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Ian Caldwell was born in Magwa Hospital in Ahmadi in 1955 and lived in Kuwait until 1975. A couple of years ago, he pulled out boxes from his father’s loft filled with about 1,500 old slides, including many from Kuwait. He started scanning the ones related to Kuwait, ending up with about 300 photos that had never been seen before.

The photos were taken by Ian, his father Arthur, and his younger brother Tom. I’ll be sharing as much as I can from their collection, and I’ve started organizing them into groups based on different topics.

The first ones I’m sharing are photos taken of Souk Mubarakiya and the Souk in Fahaheel sometime in the early 70s.

To check out the photos, click here.

If you’ve driven by the Kuwait Towers over the past couple of months, you might have noticed a huge funnel-like structure towering over Bay Zero. Yesterday, I got early access to check it out before the grand opening this weekend.

The large funnel is a new water slide that’s part of Bay Zero’s new Thrill Zone. The Thrill Zone features around eight different water slides, including this funnel, which the manufacturer calls “The Abyss.” It’s the largest funnel slide in the industry and looks super iconic, especially with its vibrant colors. The entire zone is very colorful, and all the slides look epic. Oh, and I have to mention, even though the slides look big from the main road, it’s only when you get up close that you realize just how gigantic they actually are. They’re seriously HUGE!

If I’m not mistaken, the new Thrill Zone was created by White Water, since the water slides at Bay Zero look very similar to their previous projects. White Water is the world’s largest designer and manufacturer of water parks, and they’re also behind Qatar’s Meryal Waterpark, which broke the record for the tallest water slide in the world.

When I visited, workers were still busy finishing up the landscaping around the new rides, but everything will be ready and open to the public from this Thursday, April 24. On April 25, there will also be a special event featuring a concert by @sonsofyusuf.

The new Thrill Zone doesn’t require a separate ticket, the standard park entry gives you access to all the new slides. If you want to stay updated on the opening, or need info like opening hours and ticket prices, just head over to their account @bayzerokw.

Lots to do this weekend, check them out below. Always double check the event details by visiting the organizers account, I make mistakes sometimes!

Thursday, April 10
TTD by Jaune Pizza Popup
The Improv Show
GR Yaris Cup – Kuwait vs Qatar
Palestinian Poetry Night

Friday, April 11
TTD by Jaune Pizza Popup
GR Yaris Cup – Kuwait vs Qatar
Starlight Jazz and Buffet
Chadirji’s Hawally Workshop
Full Moon Women’s Circle
Kuwait Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Saturday, April 12
TTD by Jaune Pizza Popup
Chadirji’s Hawally Workshop
DAI Story Time
DAI Chess Fest
NORAEBANG – K-POP Together

The compound in Dasman that housed the original Kuwait Television studios, and later Villa Moda and Mais Alghanim, has been demolished. It’s located across the street from The Cheesecake Factory on the Gulf Road, near the Kuwait Towers (Google Maps).

I’m not sure how many people who drove past those old warehouse-like buildings knew how historically significant they were. The compound had been abandoned for over 20 years, but I always hoped it would be refurbished and redeveloped either into a creative hub like Qatar’s Fire Station, or a trendy retail space similar to Alserkal Avenue in Dubai.

Besides housing KTV, the first TV station in the Gulf, the buildings later became home to two other iconic Kuwaiti brands.

In 1987, “Mess Alghanim” which started off as a staff cafeteria for the employees of Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Co, moved into one of the old Kuwait Television building and transformed into a warm family restaurant. It was also that year the name of the restaurant was changed to “Mais Alghanim”.

In 1992, Sheikh Majed al-Sabah opened the first Villa Moda there in one of the other buildings. He was the first to bring Western designers like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren to the region. Until today when I think of that store I can’t believe how ahead of its time it was.

As a tribute to the compound’s history, I’ve put together an album on Flickr that includes:
– Black and white images shared by @badshaiji from 1975
– Photos Mais Alghanim when it was still open there
– Villa Moda store after it had shut down and been abandoned
– Photos of the compound taken in 2021 and 2024
– Photos of the compound now being demolished

Check out all the photos here.

Gaza Cola, the ethical alternative soft drink made by Palestinians to support Palestinians, is now available in Kuwait. Osama Qashoo, the creator of Gaza Cola, came up with the idea in November 2023 as an apartheid-free beverage, with all profits going toward supporting and rebuilding Al Karama Hospital in northern Gaza.

I tried it and it tastes pretty good, similar to other cola soft drinks. They only have one original flavor now and it will be sold for 240fils with 100% of the profits going to charity.

Gaza Cola is currently available at Mishref and Kaifan Co-ops. It will be available soon at Shamiyah and Salam Co-ops, and later at Sideeq and Abu Fatera Co-ops.

You can also order Gaza Cola directly via WhatsApp which is linked in their instagram account @gazacola_kw

Note: There seems to be another drink available on Talabat Mart called Gaza. That’s a different company/drink. Gaza Cola only has one flavor and the can looks like the one in the photo.

Earlier this week I got back from an incredible 8-day trip to Morocco. I flew direct from Kuwait to Casablanca with Kuwait Airways, rented a car, and drove to Marrakech. It was my second time there, and it’s definitely a city I’d recommend visiting. There’s so much to see and do, so I wanted to share my list of lesser-known spots to add to your Marrakech itinerary:

Eat
My favorite restaurants were Plus61 and Grand Café de la Poste, both located in the trendy Gueliz area. I also had really good meals at Le Petit Cornichon and Blue Ribbon, and on my previous trip I liked the upscale traditional experience of Le Tobsil. One place I wanted to visit but didn’t because they were fully booked was Sahbi Sahbi. I also missed out on lunch at Farasha Farmhouse since it rained the day I was planning to go.

Drink
Thirty5ive and Blue Ribbon were my two favorite coffee spots. Blue Ribbon also has great banana bread, plus the added bonus of serving breakfast and lunch. While having lunch at Royal Mansour, I saw people having Afternoon Tea and it looked great. I didn’t try it, but the hotel is beautiful and worth a visit.

See
Head to LRNCE for ceramics, Magasin Général for vintage furniture, and Marrakshi Life for handwoven garments and atelier tour. MORO have an interesting concept store and Studio Sana Benzaitar have beautiful carpets. For art, visit Loft Art Gallery, MACAAL and Le Monde des Arts de la Parure. If you’re looking for a less crowded alternative to Jardin Majorelle, check out CACTUS THIEMANN.

Sleep
I stayed inside the old Medina on both trips, and both times at Riad Mena. I can’t imagine staying anywhere else. Their Grand Suite is huge, and the riad itself is beautiful and super chill. The team is also really friendly—I’d stay there again if I go back. My plan B was Maison Brummell Majorelle.

For my previous travel guides, click here.

Back in November I posted a 6 months later update on my Apple Vision Pro and I mentioned my usage dropped considerably since I first got it. That is still the case now, maybe more so even. Basically, I tend to mostly use the AVP whenever Apple releases a new immersive video, or someone releases an app or game that is a unique experience that can only be experienced on the AVP.

Recently, Apple released a Metallica immersive concert for the AVP and I watched it last night and wow.

Firstly, I like Metallica. I was actually going to their concert back in 2017 when I was in LA and I chose to miss it because I was at the beach with family and friends and was having too good a time to want to leave. I don’t regret missing the concert, well maybe just a bit, but I do wish I had gotten to see them live.

This immersive video is like the next best thing to actually being at the live concert. It’s hard to describe to someone who hasn’t experienced any Apple Vision Pro immersive content, but it really makes you feel like you’re there. The video is around 20 minutes long and I think it covered 3 or 4 songs tops. The perspective changes, sometimes you’re right in front of James Hetfield as he’s screaming into the mic, sometimes you’re with Lars at the drums, sometimes you’re watching from the top of the stadium or down in front of the crowd. It’s all 3D of course, and it’s all in Apple’s immersive 180-degree 8K video format.

I’ve never experienced Enter Sandman the same way as I did watching them perform it live last night. I really really loved it and it’s just another preview of what’s to come years down the line when AR/VR goggles/glasses become more affordable, accessible and common.

It’s another perfect example of what I was saying back in November, the AVP is really just a technology preview of things that will come in the future. No one should really buy one unless they have extra cash lying around, but it’s definitely something people should experience if they have the opportunity to.

The first weekend of Ramadan is usually quiet, but this year, surprisingly, there are a few things happening. Qout Market is back at JACC this weekend, thankfully. I really disliked Mishref Oasis, so I’m glad they moved. There is also Shakshooka this weekend. Here is the list:

Thursday March 6
Special IMAX Screening – Journey To Mecca
Pre-Iftar Paddle

Friday March 7
Special IMAX Screening – Journey To Mecca
Pre-Iftar Paddle
Qout Market at JACC

Saturday March 8
Special IMAX Screening – Journey To Mecca
Pre-Iftar Paddle
Madang Art Day – Mood Lamp
Qout Market at JACC
Shakshooka Market

A couple of days ago the Talabat service went down and rumors started circulating that they were hacked. Now Talabat have released a statement saying that wasn’t the case:

We assure our customers and partners that all data remains fully secure despite false social media rumors. A temporary technical issue was resolved quickly, and there was no compromise of payment or personal information.

Bader Al-Ghanim, VP & Managing Director – talabat Kuwait.
@Talabat

I don’t have any of my credit cards saved in the app since I use Apple Pay to pay, so I wasn’t concerned anyway.

As you’ve probably noticed, news outlets today are reporting that Kuwait Airways was ranked the 20th best airline in the world, but they all seem to have missed the bigger story. It ranked over 30 spots higher than both Emirates and Cathay Pacific, two of the most highly awarded airlines.

AirHelp, the organization specializing in air traveler rights, released its annual airline rankings, and Kuwait Airways came in 20th place. Interestingly, this is the same organization that ranked Kuwait Airways the 3rd worst airline in 2019 and Kuwait Airport the 2nd worst airport. After that ranking, Kuwait Airport mysteriously vanished from their list and hasn’t returned since.

AirHelp’s airline rankings are based on service quality, punctuality, and passenger treatment during disruptions. The top three airlines for 2024 are:

1 – Brussels Airlines
2 – Qatar Airways
3 – United Airlines

Here’s how Kuwait Airways compared to other well-known airlines:

20 – Kuwait Airways
24 – KLM
30 – Virgin Atlantic
31 – Lufthansa
33 – British Airways
53 – Wizz Air
55 – Emirates
56 – Turkish Airlines
63 – Cathay Pacific
81 – Gulf Air

Tunisair ranked last at 109th place.

I’m a huge fan of Kuwait Airways, as you probably know by now, but it’s hard to take this ranking seriously when both Emirates and Cathay Pacific rank lower than Wizz Air. For the full list, click here.

As I do every year, below is the list of Ramadan buffets, updated for 2025. It’s technically not only buffets since I also include set menu’s, but since I’ve been using the same post title for over a decade, I’m not about to change it now.

If there has been an increase or decrease in price compared to the previous year then I’ve also highlighted that.

Below is the full list divided into two parts, hotels and restaurants. If I missed a place let me know in the comments, especially really cheap/affordable buffets. Last year I had Big C on the list, they had the cheapest buffet at KD1.900 but looks like they closed down or something. IKEA increased their buffet price this year from 2.950 to 3.950 so really need some more affordable places to add. So if you know of a place where the buffet is less than KD5, let me know in the comments.

HOTELS

Al Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort – Taima’a Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD9.5 (+0.500)
Telephone: 24590000

Courtyard by Marriott – Atrium
Buffet Price: KD15 (-1.000)
Telephone: 22997000

Crowne Plaza – Al Ahmadi Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD17 (+1.000)
Telephone: 1848111

Crowne Plaza – Al Noukhaza Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD17
Telephone: 1848111

Crowne Plaza – Sakura Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD18.950 (+0.950) (Thursdays Only)
Telephone: 1848111

Four Seasons – Jawaher Tent
Buffet Price: KD27 (+1.000)
Telephone: 22006000

Four Seasons – Li Beirut
Set Menu: KD28
Telephone: 22006000

Grand Hyatt – Stambul
Buffet Price: KD20
Telephone: 22007698

Grand Majestic Hotel
Buffet Price: KD8
Telephone: 22254700

Hilton Garden Inn – The Avenues
Buffet Price: KD20
Telephone: 22262000

Holiday Inn – Ayam Zaman
Buffet Price: KD13.950 (-2.000)
Telephone: 1847777

Jumeirah Messilah Beach – Asateer Tent
Buffet Price: KD24 (+2.000)
Telephone: 22269600

Jumeirah Messilah Beach – Garden Cafe
Buffet Price: KD26 (+2.000)
Telephone: 22269600

Marina Hotel
Buffet Price: KD17 (+1.000)
Telephone: 22230030

Millennium Hotel – Lamar International Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD15
Telephone: 22050505

Movenpick – Free Zone – Bays Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD15 (+1.100)
Telephone: 22055700

Movenpick – Al Bida’a – Breeze Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD15
Telephone: 22253100

Park Inn by Radisson
Buffet Price: KD18
Telephone: 22068540

Radisson Blu – Al Bustan Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD18.5
Telephone: 25673000

Safir Hotel – Fintas
Buffet Price: KD11.9 (-2.000)
Telephone: 25455555

St Regis – Diamond Ballroom Tent
Buffet Price: KD30 (+2.000)
Telephone: 22422055

Symphony Style Hotel
Buffet Price: KD14 (+2.000)
Telephone: 25770000

SVN
Buffet Price: KD19
Telephone: 1876777

The Regency Kuwait – Silk Road Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD24
Telephone: 25766666

Waldorf Astoria – Oxio
Buffet Price: KD28 (+1.000)
Telephone: 24774414

RESTAURANTS

Almayass
Set Menu Price: KD11.5
Telephone: 25761001

Assaha Lebanese Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD12.750 (+0.250)
Telephone: 22533377

Babel
Set Menu Price: KD14.950
Telephone: 22081111

Dar Hamad
Buffet Price: KD16
Telephone: 22275555

Dean & Deluca
Set Menu Price: KD10.950 (+1.200)
Telephone: 22242224

Em Sherif
Set Menu Buffet Price: KD25
Telephone: 90977997

Gulf Royal Chinese
Buffet Price: KD8.5
Telephone: 22622770

IKEA
Buffet Price: KD3.95 (+1.000)
Telephone: 1840408

Jihan Khanah
Buffet Price: KD10
Telephone: 1819991

Kuwait Towers
Buffet Price: KD13 (-2.000)
Telephone: 24965500

Leila Min Lebnen
Set Menu Price: KD15
Telephone: 22996414

Mughal Mahal – Hawally
Buffet Price: KD7.45
Telephone: 22626782

Naranj
Buffet Price: KD12
Telephone: 22268666

Paul
Set Menu Price: KD12.5 (+2.000)
Telephone: 22208204

Vapiano
Set Menu Price: KD7.950
Telephone: 22597171

Villa Fayrouz
Buffet Price: KD12
Telephone: 22650052

Wok and Grill
Buffet Price: KD3 (+0.005)
Telephone: 64440089

I’ve been in Sri Lanka now for close to a week, and it’s pretty insane, and I don’t think in a good way.

I landed here on the 20th and checked into the Uga Riva Hotel in an area called Negombo that’s around 20mins from the airport. It’s kind of a getaway spot and the experience was pretty great although the amount of bugs was just pretty crazy.

I rented a car for my stay and the first two minutes of driving out of the rental lot were the most chaotic 2 minutes of my driving life. Firstly, other than the fact everything is the opposite here, steering on the right, the lanes are the opposite, the driving is pretty wild. Like I learned how to drive in Lebanon and find the experience driving there very relaxing even though most people find it chaotic. The driving in Sri Lanka on a scale of 1 to 10 is like a 7 or 8. Lebanon would be like a 6. People are completely carefree and everyone just relies on everyone else not crashing into them. It’s like organized chaos? The only people who seem to drive differently are bus drivers who drive with full confidence as if they’re the only people on the road and everyone else will get the fuck out of the way. We all really do get the fuck out of their way.

Anyway, first place I stayed in was great. Then I headed down south to an area called Ahangama. I was meant to stay at a place called Dreamsea for the first few days. The reviews online were really great, the place looked amazing in the photos, but once I checked in I was like wtf were all these reviews about? I mean just basics like the room door wouldn’t close, the bed had dried blood stains, room had bugs all over, bathroom looked very dirty. Basically it was horrible and I wouldn’t spend the night there. Thankfully I had booked another spot around a 15 minute drive from that resort for my last 4 nights called Trebartha East. It’s a small hotel located on a hill inside a cinnamon plantation. I whatsapped them asking if they had any rooms available right away and they had one, so ended up checking in a few days early and been staying there ever since.

The place is incredible, every morning I wake up and feel like I’m on a safari in the middle of the jungle. There is nothing around me except a jungle. I love it here, I’m actually sitting by the infinity pool writing this post out overlooking a valley where at any given moment there are a heard of water buffalos with white cranes grazing, or peacocks just casually strolling. It’s very surreal and beautiful. I wake up to the most beautiful views and the hotel has like 4 rooms so it feels very private and we are very secluded from the chaos thats just a 15min drive away.

But everything else here seems to be such a hit or miss. You can’t trust any reviews since most were left I assume by backpackers who have very low expectations or requirements? I’d head to a restaurant that has 4.6 rating on Google but walking by the kitchen I’m like no fucking way I’m eating here. Thankfully I’ve found a few spots that were surprisingly great.

I’ve also gotten the hang of driving here. You just need to be alert the whole time, at any moment you can hit a motorbike, Tuktuk, bus, tourist, grandma, dog, cat, cow, school kids, dog, cyclist, dog, or dog. No one ever gets out of the way, you’re always expected to maneuver around them, dogs included who just want to sleep on the side of the road. Their main road here is just two lanes, their inside roads are one lane, and I swear at one point google took me up a walking path cuz I could barely fit my tiny SUV on it and thankfully didn’t come across a Tuktuk coming the opposite way.

It’s been such a wild experience, totally love or hate moments with nothing in between. I can’t wait to get back to Kuwait.

The Kuwait Annual International Camel Racing Championship is back, taking place from February 20 to 25, 2025 at the Kuwait Camel Racing Club. This year’s event promises to be bigger than ever, bringing participants from GCC countries, the Arab world, and even Europe.

This year will mark the 23rd edition of the championship which has become an important event in Kuwait’s sporting and cultural calendar. The races bring people together from different backgrounds and have become a celebration of heritage, competition, and tradition.

Race Schedule – Kuwait Camel Racing Championship 2025
Location: Kuwait Camel Racing Club
Dates: February 20 – 25, 2025

Day 1 – Thursday, February 20, 2025

Morning Races (8:00 AM) – 4 KM
Evening Races (3:00 PM) – 4 KM

Day 2 – Friday, February 21, 2025
Morning Races (8:00 AM) – 5 KM
Evening Races (2:00 PM) – 5 KM

Day 3 – Saturday, February 22, 2025
Morning Races (8:00 AM) – 6 KM
Evening Races (1:00 PM) – 6 KM

Day 4 – Sunday, February 23, 2025
Morning Races (8:00 AM) – 8 KM
Evening Races (1:00 PM) – 8 KM

Day 5 – Monday, February 24, 2025
Morning Races (8:00 AM) – 8 KM
Evening Races (1:00 PM) – 8 KM

Day 6 – Tuesday, February 25, 2025 (Final Day)
Main Championship Races (2:30 PM) – 8 KM

If you’ve never been to a camel race before then this is a good time to do so. Entry is free and you can find the location on Google Maps by searching for “Kuwait Camel Racing Club“.

I just realized today is my 22nd blogging anniversary. I published my first post on February 6th, 2003 on qHate.com which I just realized is currently down. Turns out I changed hosts and forgot to point the domain to the new one.

Super strange that blogger.com is still online it’s the software and host we had used back then to blog from. I just logged in to make sure that Feb 6 was when I first started blogging and was surprised it worked.

22 years, still blogging.

update: qHate is back online and miskan is also online.

I try not to post too many food posts back to back, but this one couldn’t wait. According to a source of mine, La Petite Maison (LPM), the popular high-end French Mediterranean restaurant, is planning to open in Kuwait. Supposedly, the same company that brought Beefbar, Ferdi, and Philippe by Philippe Chow to Kuwait is now bringing LPM.

Since opening in London in 2007, LPM has expanded to 10 locations worldwide, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Doha.

I reached out to both parties for confirmation. The Kuwait-based company told me they’d update me in a couple of weeks, while LPM said they can’t confirm anything for Kuwait just yet.

“Just yet” sounds promising, so hopefully, an official announcement is coming soon. For now, I’ve filed this under a rumor. @lpmrestaurants

Update: According to a reader who just messaged me, looks like LPM are coming to Kuwait because they were in negotiations for a seaside location.