We love exploring the world around us. Whenever we’re abroad we’re excited about hiking and nature trips so we can see the wildlife, but we often forget that Kuwait is just as enriching when it comes to flora and fauna. We have beautiful deserts and beaches that are full of interesting creatures and plants that don’t exist anywhere else on the planet. Did you know that Kuwait’s skies are home to vultures, flamingos and swamphens while the land is favored by spiny-tailed lizards, Arabian sand boas, and Arabian red foxes, to name a few? And while we would love to jump in the car and go exploring, we know that doing this on our own can be difficult and often, inaccessible. This is why we’re very excited about The Scientific Center’s new Eco-Tours!
The experience is the first of its kind in Kuwait. The center’s expert explainers will guide you on various exciting eco-tours across Kuwait to discover the beauty of nature of the various ecosystems of our home! The tours are only running for a limited time and began on the 12th of February and will continue until the 26th of March, and we are hoping that the tours do make a return for the upcoming fall season. The tours are designed to inspire appreciation for our local ecosystems and arrive as the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city with your family. Not only will you learn about local environments but you will also get a sneak peek into the world of conservation in Kuwait.
In order for conservation to reach its maximum potential, we know that education is key. Teaching our children to appreciate the world around us, however, is becoming increasingly difficult with the increase in screen time. This is why we feel that The Scientific Center’s Eco-tours are more important than ever before, as they will provide little ones with the opportunity to experience their habitats first-hand, and we truly believe that the tours will pique their curiosity and imagination.
Each scheduled tour is planned to kick off from The Scientific Center in Salmiya with a bus ride with a limited number of other visitors who are also interested in science and the environment. This might even be a great way to make new friends who share your passion for nature. Once you arrive at the eco-tour site, the Explainers will tour you through the ecosystem, highlighting flora and fauna along the way to your main site, where a range of activities are offered, depending on your choice.
This is an unrivaled opportunity for you and your family to explore nature on foot and visit the exclusively selected sites where you and your family can learn about Kuwait’s beautiful and diverse environment, starting from only 25 KD per person.
The first trip in the Eco Tours series by The Scientific Center was to Failaka island and was a huge success. Visitors journeyed to the ancient ruins, the remains of the Gulf War, the Museum of Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Palace, and other historic locations that make Failaka island unique. On the second tour, visitors got to tour the Sabah Al-Ahmad Nature Reserve, which is usually closed to the general public, and learned about local flora like Kuwait’s oldest tree and Kuwait’s national flower the Rhanterium epapposum, known locally as Arfaj, and their ecological importance and reserve management methods. The trip also included a desert camp break station, where the intrepid explorers rested and enjoyed the beauty of the reserve.
There are still three upcoming eco-tours and we think all of them are equally exciting!
Al Jahra Nature Reserve – Saturday March 12 [9 AM – 3 PM]
Explainers will take you on a walking exploration of the Al-Jahra reserve to learn about the local flora and fauna, emphasizing its ecological importance, reserve management methods, and local landmarks. There’s a special birdwatching session scheduled for visitors!
Kuwait’s Mudflats – Saturday March 19 [9 AM – 3 PM]
Ready to get your hands muddy? Join an expedition to this special mudflat habitat in Kuwait and get busy on a biodiversity survey there. You will be amazed by the resident flora and fauna that live there and how they have adapted to this wondrous environment!
El-Janah Wildlife Breeding Center – Saturday March 26 [9 AM – 3 PM]
If you are interested in wildlife conservation, this tour is the one for you! The Scientific Center will take you on an exclusive tour to El-Janah Wildlife Breeding Center, where you can take a look behind the scenes at El-Janah’s animal care facilities and learn more about the national breeding programs for threatened species. Best of all, you will be able to visit the horse stables and aquaponic ponds!
To ensure everyone’s safety, visitors are asked to keep their masks on during the bus rides on the eco-tour. Food and beverages are not provided as part of the trip so pack a snack bag and don’t forget water. This is a family-friendly tour, so any children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Because you will be spending quite some time outdoors make sure you are dressed suitably for the weather and the kind of tour you are booking.
Don’t miss out and book your eco-tour with The Scientific Center now! Visit the website to book and to find out more. Make sure you are following @scicenterkw on Instagram to stay up to date with all of the exciting things they’re doing.
