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Travel information and tips on Kuwait including passport information, accommodations, transportation to and in Kuwait, attractions and things to see and do, restaurant suggestions, tours, and much more. "Getting Away With Jim Bruner" - your first stop for travel information on Kuwait!
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General
Information About Kuwait |
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Click here for language helps, dictionaries, electronic translators, language software and other helps for learning a foreign language. Being able to speak at least some of the language in the country you are visiting will help you have a better time and enjoy your trip more. Jim.
General Information About Kuwait
Kuwait is an oil-rich state, and a good place for travelers to get an experience view of the Muslim world. You will enjoy wandering around mosques, souks and other sandy traces of the early Bedouin days. Behind the glitzy opulence you will find a deep sense of traditional values and the warm hospitality of the people of this Arabian country.
One should be forewarned that the summer temperatures, often topping out over 122°F, can be a bit difficult to take. Along the coast you do get some cooler temperatures, but along with that comes higher humidity. Inland there is much less humidity. It is best to visit during the winter months when the climate is much more pleasant with daytime temperatures hovering around 64°F and nights being quite chilly The occasional sandstorm occurs throughout the year, but is particularly common in spring.
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Cities and Towns of Kuwait
Kuwait City
In the years since the war, Kuwait City has developed into
a remarkably easygoing place. During the war,
Iraqis systematically looted the museum. Today, the Kuwait Towers have become
city's main landmark, the largest of the three standing over 600 feet. The National Museum, once the pride of Kuwait and its
centerpiece, used to house the Al-Sabah collection, one of the most important
collections of Islamic art in the world. Having cleaned out the building, the
Iraqis smashed everything they could and then set what was left on fire.
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Kuwait International Airport is about ten miles south of Kuwait City. You will find that airfares are a bit on the high side. The airlines and travel agents tightly control prices, and there are few discounted fares available. There's a small airport departure tax that may not be included in your ticket. It is easy to get into the city from the airport, but taxis charge a pretty steep flat fee to the city. You can save money by taking one of the buses.
There is bus service between Kuwait and Cairo via Aqaba in Jordan and Nuweiba in Egypt. There are also international bus services to Dammam in Saudi Arabia.
If you have something you believe
should be added to this page of Getting Away, please send the information to Jim
at Getting Away.
mailto:jimbruner@gettingaway.com
Some Things to See and
Do in Kuwait
Doha Village
Located on an piece of land jutting out into Kuwait Bay, Doha Village is the
site of Entertainment City, a small theme park. Also interesting to see here are
the several
small dhow-building yards and a fishing village of squalid shacks.
Failaka Island
This archaeological site is definitely worth a
visit. However, the Iraqis made Failaka into a heavily
fortified base during the war and filled the area with mines. Although most of
these mines have been
cleared, caution should still be taken and it is best seen with a guide. Failaka's history goes back to the Bronze Age Dilmun
civilization, which was
then centered in Bahrain. The Greeks arrived in the 4th century BC in the form of a
garrison sent by Nearchus, an admiral of Alexander the Great. A small
settlement existed on the island prior to this, but it was as the Greek town
of Ikaros that the settlement became a real city. The Greeks lived on Failaka
for two centuries. The centerpiece of the island is its temple.
Oil Display Centre
The Oil Display Centre is a good
introduction to the Kuwait Oil Company and the oil business of Duwait.
It's located in Al-Ahmadi, built to house Kuwait's oil industry in the 1940s
and 50s and named for the then emir, Sheikh Ahmed.
The centre is open
The
Red Fort
The Red Fort (also known as the Red Palace) is a low, rectangular mud structure.
The name apparently came from the color of its walls.
Built around a large open courtyard with several annexes on its western side,
the fort played a key role in the unsuccessful 1920 siege of Al-Jahra by the
future king of Saudi Arabia.
The fort is open
If you have something you believe should be added to this page of Getting Away, please send the information to Jim at Getting Away. mailto:jimbruner@gettingaway.com
Suggestions for Accommodations in Kuwait
For accommodations in Kuwait, click on Hotels in Kuwait
| Kuwait City - My preferred hotel chain is
Marriott |
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CLUBHOTEL Travel Discount Card - Save up to 65% off hotel room rates at over 400 hotels.
If you have something you believe should be added to this page of Getting Away, please send the information to Jim at Getting Away. mailto:jimbruner@gettingaway.com
Suggestions for Dining
in Kuwait
Coming Soon. In the mean time, if you have information you believe I should add
to this section, please contact me.
mailto:jimbruner@gettingaway.com
Some Favorites in Kuwait
Coming Soon. If you have something you believe
should be added to this page of Getting Away, please send the information to Jim
at Getting Away.
mailto:jimbruner@gettingaway.com
Coming Soon. If you have something you believe should be added to this page of Getting Away, please send the information to Jim at Getting Away. mailto:jimbruner@gettingaway.com
