Kuwait travel guide

Kuwait City has some surprisingly nice city beaches. Along the corniche, Arabian Gulf Street, all the way down to Messilah Beach are several public beaches. Some has jet skis rentals, others are flanked by fastfood joints or cafes, but all are nice sandy beaches on a pretty backdrop of Kuwait City skyline with the Kuwait Towers in the distance. Local men and kids playing in the sea, but if you are a female, you better off using one of the private beaches – some even have Ladies' Days (what ever that means).

As Kuwait is a desert country, it would be natural to take a trip into it. If you're not venturing further out than where there is a road, you will be met with power lines, Bedouin camps, and trash. For a real desert trip, you need a 4WD and someone who knows how to navigates the rolling sand dunes. In winter the desert is a favoured place to go camping, even for city folks, where tent camps can be as cramped as Kuwait City.

If you want to see something other than Kuwait City, a trip to Fahaheel on the coast to the south might be an option. The covered souq here is nice, though very ordinary. Don't expect something very different from Kuwait City, for it's not - it's just a Kuwaiti suburbia.

The modern building next to the mall Souq Sharq is the fish market. Here you find the fresh catch of the day along with imported fish. The vendors are a friendly bunch and everything lies out on ice, so you can have a look. Behind the fish market, you will find the dhow harbour cramped with traditional Arab boats the fishermen use.

Kuwait's Grand Mosque is really grand and marvelous. It opened in 1986 and can hold about 10.000 men and women in the main prayer hall. From the outside, the mosque looks very modest and modern, but the inside is - contrary to many other mosques - an extravaganza of Islamic design in dark blue and gold. It possible for none-muslime to visit the mosque, but you need to book a tour (free of charge). The guide will show you around, even into the Emir's private room, which is particularly finely ornamented with both Andalusian (west) and Persian (east) mosaics. Apparently the Emir didn't like the original version, so they had to redo the whole room.

Kuwait City was actually also a city before the oil boom, with palace, souq, and harbour. It still have those things today, in addition to the mandatory glass-and-steel skyscrapers the Gulf State capitals are so known for. But skyscraper-wise Kuwait is a bit behind the UAE and even Doha, though it's undergoing constant transformation and now has its first super skyscraper, Al Hamre Tower (412 m). However, downtown still has a lot of funky office buildings from the early oil boom days in 70s, which match well with the well-known landmarks of Kuwait Towers and lesser well-known mushroom water towers.

These three slender towers have become Kuwait's iconic landmark. They measure respectively 187 m, 147 m, and 113 m, and were built in 1970s. They are actually water towers and a part of larger water supply grid, however there are a restaurant and a observation deck (147m above ground) in spheres of the largest tower (both have been closed for years due to renovation).

In the middle of residential area lies this ordinary house-turned-museum. The house was used by the group of Kuwaiti freedom fighters, who went heavily under fire for ten long hours, when they resisted arrest during the Iraqi occupation on February 24th, 1991. Some died during the fight, some got captured and tortured to dead, while few survived by hiding in the attic. The house has been kept as it was with bullet holes and blown off pieces. It'sobering insight into how Kuwait was under the Gulf War, as this was just one of many attacks – particularly, as most other marks from the war have been erased everywhere else.

It's a nice surprise to realise that Kuwait City still has a traditional souq. Sure, you won't find camels here, but pretty much everything else from perfume, tradition Arab clothes (anyone care for a Pierre Cardin keffiyeh?) to groceries and everyday plastic stuff. The main alleys are covered and it's worth exploring the more hidden corners. Powershoppers still hire carriers to carry their goods as they whisk from shop to shop.

These gigantic striped mushrooms are water towers. They were constructed in 1970s by some Swedish engineers, and are a part of a water supply grid, which also include the more famous Kuwait Towers – yes, two of those are also water towers. The biggest group of Mushroom Towers are the one in Kuwait City (picture), but you will see others scattered around the country. The Mushroom Towers are the closest Kuwait gets to have an UNESCO World Heritage Site, as they are on the tentative list, and Kuwait otherwise doesn't have any. It also gives you an idea of what to expect in terms of tourist attractions in Kuwait.