2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

With the long weekend approaching you might have considered traveling to Dubai but were put off by the high ticket prices. If you’re more than one person and like road trips, you should consider driving to Dubai. There are a number of benefits including:

• You leave and come back when you want
• You can purchase large items and bring them back
• No weight limit
• You don’t need to rent a car while there
• You can save quite a bit the more people in the car
• The long drive is therapeutic

I’ve previously done the trip and I’m planning to do it again this Eid since I need to bring back a bunch of things with me. Here is how much I paid for car insurance at the borders and for fuel. This is with a Toyota Hilux so depending on your car’s fuel economy, it could be a bit less:

Saudi to UAE Boarder
11 KD – Saudi car Insurance
22.500 KD – Fuel

UAE Border to Dubai
17.5 KD – UAE car Insurance
20 KD – Fuel

On the return:

Dubai to Saudi Border
40 KD – Fuel

Saudi Border to Kuwait
19 KD – Fuel

Total: 130 KD

Considering the cheapest airline ticket right now is around 150 KD, if you road trip with a friend, split the cost, and not have to pay for a rental or cab while in Dubai, the savings can be big. And then you have all the other benefits I mentioned earlier so it’s kinda a no brainer… if you’re fine driving for 12 hours that is.

For a more detailed write up about the drive, click here.

I know its counter-intuitive to ask this here but not sure how else to get this issue sorted.

Over the past 10 days I’ve gotten a number of comments asking me why I haven’t updated the website in a while or why I stopped posting when I haven’t. Turns out there is some sort of cache issue causing people not to see any of the new posts.

For me to solve this issue I need to try and understand it better. If you’re facing or faced the issue above could you let me know what browser and device you were using and which Internet provider? I want to see if there is a connection.

There are 4 interesting things happening this weekend:

Music of Gratitude
Tonight the Ahmadi Music Group choir and orchestra along with the Kuwait Chamber Chorale will be performing seasonal music by Mendelssohn, Bach, and Handel.

Sunset Hike
On Friday, Outdoorish.kw are having their weekly sunset hike and you can tag along.

Once Upon a Time
Also on Friday, Art N Dine are having a unique artistic and holistic Ghabga experience at the beautiful beach in Argan Albidaa Club.

Makers Pop-Up Shop
Finally, this Saturday the Makers Pop-Up Shop is taking place at the Marzouk Pearl building in Salmiya. There will be arts and crafts, jewelry, homewares, textiles, sweets, and more on sale.

If theres a cool event you think people should check out this weekend, let us know in the comments.

Jarir at The Avenues opened a couple of days ago and it’s wayyyy larger than I expected it to be. Because the main entrance is where Johnny Rockets used to be I assumed they might have taken over just that space. Instead, it turns out they’ve actually taken that whole wing of Avenues from where Johnny Rockets used to be, all the way back to where Nando’s and Romano’s Macaroni Grill were located.

It’s huge!

This idea is so absurd but so great at the same time. For a limited time only, Johnny Rockets in Salmiya have what they’re calling a “Truffle Table Experience”. It’s a set menu that you need to pre-book ahead of time and includes your choice of truffle fries or onion rings, a Wagyu truffle burger or a truffle portobello burger, a luxury shake, and a cookie for dessert. I booked it and went last night with a couple of friends and we had a blast

My first date ever was at Johnny Rockets back in 1996 and I wish they had this setup back then since I might have been able to impress my date. The table was covered with a white tablecloth and set with a pink cloth napkin, plates, and cutlery. There was even a flower and a candle that further added to the romantic vibe. Obviously, you’re not supposed to take all of this very seriously and everyone else there who had booked this dinner looked like they were also having fun with it.

The burger itself is more elevated than the usual offering and they got a legit chef (@chef_ak) to develop it. Even the onion rings weren’t their usual frozen ones but instead freshly hand battered with sourdough crumble. Honestly, if they had stuck with their usual items I wouldn’t have been disappointed since I was there to have a bit of fun, but the fact they went all out to elevate the food just for this occasion is impressive.

As I mentioned earlier, this fine dining experience is for a limited time only, it started a few days ago and lasts till April 17th. It’s 10KD per person and you need to pre-book using this link.

Walking around malls is a great way to hit your steps goal, especially if it’s too hot outside or if you don’t live near any walking tracks. But how many steps is each lap of a mall, and how many calories do you burn? To find out, I visited various malls around Kuwait and completed one lap of each while tracking my steps and calorie burn using my Apple Watch.

While my data isn’t scientific, I established some rules to ensure consistency. I did one lap only and I started and ended my walk in the same spot. I did not travel up or down escalators, but I did travel to the different phases and extensions if I could do so without changing floors. I also tried to walk at the same brisk pace. Your data might differ from mine, but it should be good enough to give you a rough idea of what to expect.

I’ve ranked my top six favorite malls based on a number of factors, including steps per lap, parking availability, overall convenience, the width of the mall floor, and visual stimulation during the walk. Here are my top 6:

#1 The Avenues
3,211 steps
33min 5sec
2.52km
174cal

#2 360 Mall
1464 steps
16min 14sec
1.19km
85cal

#3 Assima
569 steps
5min 51sec
0.43km
30cal

#4 Souq Sharq
706 steps
6min 25sec
0.48km
35cal

#5 Al Kout Mall
549 steps
5min 29sec
0.40km
27cal

#6 Marina Mall
664 steps
7min 58sec
0.56km
38cal

Last week, Kuwait Airways launched the Electronic Boarding Pass feature, but oddly, not for Kuwait. It’s pretty strange, I thought it might be because the immigration department needed a physical boarding pass to stamp, but even if you’re just transiting, Kuwait Airways is requiring a physical pass.

On the bright side, it does mean I can now fly out of Dubai a lot more conveniently. One of the disadvantages of flying with Kuwait Airways over Emirates was the fact I had to wait in a queue at the Kuwait Airways check-in desk to get my boarding pass. Now I can just get the digital one when I check in online and then zip through the E-gate as soon as I get to the airport. No waiting in line to check in, and no waiting in line for immigration.

To find out which airports accept the Kuwait Airways E-Pass, click here.

Amorino, the popular French chain of gelato ice cream boutiques is coming to Kuwait and they’re planning to open their first location in The Avenues. I like their gelato and usually go with a strawberry chocolate mix but I’m also a big fan of their sorbets.

They’re planning to open their location this coming July and the store will be located in the rear passageway of Avenues Phase III, where the English Tea Lounge used to be located.

After a quiet couple of weekends, events are starting to pick up again. Below are all the ones I found taking place this weekend. If I missed anything, let me know in the comments:

Thursday, April 6
The Outlet Expo
Astronomers Diwaniya
Bugsha Ramadan Nights
Ramadan Kits Activities
Al Sheyab Show
Gergean AlHamra
Murouj Gergean
Red Bull Doodle Art Final

Friday, April 7
The Outlet Expo
Zain Ramadan Kids Run
Ultimate Frisbee Tournament
Bugsha Ramadan Nights
Ramadan Kits Activities
Ramadan Art & Gergeian Adventure
Murouj Gergean
All Sports Gathering
Drift Championship
Puppet Show

Saturday, April 8
The Outlet Expo
Al Shaheed Park’s Gergi’an
Sailing: Saturday Sunset Cruising
Storytelling & Food with Rashid AlSaif
Bugsha Ramadan Nights
Ramadan Art & Gergeian Adventure
Murouj Gergean
Storytime at Amricani
Special Afternoon for Kids
All Sports Gathering
Drift Championship
Puppet Show
Easter Eggs Painting

Exhibitions
A&F Fashion Exhibition
Alexander The Great in Kuwait
Between Two Worlds

I’m a fan of the post-apocalyptic television series “The Last of Us” so when I stumbled into this area by accident, the first thing I did was shoot a video and send it over to a couple of friends who I knew watched the show as well. I felt like I had walked onto the set of the show with the only thing missing being the zombies.

The area is deserted with shrubs growing unchecked and walls covered with graffiti. All the buildings are crumbling because they’ve been neglected for decades, just like on the show. It was also eerily quiet except for the chirping of the birds.

If you want to film a short TikTok zombie flick or something, the area is located behind the abandoned buildings on Fahed Al Salem Street, next to Salhiya Complex. Google Maps

Are you an expat in Kuwait looking to own a car but don’t want to put a large down payment? Or maybe you’re struggling to buy a car because you don’t have a guarantor? If you answered yes to any of these then a lease-to-own program is a great option.

With Autocapital, anyone can lease a car since the only requirements are ID, a salary certificate, and a bank statement.

Purchasing a car through an Autocapital lease-to-own program has a number of benefits including:

• Select the car you want including the specifications and color.

• Option to purchase the car after the rental period is up.

• You don’t have to worry about maintenance costs since it’s covered under the lease.

• Full insurance and roadside assistance are included as part of the lease.

With high-interest rates and the cost of cars getting higher, lease-to-own makes a lot more sense than traditional financing, and you don’t need to go through the bank either. Autocapital are also partners with all the car brands which is why you get to choose to lease whatever car you want. And because they work hand in hand with the dealers, they also get better price options.

Autocapital is a one-stop shop, they buy, sell, lease, lease-to-own and rent cars. They’re located at the Sirbb Circuit in Shuwaikh and to find out more about their Lease-To-Own program, you can visit their website autocapitalkw.com or check out their Instagram @autocapital.kuwait

Back in February, I got a tour of a 2,000KD-a-night hotel room but a friend told me there was a more luxurious 4,500KD-a-night room at the St.Regis. So I got in touch with them and after a bit of back and forth getting all the approvals, yesterday I finally got a tour of their 4,500KD-a-night Amiri Suite.

The 400sqm suite was designed to be a luxurious home away from home for royalty, diplomats, and celebrities. The suite can’t be booked online only by phone. It has a beautiful view of JACC and a lot of features including:

• Master Bedroom
• Barber Area
• Meeting Room
• Video Conference Room
• Large Dining Area
• Massage Room
• Fitness Area
• Sauna and Steam Room

Unless someone proves me wrong, I believe this has to be the most expensive hotel room in Kuwait. If you want to see some nicer photos of the room, they a few on the @stregiskuwait website. Link

It’s a do you remember this kind of morning. There used to be a huge tree inside Fashion Way (Mothercare) next to Sultan Center in Salmiya. I never thought much of it until a reader asked me if I had any photos of it since he couldn’t find any. I thought it was weird he wasn’t able to find any photos so I look myself but I also couldn’t find any.

Luckily another reader had a photo of it and sent it to me. I don’t know the story behind the tree but I do remember it was animated, and thinking about it now while looking at the photo, it was actually pretty impressive.

Thanks @janna_xxx

There used to be a pool hall in Salmiya behind Hungry Bunny called Shark or Sharx, not really sure. I can’t seem to find any information about it online or that it even existed. But a reader sent me the snippet above from a Russian news channel that had filmed a short report in the place and you can watch it above.

If you remember anything about it let me know.

Thanks Janna

Update: Turns out it wasn’t behind Hungry Bunny but instead next to Zahra Complex. Here is a photo of the building that was in taken from msmooretravels.com

Update2: Here is a photo of the entrance but taken after it had shut down

I’m not really sure how I initially found out about this specific yellow pages directory from the American Women’s League of Kuwait, but it was on my watch list for some time and one eventually popped up for sale a few weeks ago. I tend to find out about random books and then add them to my watch list and wait patiently, usually, years before a copy eventually/hopefully pops up somewhere online and I get a notification. When this book popped up on eBay and knowing how difficult it is to find because it really isn’t a book you’d generally save, I quickly purchased it without even trying to negotiate on the price. I like directories because they usually help me connect various things together.

For example, on the Salmiya map on one of the pages it showed a “Camping Area” which confused me, how did Salmiya have a camping area? Then a follower on Instagram helped me figure out where that area was (Google Maps) and I realized that was the location of the Salmiya Youth Hostel which was supposedly run by the Kuwait Boy Scouts.

Then under the grocery store section, it listed various supermarkets, many I actually need to research especially New Supermarket because I remember the Salmiya location from the early 80s. But one of the supermarkets listed was Khalaf, which last year I happened to find photos of their Salmiya location.

Since I felt this was worth sharing, I took photos of the most significant pages and turned them into a 44MB PDF. You can download it here.