Kuwait - Hottest country I ever visited (49°)

Facing the extreme heat when exiting the airport in Kuwait and realizing that this is the norm here all over. Sensational. When stepping outside I wondered if this might be just some short burst of heat but, this was just the beginning, it was even "low" temperature even though it was already around 40 degrees.

The flight from Bahrain to Kuwait is just an hour and they just re-started the issuing of visas on arrival, which was on hold due to covid. 

I will have three days in Kuwait. In general, there is not much to do in this small country and my plan was to visit some famous towers and several parts of the city.

Burger King is the first thing to look at. But why?

A huge Burger King is the first thing to be forced to look at when leaving the airport and I wondered "Why here?! Why do they build a US icon there as the first building when entering the country", but it seems this becomes more and more the norm in the middle east.

Not sure if the negative effects of this pro-American lifestyle are negligible, especially in this part of the world and with these countries' traditions. We've seen it in Europe over the last 25 years, and there we learned, it's not. And it's sad to see that even in these very traditional areas of the world, western fast-food chains get adopted more and more.

To the city center

From the airport to the city center (Bazaar Mubarak), it's about half an hour by taxi. But when I figured out the cost of a taxi is 25 USD and the bus was only 3 USD, I dragged the baggage 100 meters to the next bus station. 

The bus ride (with AC) took a little longer, as it drove zigzag towards the center and through different neighborhoods. Although that was good to see the outskirts of Kuwait.

I went off the bus at Souq Mubarak. The heat was unbearable, it was 45 degrees. As it was already time for lunch I went to the souq to find lunch. 

Pakistan was hot, Bahrain even hotter, but Kuwait... another level of brutal heat.

It's a weekday and basically no people around during lunchtime, all because of the incredible heat.

Skyscrapers everywhere in the center

The center is full of modern high-rise office towers and among them the "Liberation Tower". It was built to show the liberation from Iraq in the wars, back around the year 2000.

Extreme heat - almost 50 degrees!!

In the afternoon the heat even increased and I couldn't spend a long time outside.


The temperature almost reached 49 degrees and there is such a constant hot wind which makes it feel like sitting in front of a baking oven when opening the door and the heat bursts towards the face.

So this seems to be the temperature in summer in Kuwait. 

Almost 50 degrees during the day and almost 40 degrees at Midnight. Unbelievable! Unique! Fantastic. But somehow sad, knowing that this will become worse in the next years and not only in Kuwait, but drastically increases everywhere.

In the afternoon I remained in the Hotel and the rooftop pool. Nice view from the, thankfully, perfectly air-conditioned room.

Day 2 - To the east of Kuwait

The morning is the best time to see something of Kuwait. Even though at 8am it's already (or still) 35 degrees, it's the coolest time of the day. Especially when walking through the city with very little shade.

I took the 1 Dollar Bus to Salmiya.

There are many buildings that still have signs from the Kuwait war. 

Many of them were used as shelters. But also many others seem not to be damaged at all, even though they were in the middle of the invasion back in the 90ties. 

While walking through the city I noticed many wells with drinking water. Free to use and even with a cup, fixed to the well. Also, there are several cups visible, filled with water for stray cats and birds. 

The bus driver mentioned it's best to get off now, otherwise, the walking would be too far. That was at the  "Scientific Center". 

From then walking to the city along the "Marina Walk" was cozy and warm along the boulevard along the sea

The heat.... wow... and it was still morning 

Almost no people in sight anywhere, except some crazy beachgoers and some pigeons. Although the pigeons seem to be more intelligent than the people; they were trying to find any little spot of shade under the palms at the beach.

Especially pigeons have a hard life as it was reported by a newspaper, they fall from the sky due to the heat. Scientists reported about the same faith for seahorses, as they got boiled to death below the surface at the shores.

After the "Marina Walk" I continued to Salmiya center for lunch in an air-conditioned area and then back to the hotel.

Day 3 - Kuwait Towers and the Souq

My last day in Kuwait. Went up again on time to use the coldest part of the day with 36 degrees - at 8am in the morning.

Towards the Kuwait Towers, it was about 30 minutes walking from the hotel, but it due to the heat felt like I spent hours walking. The Kuwait Towers are right at the place where the Gulf war started on August 2, 1990. They existed in the same form back then already.

It seems Mcdonald's is more important than Kuwait's architecture

The towers are visible from far away, but when approaching, another building right in front of the towers reveals. Of course, it's a Mcdonald's.

I never ever have seen such a huge Mcdonald's anywhere in the world (and trust me, I've seen a lot of Mcdonald's)

Crazy, how one of the most important and iconic infrastructure sets of Kuwait is decorated with one of the most iconic symbols of the US (or western) lifestyle. 

This Mcdonald's here has a perfect AC great interior and free Wifi, it's a pleasure to be there, but, does it really have to be placed right beside the Kuwait Towers? Is this some symbol of US Americans to show presence and strength in the middle east?

I don't know and it's not my business but it's weird.

Kuwait Towers

The towers are made of three spheres. On the top sphere is the lookout platform with a rotating snack bar. On the lower sphere is a restaurant. I went only to the upper sphere.

Thankfully there is an elevator to the top and the spheres are perfectly airconditioned. The upper sphere consists of two levels and has a snack bar with many tables. 

I was surprised that this building has been created more than 40 years ago (in 1979) and survived the invasion of Kuwait.

Back then when Iraq invaded Kuwait, they had the exact same view of Kuwait as it is here from this lookout. Iraq arrived with Helicopters and boats and first attacked the Dasman Palace right below the Kuwait Towers. 

Before the invasion, it was the residency of the "Emir of Kuwait" (something like a king). 

Mubaraq Souq at Night

I went back to the hotel for the time during the afternoon and came back on the streets to visit Mubaraq Souq (the main square in Kuwait). 

It was dinner time when I arrived to Mubaraq Square and noticed the many people. It's a completely different scene in the evening when all the people appear in the area. They avoid the heat during the day and enjoy the cool evenings (with 43 degrees) at "Mubaraq Square" to eat and drink.

After midnight to the airport

Even in the evening, when the sun is long gone, the heat doesn't decrease. Even at midnight, the temperature was 39 degrees. 

My visit to Kuwait was, obviously, short. I "enjoyed" it because of the heat, which may sound ridiculous but I had never experienced a trip to an area with such a heatwave. I only can slightly imagine how tough living must be for locals who have to work here, especially the ones outside on construction sites.

On the way back to the airport, the last glimpse of Kuwait.