There comes a time when a vacation is very much needed, but can’t be accommodated. Be it our busy schedules, attempting to save up, or the all too familiar residency renewal process. While everyone you might know is out gallivanting on foreign lands and frolicking in fields – you’re stuck going to the office and mindlessly working a nine to five (sorry boss). We’ve come up with a few options for you to choose from so you don’t have to worry about all the research! Sit back and enjoy this list, but reader, we would like to warn, nay, implore you to proceed with caution and at your own risk. We in this establishment will not be held responsible for any of the following should you get into some sort of grievance. Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, let’s get to listing the ways you can be a tourist in this city we call home – shall we?
Active Activities
Camping in the desert
Camping is an excellent way to test your skills! Imagine this: you drive out into the designated desert camping areas and you pitch a tent with nothing around you but golden serenity. Well, maybe not golden…more like sandy – and the serenity, that’s just more sand. We won’t lie, it’ll be hot and it’ll be sticky. Just make sure your car is close by for the grand escape to a cooler environment. Or you know, you can always Glamp-it!
Rent a yacht
Hear us out, it’s hot and it’s summer – so obviously you’d want to just dive into crystal clear waters to cool off. So why not rent a yacht and get as far away from the city as possible? Just don’t hit international waters, here be pirates and all. But head out to Qubar Island and sun bathe on the deck of your yacht. Make sure to have enough sunscreen and water lest you shrivel up like a prune and bake. Better yet, hide out in the lower deck – seriously, what were you thinking going out there? Make sure you go all out The OC-style, if you decide to take a dingy…then we have nothing to say to you.
Relaxing Activities
Sea Shells Resort
Treat yourself, and the family, or just yourself, if you need a break – we won’t judge you, out loud – to a fabulous weekend stay at the Sea Shells resort. Relax by the pool or take a dip in the sea, and if you’re feeling peckish just step outside and you’ll find an array of restaurants. Yes they’re all fast-food joints, but you’re in “staycation” mode, the extra calories don’t really count. The actual resort is stunning and the water is gorgeous, the change of scenery alone will instantly elevate your mood. You’ll thank us later.
Failaka Island
Yes it’s an island, and you’d have to either rent a yacht (a la option two of the above) or take the ferry – but it’s worth it! Super old school, this island hasn’t grown like the city, so you feel like you’ve stepped into the past. With the Heritage Village there, you can stay at the Ikaros Hotel and keep it fancy – or really dive into the culture and rent out a Heritage House. You know you’ve always been curious to visit this mysterious island with its beautifully random history! It’ll be one heck of an experience if you ask us. When else will you stay in a traditional Kuwaiti house or village? GO!
www.heritagevillagefailaka.com
Staycation down the road
Now your options here are simple, either step out of your house and walk to the nearest hotel – we know there’s one right around the corner, it’s Kuwait – and stay there, or take your car and drive as far as you’d like till you spot a hotel and stay there. See, sometimes you just really do need a change of scenery – even when it’s just a bed. We’ve all done it, so why not join the ranks of us useless staycationers – you won’t need to make the bed or clean up! And breakfast will always be waiting for you downstairs. Luxury is necessary – again, not really, but why not?!
Random Activities
Shino?
Jareer – the bookshop – has a plethora of options to choose from. Find the one you can sort-of relate to the most and take it from there! What are we talking about? Phrasebooks obviously! We all buy them when we’re on actual vacations lest we need to ask the locals for anything, so why not pretend like your only form of communication is via a How to Speak Kuwaiti phrasebook? It’s a lot of fun, trust us – and in a way it can be viewed as a social experiment. See how many people will actually take you seriously or just put yourself in a complete expat’s shoes. It’s life changing – well, not really, but it can be fun. #DamnExpats
Scavenger hunt!
Well, no you don’t really get an actual map from us, or a prize at the end, but why not? Head off to The Avenues, and pick up a copy of their map from the information desk. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to visit every single square marked on the map. Don’t cheat! We’ll know if you did – no we won’t, but don’t be a spoilsport. See how many squares you can mark off before rush hour hits, and at the end buy yourself a cookie! You earned it, even if you didn’t complete the entire map. Bless your soul if you did.
#InstaRoulette
Nothing is gambled therefore nothing is lost, right? – Except time, you’ll lose time you can never get back. But I digress – the point of this completely fictional game is to explore the city. The instructions are simple: open Instagram, go to the search icon, type in #kuwait and the first image to appear is your destination. Unless it’s someone’s house, don’t do that – this establishment does not endorse stalking! In the event that you do end up with a house, pick the next image down and go there. Use the hashtag #InstaRoulette to win nothing at all – but we will applaud you.
Souqers
Mubarakiya is so awesome that we’ve dedicated an entire feature to it! Full of corners to explore, the souq gets more and more interesting as you walk through it. Have a shisha at one of the shisha places, or try some authentic street food – it’s delicious! You won’t regret a single second of it. But the ultimate activity involves you and your camera. Mubarakiya is a door-mine! Yes, we said door-mine, like a goldmine of doors! The amount of interesting doors just randomly hanging on hinges is flabbergasting. We had a blast posing in front of every single one we found! Do the same and post the photos! Use the hashtag #Ihavethisthingwithdoors and see how fast it goes viral!
Camel spotting
It’s a thing, we think… Point is, when was the last time you actually came across a camel whilst driving around Kuwait? We’ve seen more camels in non-stereotypically-camel-ly countries than we have here! So why not venture further out of the city – not to the borders, that can get a little awkward – and try to find the camels. Count them, take photos of them, and if you’re feeling adventurous, ask the shepherd if you can pet one! Then post the photos to Instagram, or any other social media if you must, with the hashtag #q8Camels. Much respect.
We hope you enjoy the long weekends, staycations, or just any other random weekend! Don’t forget, Kuwait has a lot of hidden museums and exhibits so make sure you check them out! Happy summering-ish!
