Kuwait's religious holidays follow the Muslim lunar calendar, so the corresponding dates of the western calendar vary each year. Liberation Day on 26 February is not an official holiday but everyone seems to treat it as one. Everyone except nationals of other Gulf States needs a visa to enter Kuwait. If your passport contains an Israeli stamp, you will be refused entry to Kuwait. For a country with a highly sophisticated financial system, Kuwait can be a remarkably frustrating place to change money.
Banks charge excessive commissions and moneychangers often refuse to change travellers' cheques.
The bright spot is that credit cards are widely accepted. Tipping is only expected in fancier restaurants. Know, however, that the service charge added to your bill in such places goes into the till, not to the wait staff. When To Go The best time to visit Kuwait is in May or October - right before or right after summer, when the temperatures are civilised. In the years since liberation, Kuwait City has developed into a remarkably easygoing place, though not without a price.