2:48AM

A lot of activities happening this weekend and a lot of variety. The biggest thing taking place is the Comic Festival Convention, but check them all out below:

Thursday, September 24
Comic Festival Convention
Comfest Show: Rise of the Pirate King

Friday, September 25
Sunrise & Sunset Paddleboarding
Comic Festival Convention
Comfest Show: Rise of the Pirate King
Morning Milers Social Running Club
Batman 1989 in Concert
Wood Working 101
SALT x Brooki Drop Party
Whimsical Afternoon
Kuwait DP World ILT20 Cricket Finals
Harry Potter Trivia Night

Saturday, September 26
Sunrise & Sunset Paddleboarding
Comic Festival Convention
Comfest Show: Rise of the Pirate King
Sip n’ Thrift
Panic Paint Game Night
Watch the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Harry Potter Trivia Night
Full Moon Ladies Circle
Neighborhood Swap!

The cosplayer pictured on top is @hadoolalk

La Pala is one of the newest Italian restaurants to open in Kuwait, having just opened this past week. The restaurant is run by two Italian friends, Mattia and Lorenzo, along with Lorenzo’s mum, Nonna Federica (Nonna means grandma).

Lorenzo grew up in the restaurant business because his family owned a couple of restaurants back in Italy. He and Mattia also had a small pizza place before deciding to open La Pala, where they wanted to serve not only pizza, but other Italian dishes as well. It’s also one of the reasons Lorenzo brought his mum to Kuwait, so she could share some of their family recipes with us here.

I was invited to drop by the restaurant a few days ago. La Pala is located in Bneid Al-Gar in a pretty unique location, and the interior was bigger than I imagined. When you first walk in, there’s a small stage right in front of you which they use for live music performances. The stage splits the restaurant in half, with seating on both sides. I got there as the sun was setting and there were plenty of interesting lights and shadows in the restaurant, but they told me it looks even better in the evening.

La Pala’s specialty is pizza, and specifically the Pizza alla Pala, which is what the restaurant is named after. It’s a long pizza served on a wooden paddle and meant to be shared with friends. I didn’t have that because I was alone, but I did try their regular-sized pepperoni pizza with ricotta and loved it.

Their pizza dough is really good, and because it’s based on the style of pizza from northern Italy, it isn’t floppy. Northern Italians prefer their dough to be slightly crispy, so the pizza isn’t soggy and holds really well in your hands.

The rest of the items on the menu are all based on Nonna Federica’s recipes and the way she’s used to cooking them back home. She kept checking on me to see if I liked the food, which was really cute.

La Pala is currently in its soft opening stage, so for now they’re only open in the evenings from 5PM to 11PM. They’re also hoping to have live music a couple of times a week, and they actually have a performance this Friday night.

The restaurant is located in Bneid Al-Gar, behind Massaleh Towers, where Robin used to be located (Google Maps). Reservations aren’t necessary, but they do recommend booking. If you want to reserve a table, you can find the booking link on their Instagram profile @lapala.kw

I’m not familiar with this movie I think, or at least not sure if I’ve watched it or not before but Avengers: Endgame just got banned in Kuwait. The movie came out in 2019 and was released in Kuwait with some cuts due to our censorship laws here. So it’s pretty weird that the second time around the movie got banned.

I think the cinemas were caught by surprise since they had already sold tickets and are now having to refund customers.

Earlier today I covered two of the five activities at AlShaheed Adventures. Today I’ll be posting about the third, their outdoor activities, since they’re the ones I’ve been getting the most questions about in the comments on Instagram.

Skateboarding
AlShaheed Phase 3 has a skate park located right outside the Adventures building. The park has halfpipes, quarter pipes, grind rails, pyramids, steps, and a few other obstacles I don’t know the names of. My only skateboarding experience is playing a lot of Tony Hawk on my Dreamcast, and based on that alone, I think it looks like a pretty good park.

Originally, it was meant to be for skateboards and BMX bikes, but the BMX plan fell through. Skateboarders, on the other hand, will be permitted to bring their own skateboards, but they’ll only be allowed to use them in the skate park.

Sky Trail
The tree climbing activity is also located right outside the Adventures building and is called Sky Trail. It consists of a series of rope and wobbly bridges, zip lines, cargo nets, and tightropes that connect different trees together.

It’s an aerial adventure park, and I’ve done something similar before and it can be a lot of fun, especially when you’re with a group of friends. This activity will require a ticket.

Parkour
There is also a pretty large area dedicated to parkour. I initially thought it was an extension of the skate park because of all the rails. Not sure how popular this area is going to be, but maybe people into calisthenics would use it as well.

Calisthenics
Speaking of calisthenics, a few people asked me if it was available at the park, and the answer is yes. I’ve included some photos of the one nearest to the Adventures building but I was told there are other ones scattered around phase 3.

Similar to yesterday, if you have any questions about the activities above, let me know in the comments and I’ll try to get the answers for you.

As AlShaheed Park Phase 3 gets closer to opening, one of the things I’m looking forward to is all the different activities that will be available. AlShaheed Adventures has five main ones: Ice Rink, Karting, Sky Tunnel, Snow Fun and the Outdoor Area. For this post I’ll only be covering Snow Fun and the Ice Rink to start.

TAS Entertainment are the ones operating AlShaheed Adventures, and they gave me an extensive tour yesterday. One of the things they kept highlighting was how important the customer journey was to them, with the experience starting from the main lobby which connects you to all the different activities.

Each activity has its own entrance and ticketing area, but they all follow a similar check-in process. They’ve made everything pretty easy to understand, with different colors guiding you to the different activities and their cute mascots, Sager and Sama, used throughout to help you find your way around without having to ask for help.

Snow Fun
Pictures don’t do the size of the Snow Fun space justice. Once you enter the area, you’re basically in a snowy mountain resort. There are two large town squares that connect the different activities together, and there’s fresh snow everywhere.

Your ticket gives you access to all the rides and activities inside, but I think most people will just want to play with the snow. It’s just like real snow, so you can make snowballs or build a snowman if you want.

Ice Rink
The ice rink is my favorite space in all of Phase 3. The roof has glass panels that bring in a lot of natural daylight, which I love. It’s an Olympic-sized rink, and the retractable bleachers can seat 1,400 people. It can host professional ice sporting events, so there are facilities to accommodate teams and competitors, including locker rooms, as well as separate rooms for coaches and referees. There are also coffee shops overlooking the rink, which I think is pretty cool.

Music like in the old ice skating rink will be an important part of the experience. So there will be music, possibly even live DJ’s and definitely 80s or 90s themed days.

Wheelchair users can also access the ice rink since wheelchair sleds are available.

Tickets will be available online soon, and once they are, they’ll be announced on @alshaheedadventures. Here is the link to their website alshaheedadv.com

The Auto Show starts today and runs until September 26 at the Kuwait Mishref Fairgrounds. Last year they were promoting it as the biggest car show in Kuwait but this year it looks like it’s a lot smaller. Last year the show was held in Halls 5, 6, 7 and 8, but this year they’ve only taken over Halls 5 and 6. I’m guessing that might have to do with the fact that a lot of dealerships might be out of stock on cars due to the shipping situation in the region.

But, they still seem to have a good variety of dealerships taking part including: Audi, BMW, Geely, GWM, Haval, Ineos, Infiniti, Jeep, Jetour, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Skoda, Suzuki, VW and more.

The Auto Show runs from 10AM to 10PM except for today when they start at 11AM (I think). It’s difficult to get accurate info since the Auto Show like last year has two different official instagram accounts @autoworldshowkw and @autoland.kw

The Plinth House is a private villa by the seaside, and I think it’s one of my favorite-looking homes in Kuwait.

The villa was designed by Cambra Buró, an interior design and architecture studio with offices in Kuwait, Spain and Miami. According to them, the project was completed last year and was designed as a forward-thinking residential project, with sustainability at the core of its design. The villa was constructed exclusively using sustainable materials and features mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems (MEP) designed to significantly reduce energy consumption. It also has solar panels to support its energy needs, as well as a greywater recovery system.

I think the exterior and interior of the villa look amazing. When I first saw the exterior, I got a Miami vibe from it for some reason. I think it might be because of the entryway with the palm tree. When I discovered the architects had a Miami office, it made sense why I got that vibe.

The interior, although mostly very minimal, does include some very special moments around the house. I sadly wasn’t able to get permission to share all the interior photos, but a lot of the rooms had a midcentury feel through the use of colors and furniture. The main attractions though are the arcade of arches surrounding the villa’s central courtyard, and the heavy use of colored tiles in different parts of the house, which I think is where the Spanish influence comes through.

To check out more photos, click here

If you want to see more work by the architects, click here
The photos are by Tooze Studio

Yesterday Trampo opened the largest inflatables zone in Kuwait at their Murouj location, with 14 giant inflatables all connected together to form one huge course.

The main inflatable attraction is called The Plunge which is a huge twin-lane drop slide that lets you race someone down side by side. There’s also the Xtreme Fun obstacle course, Ninja Wall and Ninja Slide, Stunt Jump, Battle Zone, Wrecking Ball, Moonbounce, a Selfie Wall, a Birthday Throne and more.

The whole area is soft, colorful and extremely bouncy. I was bouncing around without even trying just by walking through the inflatable course while taking my photos.

Since the inflatables are inside Trampo Murouj, you can combine them with their trampoline zone and easily switch between the two during the same visit using the standard ticket for KD 6.750. But if you want to play for free, Trampo are hosting a launch party on the 25th from 7PM to 9PM, and you can sign up for one free hour of jumping. They’ll also have free cotton candy, a balloon drop and a piñata show. Spots are limited, so for more info and the sign-up link, head over to their website trampo.com.kw

Since I use a US Apple account I didn’t realize that until now Apple TV didn’t work in kuwait. But now it does and for just 99 cents a month. Totally worth it especially if you want to binge watch some great shows like Slow Horses, Silo, Widows Bay and a lot more. tv.apple.com/kw

Below are my favorite activities taking place this weekend:

Thursday, September 17
Philippine Traditional Textiles Exhibition
Poetry Club Haunted Session
Art Nouveau Workshop

Friday, September 18
O.P. Community Run
Staged in Kuwait Welcome Lunch
Ladies Movie Night: Amelie
Early Morning Kayaking

Saturday, September 19
Creative Diwaniya
Make your own Zine
Kuwait Film Club
Storytime at Amricani
Shared Table
Art Nouveau Workshop
World Cleanup Day
Try Windsurfing

Last week I posted some interesting tidbits on the soon to open Phase III of Al Shaheed Park. After that post, @alshaheedpark were nice enough to send me some first look photos so I could share them with you.

The photos reveal some of my favorite spaces in the park to the public for the first time, including the ice skating rink, the outdoor cinema, and the karting track.

Phase III is opening on October 1st. To see all the photos I got, click here. If you want to see a video of the park, @visitkuwait just uploaded one.

Last night, one of the year’s most anticipated cars was revealed at The Avenues, the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ. I currently own a first generation FJ40, produced from 1960 to 1984, and until a few years ago, I owned a second-generation model as well, so I was personally looking forward to checking out the new one in person.

One of the cool things about the new Land Cruiser FJ is how they managed to keep it a compact SUV, which is great for off-roading, yet still making it a practical four-door car for daily use. It also comes with plenty of features, including a 7-inch driver screen, a larger 12.3-inch centre display, smart entry with push-button start, seven airbags, and more. And since it’s still a proper off-roader, you get all the important features like low-range 4-wheel drive, Downhill Assist Control (DAC), and even a rear diff lock.

The car looks fun with its retro, boxy style, and I think the unique look is going to be pretty popular with younger drivers. It’s not a big SUV, so it’s not going to feel intimidating, which I think is what they were going for.

The price starts at KD 12,700, and if you want to check the car out in person, it’s going to be on display at The Avenues opposite The Cheesecake Factory until September 21st. @toyotakw

Uber finally went live in Kuwait early this morning. Going through my blog’s archive, there have been rumors of Uber coming to Kuwait since 2015, so it feels pretty weird that it’s finally here. To me at least, it feels like I can finally use cabs, as if we didn’t have cabs before today. I guess because of how often I use Uber when I travel, it became the norm for me when getting a cab.

I just tried to book an Uber from Salmiya to The Avenues and got four different car options at different prices:

Taxi – KD 2.200
Comfort – KD 3.800
Black – KD 5.100
Lux – KD 9.900

The Taxi option is self-explanatory, but I was curious to find out what kind of cars Black and Lux are. According to my source, Black is a new fleet of cars launched specifically for Uber Kuwait and includes cars like the Lexus ES, BMW 318i, Audi A6, and Volvo XC60. Lux is their more premium option and includes cars like the Mercedes S-Class.

Uber is live now, so if you want to try it out, just launch the app.

Xcite just announced that they’re now carrying Bambu Lab products. Bambu Lab is my favorite 3D printer brand. Last year I got into 3D printing by purchasing a Bambu Lab A1 mini, I later upgraded to an A1 and just recently sold it and got an X2D.

The A1 and A1 mini I had previously ordered from the Bambu Lab UK website and shipped to Kuwait with Shop&Ship, in both cases it was slightly cheaper than the price the local dealer SWBAC was selling them for, but both times the dealer was out of stock. When I bought the X2D I didn’t want to order from the UK website because the unit was a lot more fragile with glass doors and windows so looked at prices locally and in the UAE. The prices in the UAE were around 20% more expensive than Kuwait which surprised me since I always had the impression Dubai prices would be cheaper.

The Xcite website says the printers are an “Xcite Exclusive” but I think they just mean that their competitors (Best and Eureka) won’t be carrying it.

Looking at the prices and comparing it to the last prices I had gotten from SWBAC, it seems some things are more expensive, and somethings are cheaper than SWBAC. For example, SWBAC are selling the A1 mini for KD 99 while Xcite have it for KD 92. But, Xcite are selling the X2D combo for KD 538.500 while SWBAC have it for KD 515.

SWBAC Bambu Lab Price List (August 2026):

Bambu Lab A1 mini
Printer: KD 99
Combo: KD 190

Bambu Lab A1
Printer: KD 140
Combo: KD 230

Bambu Lab P1S
Printer: KD 250
Combo: KD 360

Bambu Lab P2S
Printer: KD 270
Combo: KD 408

Bambu Lab X2D
Printer: KD 359
Combo: KD 515

Bambu Lab H2S
Printer: KD 585
Combo: KD 690
Combo + 10W laser: KD 899

Bambu Lab H2D
Printer: KD 900
Combo: KD 990
Combo + 10W laser: KD 1268
Combo + 40W laser: KD 1467

Bambu Lab H2C
Combo: KD 1050
Combo + 10W laser: KD 1285
Combo + 40W laser: KD 1540

SWBAC have a larger selection of printers available as well as filaments. The Bambu Lab filaments always go out of stock at SWBAC so hopefully Xcite will bring a large quantity to help keep the market stocked. Xcite don’t have a dedicated category for 3D printers but if you want to see what Bambu Lab products they have in stock click here.

If you want to check out the SWBAC website it’s swbac.com, but not everything is listed there specially the printers. Also their in store stock of filaments different from their online stock. The best option is to WhatsApp them and find out what printers they have in stock.

360 Mall has been open for 17 years, and the original part of the mall is now getting a renovation. The decision came after the opening of the newer 360 extension, which feels much more modern and brighter since it’s filled with natural light. So the idea was to bring some of that lighter, more contemporary feel into the original mall while still keeping its character. WEFT is the design studio behind the project, and when I found that out, I reached out to them for renders and more information.

According to WEFT, because introducing more natural light into the existing building wasn’t really possible, they decided to create a brighter feel through the materials instead. A lot of the existing dark wood and heavier stone finishes are being replaced with lighter versions, while keeping the overall character of 360 intact.

The mall was originally designed to feel less like a shopping mall and more like a hotel lobby, somewhere you would actually want to sit and spend time. Over the years, some of that feeling was lost, so part of their approach with the renovation was to bring it back.

The biggest challenge for them was designing something that could be executed without closing the mall or any of the stores. That meant finding ways to do relatively little but achieve the maximum possible impact. While the main areas are getting refreshed and enhanced, the bathrooms, on the other hand, are getting a complete redesign.

The Atrium and Arcade areas will also feature custom lighting designed and manufactured by one of my favorite lighting designers, Fabraca, which I’m pretty excited about (their “Light Impact” fixture is my favorite light fixture ever). Havelock One are the contractors for the project, and they’ll be carrying out the work in different phases so that the mall stays open throughout the process.

If you’re wondering about the Dale Chihuly glass sculptures, they’re staying. Work is due to start any day now, so next time you’re there and see work taking place, you’ll know why.