On the occasion of Kuwait Flag Day, Kuwait Airways have a 24-hour sale today with up to 25% off on ticket prices for all destinations. I just checked the price of tickets to Paris and Bangkok and both had only a 15% discount on the economy tickets but around 23.5% on the business class tickets. So the discount I guess will depend on where you’re flying to and what class.
If you ever wondered what a KD2,000-a-night hotel room looks like, here you go. I originally saw this room last summer when the Grand Hyatt gave me a tour of the hotel, but back then the room was still being accessorized so I didn’t share any photos. A few days ago I went back to see the room because I figured it would make an interesting post.
So here are some facts:
– This is the Presidential Suite
– It’s 260 sq m
– It’s basically a luxurious large apartment, with 2 bedrooms, 3 living rooms, 3 bathrooms, a walk-in closet, a large dining room, a kitchen, and its own private elevator access
I tried to cover the whole room on video in under a minute and barely made it. I even had to leave out some parts like the kitchen and some corridors, that’s how huge the room is. Swipe left for the walkthrough video.
I heard there’s a KD4,500 per night hotel room in Kuwait as well which makes me think I should probably check that out next.
This isn’t something a lot of people would need but is very useful for those who do. EQPAD is a small business that specializes in high-quality acoustic treatment solutions. It all started when the owner struggled to find high-quality sound absorbers and bass traps in Kuwait and decided to get things done himself. He then decided to turn it into a business and now offers a service that includes the design of the product customized to your room, delivery, and installation.
If you’re interested check them out on Instagram @eqpad.sound
The financial services company Remitly analyzed and published a list of the most popular dream jobs around the world.
Remitluy used Google search data to establish the annual search volume in each country for ‘how to be a [job]’. The most searched for job was then used as the top career for the specific country.
According to their results, the top dream job in Kuwait is being an influencer. Everyone else in the GCC wants to be a poet for some reason while the most popular dream job overall in the world was a pilot. Click here to view the full map or visit the source.
Yesterday Kuwait Airways revealed their new uniforms designed by the Italian fashion house Ettore Bilotta. The fashion house is known for collaborating with many international airlines including Etihad and Turkish Airlines.
Kuwait Airways also announced new flight routes:
Starting from June 2023
Antalya – Athens – Budapest
Starting from October 2023
Abha – Alula – Barcelona – Berlin – Qassim – Taif
I wish the Barcelona route started sooner since I’m meant to be flying there in June and I’d rather not have a stopover anywhere. Having a direct flight to Berlin is also great, it’s been on my to-do list for a few years and a direct flight makes it all the more accessible.
Kuwait will be hosting the “Formula 4 UAE” and “Formula Regional Middle East” Championship this weekend for the first time ever. Both these events are governed by FIA, the same sporting federation that governs “Formula One”.
This is the second time that Kuwait Motor Town is hosting an international event this season and because this is a FIA event, it’s pretty big. The way the organizers are handling things behind the scenes is extremely professional and they’re being very strict. I just left the media briefing and safety is being prioritized above everything else with every decision being made, even with simple things like track access for the media which for this event is only being given to media who’ve participated in previous KMT events.
You can watch these races at the track!
These races are open to spectators to come and watch and there will be various activities happening at the track for all ages ranging from food trucks to bouncy castles. This event should be fun to watch.
The ticket price is KD2 for the day or if you want to attend all 4 days including testing and qualifying its KD5. The full detailed schedule is available on the KMT website but here are the race start times:
I always imagined it would be crazy expensive to play golf at the Sahara Kuwait Golf Club but turns out that’s not the case. Earlier this week I got in touch with the golf coach there and after a bit of back and forth I managed to figure out the cheapest way to have fun at the golf club.
If like me you just want to go alone or with friends and hit balls at the driving range, then you can do that for just 13KD. The cost to use the driving range for a non-member is 10KD for 2 hours and that includes 150 balls. If you don’t have a golf club which I’m assuming you don’t then you can rent a 7-iron for 3KD. If you want more balls, its 3KD for an additional 150.
Another great option is booking a 30-minute lesson with a professional PGA coach. The lesson costs 35KD and once you’re done with it you then get 2 hours of practice at the driving range with 150 balls to hit. The golf club is included at this price.
I went yesterday to the driving range to try it out and it’s definitely a very fun thing to do. I went just before sunset and the place was very chill. The range can hold 11 people but there was just one person when I was there. 150 balls lasted me nearly an hour of basically non-stop swinging.
If you want to play at the driving range you can either go as a walk-in or book ahead by calling them up on 22203411 or 22203410. There is a basic dress code, for guys, it’s like no jeans or shorts, no flip flops, and wear a top with a collar. When you call them they’ll fill you in. When you get to the Sahara Club, head downstairs to the golf shop, that’s where you pay and go in from.
At 13KD, this could be one of the most affordable and fun outdoor activities in Kuwait.
Over the weekend I passed by the Solelab location in Shuwaikh and it’s HUGE. The place looks as good as it does in the photos and there’s even a beautiful coffee bar in one corner. Actually, if there were more seats and tables, it would also be a great-looking coffee shop.
I didn’t end up buying anything but they did have a pretty large selection of sneakers as well as some clothes from brands like Carhartt, Butter Goods, and Huff. There’s also a cool-looking sneaker laundry in case you want to get your sneakers cleaned.
If you want to check the place out, the store is located in Shuwaikh in the same complex as Spark and Pet Lobby. They’ve also got more photos on their account if you want to check them out @solelabkw
For the past couple of months, I’ve been forcing myself to try a new place every week. I had gotten a bit too comfortable just eating at the places I liked but also there were very few new places I was interested in trying anyway.
Ode is one of the spots that did get my attention. I knew all the talented people behind the project and loved their work so I had been meaning to pass by it ever since it opened.
The menu isn’t very large, most of the sweet and savory items are out on display but there are a handful of other items that are prepared in the kitchen. The display is visually very appetizing so it’s pretty hard to pick what to eat. Go in a larger group so you could order a wider range of items. The prices are slightly on the expensive side but the portions are fairly large so it does balance out.
I went with a friend so we didn’t order too many items. We had mama’s zaatar rolls with whipped feta, the avocado on sourdough with scrambled eggs (I didn’t pick this), and the flan tart with tonka and kumquat compote. From the three I wouldn’t order the avocado and scrambled eggs again since it turned out to be too basic, but the zaatar roll and specifically the flan tart were both delicious. Add a coffee to the order and our bill came out to 13KD.
If you’re looking for a small trendy brunch spot with a variety of interesting and unique dishes, they’re located in Salmiya near Pet Zone and are open from 10AM to 7PM daily except for Sundays. Here is their location Google Maps and they’re on Instagram @ode.eatery
Kei, the first and oldest Japanese restaurant in Kuwait is reopening next week on January 23rd. The new Kei will be called Kei Downtown to differentiate it from the Kei Restaurant that will eventually reopen again at the JW Marriott once the hotel renovation is complete.
I just got back from a private lunch at Kei and it was great to see the old staff again, many of which I’ve known for close to two decades.
The new Kei Downtown location is at Assima Mall but located on the outside right next door to Pick. They’ll be opening from 7PM on January 23rd but will start opening for lunch the following day. To stay posted on their opening you can follow them on Instagram @kei_downtown
