Failaka Island

Failaka is a small Island 20 KM from the Kuwaiti mainland in the Northern part of the Persian Gulf.


     


It once was a beautiful place for the Kuwaitis to spend their vacations.

During the Iraqi invasion it got completely destroyed.

Plans for rebuilding it are there, but founds once again got postponed (September 2007).

If you are for old ruins and spooky places, this is a MUST GO & go now before it's too late and it all looks nice and clean again ;).


     


     

 

It is still an interesting place to visit.
 We have seen wild camels (well, they looked wild) and that alone sure was worth the trip.


   


Parts of the Greek ruins are still there (they say the Greeks have been the first inhabitants).

One maybe has to negotiate with the Caretakers of the ruins. We only got in after bargaining a bit.

We only found them thanks to a local guy that showed us the way with his car.


   

They say there's was a shrine of Kudur left from Helenetic times, but the government removed all traces. 

The entrance to an abandoned holiday village & a mosque with bullet holes

    

 

The Heritage village, which contains a Restaurant, Car & bike rental, Fun park for kids, Souvenir Shop and a small Hotel

      

Or, you can take a ride on a camel

      


Try to get a decent map if you plan on cruising on the Island.

There are close to no signs and the map you get in the Hotel is pretty much useless.


      


You can get to Failaka via Ferry. One leaves from Marina Mall, is a bit more expensive (around 12 KD), but includes a good Lunch at the “Hotel”. You cannot take your car on this one, but it’s a Speedboat and gets there in 45 minutes. (SAFIR’S FAILAKA ISLAND TOURS - Telephone Number: 2530000).
There's also a cheaper one, it costs around 2 KD and leaves twice a day, and takes longer.

One Ferry goes to Failaka from the Scientific Center and as far as I know you can take your car with you on that one.

Some information I got via a blog comment Nov 2008 on the slow Ferry: KPTC: KUWAIT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMPANY - Telephone Number: 2574 2664. For Eid Holidays Ferry will leave on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Ras Al Salamiya (near Ras Al Ardh Club) reaching the Island by 2:30 p.m. It would return at 5 p.m reaching Kuwait by 6:30 p.m. On Monday, it leaves at 8 a.m. reaching at 9:30 a.m. It returns at 3:30 p.m reaching Kuwait by 5:00 p.m. The cost of the return trip for each person is KWD 3 per person. The cost of taking the car to the Island is KWD 17.