Kuwait City

At the cusp of the Gulf crescent, the tiny city state of Kuwait (Al Kuwayt) is wedged between powerful neighbours in a region defined by Islam and new wealth.

Settled for centuries by seafarers and traders, Kuwait City provided 'bread and salt' for the Bedouin from the Arabian interior. More recently, the capital offers all the diversions of a burgeoning metropolis with excellent museums, modern shopping malls and sophisticated marinas.

Beyond Kuwait City, the desert unwraps across a barren plain of oil installations but it has two great attractions: a limitless sandy coastline and a surprising dusting of vegetation after spring rains, both of which come as a pleasant surprise to visitors.