Kuwait City travel guide

Perched on the northern end of the Arabian Gulf, Kuwait City is blessed with a beautiful coastline, some seriously impressive architecture and a plethora of top notch places to eat.

Sadly, it has been cursed with some very bad neighbours. Thanks to Iraq invading the country in 1990, and the orgy of looting that followed, the city still lacks some of the confident grandeur it once called its own.

Nevertheless, a quick glance at the mighty Kuwait Towers stretching 187m (614 ft) above the glittering waters of the Gulf, are enough to show visitors that this is a city with big ambitions.

While not quite as wealthy as its oil rich neighbours, Kuwait is no slouch in the bling stakes, something the opulent rooms inside the Arab Fund Building and the sports cars racing through the traffic attest to.

For all that, the slow pace of life and the slightly more introspective character of the Kuwaitis makes it an easy-going destination – one that is rich in fascinating cultural attractions, perfect for whiling away a few hours.

Among the best is the National Museum, which contains more than 2,000 works of Islamic art, much of it recovered following the end of the Gulf War. More poignant is the Memorial Museum, which recreates the dark days of 1990 in harrowing detail.

Kuwaitis, however, are not ones to fixate on the past and are currently occupied with making everything in their city (from the magnificent aquarium to the hotchpotch of themed restaurants) bigger and better than anywhere else.

Who, but a Kuwaiti, would conclude that what supper lacks is the chance to eat it in a dhow the size of an ocean liner? While Kuwait might not have the bling of Abu Dhabi or the history of Muscat, this eccentric little city has plenty to dispel preconceptions.