The bazaar runs along the river and is a good place to stop for chapli kebabs and trout from the Swat — the river is stocked by the hatchery at Madyan a few kilometres south. Several modest hotels line the road; the better ones sit above the river and catch the breeze in summer. From Bahrain you can hike into the Daral Valley or push on to Kalam.