After six years, it was time to head back towards Asia. A new country beckoned on the way though and I plumped for Kuwait. Bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait is a small country in the Middle East which doesn’t attract as many tourists as it should. I made it a priority to spend a few days here and enjoy the sights of the city.
It should be no surprise to learn that Kuwait is a rich country: rich in culture, rich in oil. Thanks to the oil reserves in Kuwait, the standard of living is extremely high. Kuwait is a thriving country and has pristine streets, state of the art buildings and flashy hotels.
The Middle East sun shoots down and bakes this place like a furnace. For planning purposes, take note: it was over 50 degrees C one day that I was there but it’s a dry heat without a lot of humidity. I decided to stay in two different parts of the capital city, Kuwait City – Salmiya and Sharq.
I opted for Hotel Ibis Salmiya in the Salmiya part of Kuwait City, not too far from the airport. This was a perfect place for my first night in Kuwait and here are five cool things I loved about this hotel.
Gulf Location: Salmiya is in the east part of Kuwait City and enjoys a coastline on the Gulf. The Ibis Salmiya Hotel is on Salem Al Mubarak Street, which is only one street away from the seafront Arabian Gulf Street.
A Mosque near the Ibis Hotel Salmiya, Kuwait.
You can walk along the promenade in the vast heat, visit the restaurants, cafes and shops nearby as well as the Scientific Centre and some attractive Mosques. The location of the Ibis Salmiya is perfect for those that want to visit Kuwait but escape the big city buzz that the downtown part of Kuwait City provides. It’s a perfect place to relax and even better was that my room had a view overlooking the Gulf, hazy as it was that day.
Fast Wi-Fi: the Wi-Fi in the rooms, and reception in the Ibis Salmiya is reliable and fast, one of the fastest connections I have experienced on my travels. I was able to sit in my room admiring the views, while writing articles and sipping on a cuppa tea. I
Cosy Rooms: A double with water, tea, coffee, a safe and a comfortable bed — nothing extravagant but a nice 3 star+ hotel in a convenient location. Not exactly luxury but accessible to all.
Extended Breakfast: one of the biggest surprises was the breakfast at the Hotel Ibis Salmiya. Not only is it a buffet from 4am to 12 noon (8 hours of breakfast to suit everyone’s time frames), but the selection is vast. Think: cereal, tropical fruit, orange juice, yoghurt, coffee, tea, croissants, fruit, cheese, meat slices, olives, beans, toast, egg and beef.
The Hotel Ibis Salmiya has pleasant staff and is extremely welcoming. Some final photos from the balcony, lounge, internet area and around the Ibis Salmiya Hotel.
Details:
SALEM AL MUBARAK STREET
PO BOX 36442
24755 – SALMIYA,
KUWAIT
(+965)25734247
(+965)25761233
Email: H5970-RE@ACCOR.COM
Jonny Blair is a self confessed traveling nomad who founded and blogs at Don’t Stop Living. He sees every day as an adventure. Since leaving behind his home town of Bangor in Northern Ireland ten years ago he has traveled to all seven continents, working his way through various jobs and funding it all with hard work and an appetite for travel. Don’t Stop Living, a lifestyle of travel’ contains over 1,000 stories and tips from his journeys round the globe. He wants to show others how easy it is to travel the world, give them some ideas and encourage them to do the same but most of all he aims to constantly live a lifestyle of travel. He is currently based in Hong Kong and on Twitter @jonnyblair.
