Category: Activities

Yesterday I got an email from the owner of a business called Live Sketchbook inviting me to check out her place in Avenues. She described it as a 4D interactive park for kids and although kids stuff never interest me, I was curious to what a 4D interactive park was so I asked her if she had some photos. She emailed me a few and as soon as I saw them I headed over to Avenues to check the place out in person.

Live Sketchbook is a small space located up escalators #20 in Grand Avenues (right next to Muji). It’s a space for kids to come and spend time playing around with one of five different activities they have including:

– A Live Mask station which is a screen you sit in front of and the computer will combine your face with one of an animal of your choice resulting in a creepy/realistic outcome.
– 3D sketching tablets
– A reading corner
– A live mirror in which when you stand in front of will have realistic looking animals walk next to you
– And finally the star of the place, the Live Sketchbook

The Live Sketchbook occupies the majority of the space in the shop and it’s composed of a bunch of touch screens laid out in front of a large wall that has animated illustrations projected onto it. Kids can get on one of the touch screens, open up a coloring book, choose an animal of their choice and then color it in digitally using the onscreen crayons. Once they’re done they can then cut out their animal and flick it up their screen. When they do that their illustrated animal will fly off their screen and onto the animated wall in front of them where their illustration will join the other illustrations on the wall. If that alone wasn’t cool enough the kids can then go up to the wall and interact with their sketch by having it bounce around every time they touch it. I tried it out with a lion I colored in and found it fun so I’m sure kids are going to find it very cool as well.

According to the owner she brought the Live Sketchbook concept from Korea and has the exclusive rights for the brand in the region. I found a video of the Live Sketchbook online which you could check out above to give you a better idea of how it works. They’re going to be soft launching next week and it will cost KD10 for the full day and kids can leave and come back as many times as they want during the day. If you’re interested to find out more, here is a link to their Instagram account [Link]

Escape games are adventurous group games where each group is locked in a themed room and have 60 minutes to solve the mystery. Back in June I posted about one called Room of Clues thats located in Kuwait City but there is a new one opening up in Symphony Mall in Salmiya and it’s supposed to be the largest facility in the region. They started taking bookings yesterday and the prices range depending on how many people you are but generally they’re around KD10 per person and up. The most interesting aspect is that I counted six different type of games available to play which means if you take part in one escape and like it, you could come back and play one of the other games.

[YouTube]

Trapped Inn opens on September 2nd and if you’re interested in finding out more or booking a game you visit their website [Here]

I just spent the good part of the morning thinking about if I should actually post about this place or not. You see, I have a few well kept secret goodies that I haven’t shared on the blog like this small little Korean place I go to in Mahboula or where I go play tennis (they even have indoors) for just KD5 an hour. Sometimes I don’t post about things because I don’t want them to change, like I don’t want to not be able to play tennis whenever I want to because now they’re suddenly always booked. But, I don’t have that many secret places because most of the time I put the blog ahead of my personal interests. And this is the case with this new yoga studio I passed by yesterday called Alive Yoga.

I’m not a yoga buff but I do go do yoga every now and then, mostly for stretching purposes and to keep me somewhat flexible because I weight lift. My go to yoga place is The Palms since you don’t have to be a member and it costs just KD5 for a class. But yesterday I tried Alive Yoga and I think it’s my new favorite place, not just as favorite yoga place but like in general, my favorite new place in Kuwait. It’s located in a two story villa in Bneid Al Gar and the place is just really well done. The ground floor has a very cozy waiting area and small boutique filled with yoga gear while the top floor has two large yoga studios one of which brings in a lot of beautiful day light.

They have a bunch of yoga instructors and a lot of different classes available through out the day. Some of the classes are mixed while some are for women only. If all this already isn’t enough to sell you on them, Alive Yoga also have a very practical and functional iPhone app which you use to check out what classes are available and for signing up to them. Price wise they’re more expensive than what I usually pay at Palms. A single class is KD12 but if you buy 5 classes it’s KD50. They also have unlimited plans which start at KD95 a month. That means if you do yoga three times a week it’s like you’re paying KD7.9 a class or if you do 6 classes a week it’s basically KD3.9 a class. Right now though they have a new members offer where they are offering 2 weeks unlimited classes for just KD24. Thats what I signed up to and I’m going to make sure I take advantage of it by trying as many different instructors and classes as I can in this period. If you’re interested to find out more about Alive Yoga then make sure you check out their instagram page [Here]. Also, here is their location on [Google Maps]

Update: Here is the link to their website [Link]

A new ice skating rink opened up inside the Promenade mall in Hawalli and I think it’s the only other ice skating rink in Kuwait not including the main one in Kuwait City. I passed by yesterday to check it out and it turned out to be bigger than I expected it to be but A LOT smaller than the Kuwait City one. One hour of ice skating costs KD6 and that includes the ice skates and a helmet. It’s not just for kids, it’s for ages 7 and up so adults can skate there as well. The same floor has the trampoline park (which I think is just for kids) and yesterday when I passed by during the day it was super packed. Kids must be loving it. Anyway if you’re interested in ice skating I’d personally recommend the ice skating rink in Kuwait City but if you want to check this out you can call them on 22277138. Here is the location of the mall on [Google Maps]

Winner: The Secret Garden
A common refrain you hear from people here, expats and locals alike (no fighting, children), is that “there’s nothing to do here.”

Common Mack! Sure there is!

Why, you could perhaps go to the airport and GTFO AND GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM! Or you know…take a vacation. I personally love Kuwait’s locale. You could literally go anywhere from here. Go somewhere new! Try the local food! And in general, you could be less of a bitch. We have more holidays a year than anyone and centrality to use it to experience something new.

But what do you do when you’re between vacations?

The Secret Garden Project.
The instagram account @mimikuwait is how I found out about these entertaining events. She’s a force of good, tenacious and talented. The project hosts weekly events a few times a year during the cooler months when people stop bitching about how hot or dusty it is, and start bitching about how cold and dusty it is during those few minutes between being inside a severely over-air conditioned building and a severely over-air conditioned car. The mini-market is located at a tiny park off Baghdad street. Lots of good food, like the gentlemen who re-karaked chai karak and the merchant prince of smoked ribs, Roc. It’s a swell place to take your spouse or the girl who somehow responded positively to you yelling at her from you car (please don’t have children). It’s also a good place place to bring the kiddies for some fun activities that don’t require them rubbing their disgusting fingers all over the phone you put next to your face 20 times a day. It’s the kind of place women walk around repeatedly saying the word ‘cute’ incessantly. kinda like…

Runner up: Qout Market
For personal reasons, I couldn’t make most of the early Qout Markets this year (I had nothing to wear). But the ones I visited had the same elements it did last year: great atmosphere, great food, and lots of random small stands selling everything from jams to t-shirts. My only reservation is how people going to Qout overdress. Last time I felt compelled, as I often do, to make a statement by overdressing just. that. little. bit. more. Some of you may have seen me in the final Qout Market of the year.

Photo by Hind Al-Awadi

The gauntlet has been thrown ladies and gentlemen, do you accept the challenge?

Winner: The Secret Garden
During the cooler seasons if you ever want to know where to find me on a Saturday morning, it’s usually at The Secret Garden. The Secret Garden is a small park right off Baghdad Street in Salmiya that was turned into a community garden by the talented chef Mimi. Every so often she invites a bunch of other talented chefs and together they hold a brunch or dinner at the park. It’s a very chill atmosphere with picnic tables spread all about, good music playing and a lot of interesting people all around. It’s a great social event and a great way to spend Saturday mornings. If you haven’t been to a brunch or dinner yet at the park then make sure you do, whenever there is one taking place I tend to post it with the “Things to do this Weekend” list so keep an eye out for it or just follow Mimi [Here]

Runner up: Madeenah Tour
The Madeenah Tour is another activity that takes place during the cooler months of the year since it usually involves a lot of out door walking. Once a week Madeenah takes a group of people on an educational and informative tour around a specific area with historical or current significance. They tend to stay off the beaten path so you’re always bound to discover something new. Like with The Secret Garden, whenever there is a tour taking place I list it under the weekly weekend activities list but you could also follow them yourself and find out directly from [Here]

Winner: Kuwait Little League
When I first moved back here, 20 seasons of The Simpsons ago, someone recommended to my mother that she put us in the Kuwait Little League. Back then, everything was on sandlots. But the movie, The Sandlot, had come out the year before and therefore, I was unfazed. The league, to my ten-year-old perception, was very well organized. We had organised teams with practice and jerseys and coaches and the whole thing. I loved every minute of it and can’t thank enough the school nurse for suggesting it to my mother.

I was reminiscing out loud with Mark and the KLL came up. He showed me pictures of the fields they use now, which somehow, despite the sun’s continually murderous efforts, were green. Perhaps they’re artificial grass, I don’t know, but nonetheless, it’s all very Chenna mo bel Kuwait. Look them up for online registrations if you want to give your kids something outdoors to do in the delightful months of the year.

Runner Up: Kidzania
The winner was something I had done as a child in Kuwait that is still around and even better that before; The runner-up is something so enticing, that I rue the day I grew into a towering oak of a man. Kidzania is off at the edge of the Avenues. You might have had to double-take as I had when you see a goddamn Qatar Airways desk inexplicably in a mall. Well that’s where the kids take their pretend passport, to check into Kidzania. I have a real goddamn passport and I’m gold member with Qatar Airways, but sadly, I’m too tall for this ride…

Winner: Kuwait Little League
I passed by the Kuwait Little Leagues a few months back by accident. Well not really by accident, I was going to a yard sale and I knew it was a KLL Yard Sale, I just didn’t think they would be actually playing baseball games as well. So when I got there I was in total shock and awe. They had 4 green grass diamond baseball fields (real grass btw) and there were all these kids dressed in baseball gear on the fields playing while their parents were sitting in the stands watching. The fields were surrounded by high green trees and the sky was blue so you literally felt like you were at some school game taking place in the US. Unlike Nima, I spent my childhood playing football in sand lots but if I had know about KLL I would have begged my parents to sign me up to it. If you want to know more about KLL they do have a website but it looks like it was designed back in the 1800s and doesn’t seem to be functioning properly as of this post [Link]. They’re also on [Facebook]

Runner up: K Camp & Q8 Books
It was difficult to choose one runner up so I’m choosing two. Last year I passed by K Camp for the first time since I had a friend working there and was overwhelmed by how much fun the kids were having. The kids were split up into various teams based on their ages and numbers and through out the day they would all have different activities to do. What probably surprised me the most is how great the various young volunteers were with the children, many of who were previous K Campers themselves. Sadly this activity takes place only a few weeks a year, check out their website for more details [Here]

The other runner up is Q8 Books, through out the year they have various reading events for children where they invite guests to come and read for the kids. They even somehow convinced Monstariam to come read wearing a rabbit costume. It’s all really cute and it takes place inside the bookshop so your kids will probably also want to pick up a few books on their way out which is always a good thing. Follow them on instagram to find out when the next one takes place [Link]

The last time I was in Dubai some friends of mine wanted me to come and play a live escape game called HintHunt. The concept was fairly simple, you and your friends get trapped in a room and you have 60 minutes to figure out away out by solving various puzzles. Due to the shortage of time I never got to experience HintHunt but a similar concept recently launched in Kuwait called Room of Clues.

In Room of Clues you and your friends need to break into an office of a rich sheikh, find the account number of his bank account and then get out before he’s back. You also have just 60 minutes to solve all the puzzles.

The games are run every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 3PM to 10PM. The price is KD8 per person and the game can be played with a minimum of two people and a maximum of five. If you’re interested you can find more information on their website [Here] or check out their instagram account [Here]

Last Thursday before hurting my ankle I was supposed to go paddleboarding with the local Red Paddle Co distributor so I could write about it. That never ended up happening but I figured I would still post about paddleboarding since it’s a fun activity for those looking for something to do in the summer.

Red Paddle Co are the world’s number 1 inflatable stand up paddleboard manufacturer. The advantage of an inflatable paddleboard is pretty obvious, when you’re not using it you can pack it away in a small bag and store it or if you want you could take the board with you when you travel. I tried paddleboarding for the first time two years ago and I had a blast. It’s a full-body workout and great for your core strength, cardio and balance.

The local Red Paddle Co distributor offers boards for rent and for sale. The cost for renting a board is KD25 per day (12 hours). They also sell 5 different board models and their prices range from KD345 to KD349. This includes the inflatable paddleboard, the paddle, pump and travel/storage bag. If you’ve never gone paddleboarding before they offer a 30 minute introductory session with basic instructions.

The local distributor also arranges group SUP sessions where they paddle up or down the coast and every now and then head out by a boat to one of the islands. On their last trip they went to Umm Al Marradim where they got to explore reef from on top. So if you’re interested in a fun summer activity, try paddleboarding. For more information check them out on [Instagram] and [Facebook] or call/whatsapp them on 94422593.

[YouTube]

Two workshops recently took place at The Secret Garden, one on Acting while the other was on Upcycling. I didn’t attend them but based on the video they just released I kinda wish I did since it looked like a lot of fun. Also just a reminder, Saturday Night Lights is taking place at The Secret Garden tonight so be there since it’s probably the last one of the season if the weather gets much warmer. [Link]

I just got back from a morning of wakeboarding and figured it’s that time of the year when I post about this activity. The weather today was perfect, it was around 30ºC, the sky was clear and the water wasn’t chilly at all. Like I do every year, I went wakeboarding with the Q8 Balance guys. They’re a great bunch of people who love what they do and it really shows with the amount of work and time they’ve put into making the sport popular in Kuwait.

For those of you who don’t know, Q8 Balance charge by the hour and provide you with all the gear you need to wakeboard. They use one of the best wakeboarding boats available and this year they even got a brand new one since their previous one started to breakdown last year. All the wakeboarding is done in the lagoons in Khiran City and they charge KD35 per hour. I usually go with a friend or two and split the cost since it’s too exhausting anyway to wakeboard the full hour alone.

They also have surfing which I got to try for the first time today. The instructor (pictured above) made it look so easy but it really isn’t. The way it works is they setup the boat in a way that it creates a large wave behind it which you surf on (rope free) with a special board. I’ll probably try it again next week when I go back again.

I usually book via whatsapp a week ahead of time and for the middle of the week since they’re usually super booked on the weekends. Actually they’re usually booked in the middle of the week as well which is why I book a week in advance. So if you’re interested in wakeboarding or surfing, here is the link to the Q8 Balance instagram page @q8balance and their number is 99679705.

I’ve posted about Milsim a few times over the years but in case you missed my previous posts, Milsim is a military simulation game where players use airsoft weapons. Unlike paintball you don’t fire off a million shots and hope they hit your target. Milsim instead involves a lot more strategy and ammunition needs to be conserved similar to real life scenarios. It’s very realistic.

[YouTube]

Anyway the video above popped on my Facebook feed and I hadn’t seen it before and thought it looked great. The situations look very realistic and the location just incredible (I think it’s somewhere on Failaka Island). That YouTube account also has other Milsim videos which you can check out [Here]

If you’re interested in Milsim you can check out their website [Here] or on instagram @milsimkuwait

Although it was a lot more popular in the 80s and 90s, ice skating can still be fun if you go with a group of friends and when you want to escape the summer heat. The place is usually empty and theres a McDonalds there plus Fat Burger and Maki across the street if you want to combine it with lunch or dinner. Below are the timings and prices:

Skating Sessions:
8:30AM to 10:00AM
10:30AM to 12:00PM
12:30PM to 2:00PM
2:30PM to 4:00PM
4:30PM to 6:00PM
6:30PM to 8:00PM
8:30PM to 10:00PM

Fees:
Entrance + Ice Skates – KD1.500
None Skating Escort – KD0.500
Monthly Membership – KD40.000
Lessons – KD10 for 4×30 minute lessons
Skate sharpening – KD1.000
Lockers small/large – KD0.250/KD0.500

Telephone: 22411151/2/3

Thursday
Paragliding Festival
Alice in Wonderland
Shakshooka Nomadic Farmers Market
Announcement and Discussion of Acquiring Modernity
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: A Brief History of Time

Friday
Paragliding Festival
Alice in Wonderland
Armenian Dance & Music Evening

Saturday
Paragliding Festival
Alice in Wonderland
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: Persona

If you’d like to share an event on the blog click [Here]

Photo above by @faisalthef

Extreme Sports have a bike rental station outside their skateboard park in Marina Waves (the area next to Marina Crescent). They’re renting bikes at KD3 an hour which depending on how fast you ride is enough time to go to Kuwait Towers and back. The bikes they’re renting are pretty decent Trek bikes and since they’re the Trek dealers the bikes are most likely being well taken care of. They’re open daily from 3PM to 11PM except on Fridays when they open from 6AM to 11AM and then again from 3PM to 11PM.

Update: Had a horrible experience with them. Rented a bicycle for a friend, put it on my bike rack and headed to Corniche. Once we got to Corniche turns out the bike gears were not working so headed back to the rental place and told them. They were like it’s fine. I was like no its not the gears won’t change. He was like you should have checked before you took the bike. Long story short they refused to give us a new bike and refused to refund us the money.

If you’ve ever wanted to try powered paragliding this might be the easiest way to do it. Starting from April 24th and lasting for 10 days you will be able to experience paragliding over the Gulf Road accompanied by the most skilled pilots. A 15 minute journey will cost KD40 and you will fly at an altitude of around 200 meters. If you’re interested you need to book your seat by calling 22621766 or 94004335.

The previous time I paraglided in Kuwait (picture on top) it cost me KD30 for a 30 minute flight but it took place down in Khieran.