Kuwait City Travel Essentials
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Ideal duration: 2-3 days
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"A Wonderful Mix of The Ancient & The Modern"
Kuwait City Tourism
Located at the top of the Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, Kuwait has often been well-known for being rich in oil. Kuwait City is the country's capital and is famous for its modern architecture. Isolated from its other Gulf counterparts, Kuwait retains its old Arab charm amidst tinges of western liberalism. The city is less glitzy yet boasts of beautiful architecture, tradition, religious monuments and some fine cuisine.
Kuwait is a bustling metropolis with high rises, mosques, and palaces that paint its skyline. It survived through the Iraqi invasion and now stands with pride to tell its tale. There are some excellent museums, one particularly dedicated to the dying Bedouin form of art. There are idyllic islands with attractive scuba diving opportunities. There is the spectacular Grand Mosque, amidst many others that celebrate Islam and Islamic architecture, and the Sief Palace, which represents traditional Islamic architecture. There are amusement parks and places of entertainment like Aqua Park, the Entertainment City (Kuwait's own Disneyland) and the Ice Skating Rink. There are colourful and atmospheric souks. There are mouth-watering Machboos and popular favourite, most authentic Shawarma. There is an atmosphere of intrigue. So when the Middle East is on the agenda, Kuwait City has to be on the priority list!
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Must Know Before You Travel to Kuwait City
- Do not carry alcohol, as it is illegal in this country.
- If you are visiting during Ramadan, make sure not to eat in public, as you could even go to prison for it. There is also a fine of KD 100.
- Do not click pictures of government buildings or areas near the border fence.
- Avoid wearing shorts or tight clothes, especially for women.
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Food in Kuwait
The cuisine of this country is a delightful combination of Indian, Arabian, Persian and Meditarranean flavours. Seafood is consumed on a large scale, with fish being a local favourite. Fish is served grilled or fried along with a number of Kuwaiti dishes. The Iranian khubz or flatbread is also eaten here. A traditional Kuwaiti dish is machboos, prepared using basmati chawal, spices, mutton or chicken. In terms of beverages, people prefer drinking Suleimani tea. They also consume yoghurt milk or Leben and some Sherbet varieties.
Exchanging Money in Kuwait
There are a lot of ATMs in Kuwait. They are located near banks or shopping complexes. Visa and MasterCard are accepted, in case you would like to withdraw some money from your overseas account. Bureaux de change is present in Kuwait, offering a variety of different exchange rates, so you can choose from the ones that offer you the best rates. Hotels and banks also exchange currency. However, the exchange rates in hotels are not very favourable. Traveler's cheques are also widely accepted, although it is advisable the cheques be in dollars or pound sterling.
Kuwait Customs
Kuwaitis are generally very friendly, though conversation usually ensues between members of the same gender.
Essentially a Muslim country, you must respect local customs, traditions and religion and ensure that no action or communication is offensive in any manner to any religious belief or practice. Modest and conservative dressing is advisable, particularly for women.
Tipping in Kuwait is prevalent only in restaurants.
History of Kuwait
Kuwait was under the reign of the Al-Sabah dynasty, which eventually made Kuwait a British protectorate, apprehending Turkish annexation.
The discovery of oil reserves, started greasing the wheels of the economy and brought about an improvisation in infrastructure and standards of living as well.
In 1961 Kuwait became independent from the British and the elections for the National Assembly were held.
Till 1990, severe unrest followed between Iran, Iraq and Kuwait, sequentially leading to the Iraqi invasion.
It was only in 2003 that Kuwaiti troops managed to oust Saddam's army. Kuwait has progressed economically as well as in its ideologies. In 2005, the Parliament allowed women to vote and contest elections,
Nightlife in Kuwait
Since alcohol is illegal in Kuwait, there's not much nightlife to speak of. However, there are a lot of great restaurants to go to for a leisurely dinner. People even spend their evenings visiting the various malls.
Shopping in Kuwait
Kuwait has a lot of malls that you can shop from. Some of the best ones are The Avenues, 360 Mall and Marina Mall, all in Kuwait City. There are also souks that you can visit to stock up on local goods such as spices, perfumes, food products and fabric. You can spend hours in these souks, absorbing the culture as well as the hustle and bustle as everyone sells their wares.
A must-visit among all the souks is the Souk Al-Mubarakiya or the Old Souk. Between the streets of Mubarak-al-Kabir and Ali-al-Salem, this marketplace has been a popular haunt for over 200 years now. For sale are Arab antiques, Persian carpets, traditional costumes, local handmade crafts, perfumes, jewellery, spices, honey, dates, scented oils and so much more - a perfect taste of local Kuwaiti flavour. The Old Souk is also an ideal place to take home souvenirs from.
A must-visit among all the souks is the Souk Al-Mubarakiya or the Old Souk. Between the streets of Mubarak-al-Kabir and Ali-al-Salem, this marketplace has been a popular haunt for over 200 years now. For sale are Arab antiques, Persian carpets, traditional costumes, local handmade crafts, perfumes, jewellery, spices, honey, dates, scented oils and so much more - a perfect taste of local Kuwaiti flavour. The Old Souk is also an ideal place to take home souvenirs from.
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FAQs on Kuwait City
What is the best time to visit Kuwait city?
November to April is the best time to visit Kuwait city. March-May is the spring season in Kuwait, and the temperature highs range between 109.5°F (43.1°C) and 76.5°F (24.7°C). Rain is non-existent during these months, and this is one of the slowest months in tourism. June through August is the summer season, and the weather is scorching and uncomfortable. There’s 0 precipitation rate in summer, and hence, there’s no respite from the heat. However, apart from such warm weather condition, it’s one of the busiest in Kuwait with loads of tourists from all around the globe. September-November is the fall season, and temperature highs are in between 110.2°F (43.4°C) and 72°F (22.2°C). There’s humidity, and it’s windy, in particular. There’s no rain again, during these months and tourism is quite high. December-February, the winter months are colder with high temperatures ranging in between 76.5°F (24.7°C) and 63.7°F (17.6°C). There are minimal rains with around 1-2 days every month. Tourism is pretty slow during winters in Kuwait City, and hence, the accommodation and airfares are cheaper.
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What is the local food in Kuwait city?
The local cuisine is an eclectic mix of Indian, Mediterranean, Arabian and Persion. Kuwaiti cuisine is more like comfort food, hearty meals in family size portions. Kuwaiti restaurants were earlier very rare, over the years there are some authentic ones that have come up. Most local restaurants serve the same fare, however what makes each distinct from the other is the use of baharat, spices.
Basmati rice, lamb, fish and chicken with assortment of spices constitute the staple ingredients.
Machboos, rice with lamb, chicken or fish served with duqoos, a home made tomato sauce, while Murubian, is shrimp with dill, peppers and cilantro on a bed of rice.
Tashreeb,thin flat bread in a tomato lamb stew with vegetables and lemons, Mutabag, a tomato based stew with chicken, fish or lamb, are for the love of tomatoes!
Biriyani here is of Indian influence, with a local twist here and there.
A lot of desserts are with dates as the primary ingredient, like date rolls, dates with sesame seeds. Logaymat, different types of Halva, Kuwaiti Sponge Cake, Meghli, Nammurah and so many more are for your sweeth tooth!
International cuisine, on the contrary is more prominent here. Restaurants serve Oriental, Italian, Japanese, Greek, apart from the usual fast food chains.
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What are the things to do in Kuwait city?
The top things to do in Kuwait city are Kuwait Tower, Beaches, Tareq Rajab Museum, National Museum, Grand Mosque, Liberation Tower. You can see all the places to visit in Kuwait city here
What are the places near Kuwait city?
The top places near to Kuwait city are Riyadh which is 534 km from Kuwait city, London which is located 4643 km from Kuwait city, Dubai which is located 856 km from Kuwait city, Amsterdam which is located 4338 km from Kuwait city, New york city which is located 10201 km from Kuwait city
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