Kuwait

Think Kuwait, and you may think of the First Gulf War, burning oil wells, or imagine wealthy Arab sheikhs, but dig a little deeper and find that there is more than meets the eye in this little country in the Persian Gulf.

Did you know that the Greeks had a little colony just off the coast? Go visit Failaka Island and discover the fluted Dorian columns of long vanished Icaria. Walk along the corniche at sunset and visit the iconic Kuwait Towers. For some history head to the National Museum Complex, or escape the heat in one of the many malls. Visit the Red Fort in Al Jahra or go inland into the desert. To find out what the Iraqi invasion felt like to the Kuwaitis head to the Kuwait House of National Memorial Museum.

Kuwaitis are conservative and the country is an Islamic Emirate ruled by the Al-Sabah family, but has, for the region, a relatively democratic government.

Entry into the country is straightforward with a visa-on-arrival, valid for three months. Getting around by public transport is hard, but feasible.

While Arabic is the official language, English is widely spoken and understood.

Alcohol is prohibited in Kuwait and eating in public during Ramadan is also an offence.