From Wikitravel

Kuwait City (Arabic: Al Kuwayt) is the capital of the country with the same name.

[edit] Understand

Kuwait City is a bustling metropolis of high-rise office buildings, luxury hotels, wide boulevards and well-tended parks and gardens. Its seaport is used by oil tankers, cargo ships and many pleasure craft. Its most dominant landmarks are the Kuwait Towers.

[edit] Orientation

The main residential and business areas are Salmiya and Hawalli. The main industrial area is Shuwaikh within the Al Asimah Governorate. The main palaces are As-Seef Palace in the old part of Kuwait City where the Emir runs the daily matters of the country, the governement headquarter is located in Bayan Palace, While the current Emir stays in Dar Salwa

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Kuwait International Airport

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[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

• Liberation Tower, one of the tallest telecommunications towers in the world. Visitors can travel 150m (492ft) up to the revolving obervation tower and restaurant.
• Kuwait Towers
• National Museum, [1]. Stripped of many artefacts during the war – part of it has been renovated and is now open to the public for display.
• Seif Palace. Built in 1896, the interior features original Islamic mosaic tilework, though these suffered badly during the Iraqi occupation.
• Sadu House, near the museum, Made of coral and gypsum and is used as a cultural museum to protect the arts and crafts of Bedouin society. It is an ideal place to purchase Bedouin goods.
• Grand Mosque
• Entertainment City
• Sea Clubs
• Bayt Al-Badr
• Science and Natural History Museum
• Liberation Monument
• Municipal Gardens
• Zoological Park
• Musical Fountain

[edit][add listing] Do

There are quite a few things to do in Kuwait City. It is possible to have lunch or dinner in the Kuwait towers (the three towers by the sea with water storage). It is worthwhile to take a tour of the Grand Mosque in Kuwait, just kindly ask the security guard in front of the entrance to the mosque. Across the street from the Grand Mosque is the Kuwaiti Stock Exchange, which seems to be open to the public.

While in Kuwait it is also crucial to smoke Shisha (Hookah/Hubbly Bubbly) at a cafe in Kuwait. There are also quite a few great restaurants with Iranian, Lebanese, and Bedouin foods.

Fitness freaks and the health conscious have several options to get engaged with exclusive fitness center in and around kuwait city. Some of the best health clubs and gyms are attached to hotels like the palms, sas radisson, hilton etc. There are also stand alone spas and fitness centers. Elysium, Flex, Spa time and Ayurmana are a few of the highly top fitness centers in kuwait. Ayurmana also has a highly rated Exclusive Yoga Studio [2]and Ayurveda Health Center [3].

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[edit][add listing] Buy

Several high-end malls in Kuwait City, with the Marina Mall being one of the largest. However, prices are quite expensive especially compared with other places in the region.

• Western style shopping centres: Souk Sharq (Kuwait City) and Marina Mall (Salmia) are both on the coastal Gulf Road and offer excellent shopping. Another shopping centre is "Al-Kout" (Fahaheel) it has several beautiful coffee shops and many other outlets. "Araya Mall" (Sharq) and Al-Salhiya Mall (Sharq) offers high-price designer brands. The Avenues is a new mall which has come up and is one of the largest in Kuwait.

• Traditional markets: A famous destination is the Souk Al Mubarakiya in the heart of downtown. Middle Eastern and Oriental items abound as well as a gold and jewellery market. Souk Al-Juma'a is a Friday market with very low-priced mass-produced goods and second-hand stuff. The Mahameed markets in Behbahani complex have similar selection and pricing as well.

• A more Oriental atmosphere can be found on the other side of town also in a western-style mall called Souk Al-Watiya or Al-Watiya Complex, located beside the Sheraton Hotel and 4 Point Sheraton. This place is also called the Adidas Building by local Filipinos. Situated close to churches the whole area can look like a mini India Town and Filipino Town during Friday and Sunday. Many restaurants also serving either fast food or oriental traditional foods. This is also a good place to buy any gold or jewelry.

after few years you can go to the two malls that will open soon in kuwait their names are 360 degrees kuwait and the mall of kuwait... go to al-fanar mall in kuwait it has resurants and cafes and many shops like ralph loren and lacost

[edit][add listing] Eat

Italian: Lorenzo, next to Salhiya Complex (in Sharg), and Ricardo, which is in the Sheraton are considered among the best Italian restaurants in Kuwait. Pomodoro which is in Sharg next to the church also serves good Italian food. Nino's, on the Gulf Road, is also good, but is more of a casual restaurant.

Indian: Mugal Mahal(sharg), Bukhara (sheraton hotel), Silk and Spice (Al Kout Mall,Fahaheel), Asha's (Marina crescent)

Lebanese: Villa Fayrouz (Sha'ab), Mejana (Al Kout Mall, Fahahel), Mais Al-Ghanim (Gulf Road), Tarboosh(Sheraton Hotel.

Persian: Shahrayar (Sheraton Hotel), Shabestan (Crowne Plaza Hotel), Baba Taher ( Sharq)

Kuwaiti: AL-Marsa which is located in the Ritz Hotel on the gulf road, highly recommended if you want to try local cuisine.

American: Johnny Rockets( Marina Mall, Kout Mall, The Avenues), Chilis and Fridays both located on the gulf road

Japanese: Kei( Marriot Hotel or Marina Mall), Maki ( Marina Waves, Edo (Shaeb) Sakura (Crown plaze hotel or Layla Gallery) all four are highly recommended.

Chinese: Greens ( Gulf road), Golden chopsticks (Sha'ab), Peacok(Radisson Sas Hotel).

Burgers: B+F Burger Boutique which is the first gourmet burger joint in the middle east(Araya mall), Slider Station (Seif Area), Burger hub(gulf road infront of the Al Seif palace), burger gourmet (marina mall). Burger Co. (Hawali infron of muhalab Mall)

[edit] Budget

[edit] Mid-range

• The Oasis Hotel, intersection of Ahmad Al-Jaber Street and Mubarak Al-Kabeer Street, ☎ +965 2465489 (sales@oasis.com.kw, fax: +965 2465490), [4]. Solid hotel in down town Kuwait City, will arrange pickup from airport, good Indian restaurant on the top floor. edit

[edit] Splurge

[edit][add listing] Drink

Numi Tea House

This is not a typical tea house! It is reasonably priced yet offers so much more than you would expect. There are several varieties of herbal teas to choose from and the menu is quite large. The atmosphere is quite cozy although the tea house itself is larger and beautifully decorated with contemporary style furniture.

Address: Salem Al Mubarak Street, Salmiya, Kuwait

Telephone Number: (965) 5725870

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Western chains are prevalent in Kuwait, with the JW Marriott and Sheraton as the largest five-star hotels in the downtown business district. The Courtyard by Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton are also present, along with two luxury Le Méridien properties. A Crowne Plaza is located near Kuwait International Airport; there are also two Holiday Inn properties, one in the shopping district of Salmiya and the other located in downtown Kuwait City. Additional resort hotels, such as the Radisson SAS, Hilton and Kempinski, are located on the coast.

New hotels scheduled to open in Kuwait between 2008 and 2010 include the Golden Tulip Kuwait, Hotel Missoni Kuwait, Ibis Salmiya, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait, The Regent Kuwait at Messilah Beach, InterContinental Kuwait and the Hilton Olympia Kuwait. Other properties by different groups are also planned.

The Radisson SAS Hotel in Kuwait:

This five star beachfront hotel is only a few minutes away from the center of Kuwait city and major shopping areas. There is a large selection of business, recreational and leisure facilities, wide range of recreational activities. There are also amazing restaurants to choose from as well as a convenient free city shuttle service.

http://kuwait.radissonsas.com/

Address: Al Bida Al Tawoun Street, Salwa, Kuwait 13122

Telephone Number: (965) 575-6000

[edit] Budget

[edit] Mid-range

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[edit] Stay safe

Be very careful crossing streets -- Kuwaiti drivers are reckless.

Crime rates are low and the neighboring civil conflict in Iraq has not spilled over into Kuwait. Kuwait City is one of the safest places in the Middle East.

[edit] Respect

Kuwait is a mostly Muslim country so wear respectable clothing during your travels. Do not say anything that might be perceived as an insult to Islam, the Kuwaiti government, or national pride. Drug trafficking and murder are punishable by death. That said, "respectful" is a relative term. Kuwaiti malls are full of young kuwaitis in shorts, tight clothing, etc. Along with Dubai, this is the one place in the region it's easy to get away with wearing shorts if one wants to.

[edit] Cope

The best way for any Westerner to cope with living in Kuwait, particularly if coming here without family, is to make plenty of friends. The newcomer will find that friendships among members of the Western expatriate community are formed more quickly than back home. There are plenty of social activities to get involved with, especially sport (cricket, rugby, sailing, squash, tennis, horse riding, darts, to name a few). Also available are theatre groups, ramblers, choirs, and business associations (in conjunction with various of the Western embassies here). Christian churches are also well represented.

An essential first step is to register with your home country's embassy, under the warden system, so that the Consular staff know you have arrived and where you live in Kuwait. Also, it is sensible to register with a decent doctor and a dentist. Your embassy can help with this.

Alcohol is illegal in Kuwait and possession of this carries very harsh penalties. Many inhabitants, however, both Kuwaiti and expatriate, maintain well stocked bars at home. Home brewing is a thriving hobby. That said, it is essential to remember that this is a Muslim country and it is foolish in the extreme to flout openly the laws of the place.Due respect should be shown at all times.

The summers (particularly July and August) are extremely hot, with temperatures during the day reaching over 50 degrees C for weeks on end. It is therefore important to drink plenty of water at these times to avoid dehydration and to keep out of the sun as far as possible. December to February can, surprisingly, be really cold, with night time temperatures falling below 0 degrees C. The spring time (March and most of April) is delightful in terms of weather. Thereafter, the weather hots up and it is often mid - October before the place starts to cool down.

[edit] Get out

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