Park opens in winter season; closes March 1st

KUWAIT: If you are bored of the city and do not mind driving for 100 km, then you should visit the Sabah Al-Ahmad Heritage Village located in Salmi north of the country. This village only operates during the winter season as it mostly hosts outdoor activities. It is open daily from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm, while Thursday March 1st marks the last day it will be open this season.

To attract more visitors who otherwise would be deterred by the long travel distance, the village's administration set reasonable prices for visitors to enjoy its activities. In addition, the administration holds daily raffle draws for a brand new car or a motorcycle. The entrance is free of charge while each visitor receives a coupon for the draw.

A train located just after the main entrance takes visitors on a tour around the whole village. It charges 500 Fils for each passenger. There is an artificial lake in the middle of the village, which is surrounded by tables and chairs. Then at the end of the village, there are hotel rooms with tents that can be rented either for the day or overnight stay.

Dozens of restaurants and cafes are available at the resort. The visitor does not have to worry about where or what to eat as a wide variety of options is available. Furthermore, there are various shops selling toys for kids. In addition, there is a section for local handcrafts and different products such as perfumes, traditional costumes and foods.

The village includes a museum illustrating different scenes of old Kuwait such as rooms of old Kuwaiti houses, some handcrafts, and some popular products in old Kuwait. It also includes photos of the past.

An old Bedouin lady was standing in one booth, weaving traditional Sadu and selling her products. Um Turki said she came daily to the village to display her handmade products. She makes some of her products at home, and each piece takes several days or even weeks to be finished.

For kids, there are many other attractions. They can have a camel, horse, or donkey ride at the village, or enjoy dozens of outdoor games including slides, trampolines and others. To add more options for visitors, there is an Italian circus outside the village which presents three shows daily featuring different animals and acrobatic shows. The asphalt parking lot has a capacity for over 500 vehicles. And on the opposite side of it, there are huge empty spaces for parking, so finding a place to park should not be a problem for visitors.

By Nawara Fattahova