Cairo top budget spot for Kuwaitis this summer: Wego
Cairo remains the most sought-after global destination for Kuwaiti travellers, combining cultural richness and accessibility.
Other popular destinations include Amman, Istanbul, Baku, and Tbilisi, each offering unique attractions.
Arrivals in these cities have remained stable or declined, with Baku and Tbilisi experiencing double-digit drops in average fares compared to last year's summer.
Istanbul saw a decline of 8.28% year-on-year, while Amman fares slightly edged down slightly.
Wego's travel tips for affordable summer weekends include comparing flexible dates, setting fare alerts, bundling bookings, booking in advance, and traveling light.
By combining flights and hotels in a single booking, travellers can unlock exclusive discounts and added convenience.
Securing flights 3-4 weeks ahead can help lock in lower fares before peak demand drives prices higher.
Packing only hand luggage helps avoid extra fees, as many low-cost carriers offer attractive weekend fares but charge for checked baggage.
Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
13 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
On arrival, visa-free entry for Jordanians in 51 countries; full list of destinations
As citizens of various countries prioritise travel, several governments have initiated a range of measures to enable ease of access to the destinations. Visa exemptions for certain durations along with provisions such as electronic visas help with a hassle-free stay, without the burden of carrying numerous documents. Read Khaleej Times report to know about visa-free countries for Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos. UAE has a huge expatriate population, with Jordanians constituting a large group among the diverse nationalities that call the Emirates their home. If you have a Jordanian passport, here is a list of several countries you can travel to with ease. However, it is important to check the specific requirements of your destination for conditions like duration of stay, authorities approval, and more. Visa-free countries Barbados Cook Islands Dominica Ecuador Egypt Georgia Haiti Hong Kong Kosovo Lebanon Madagascar Malaysia Micronesia Niue Rwanda South Africa Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Syria Tajikistan Thailand Tunisia Türkiye Visa on arrival (VOA) Armenia Bolivia Burundi Cambodia Cape Verde Islands Comoro Islands Djibouti Ethiopia Guinea-Bissau Indonesia Macao Malawi Maldives Mauritius Mozambique Nepal Nicaragua Palau Islands Samoa Somalia Tanzania Timor-Leste Tuvalu Yemen Electronic Travel Authorisation For certain visa-free countries, Jordanian passport holders must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) prior to visiting these countries: Kenya Seychelles Sri Lanka St. Kitts and Nevis Electronic Visa Albania Antigua and Barbuda Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Cameroon Colombia Democratic Republic of Congo Cuba Equatorial Guinea Gabon Guinea India Kyrgyzstan Liberia Mauritania Moldova Montserrat Morocco Myanmar Nigeria Oman Pakistan Qatar Russian Federation Sao Tome and Principe Singapore Togo Uganda United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Zambia Zimbabwe
The National
19 hours ago
- The National
Tirana in 48 hours: Six things to do in Albania's vibrant capital
It has been available for four years, but only four weeks remain before Wizz Air pulls the plug on its direct service between Abu Dhabi and Tirana. Time to enjoy an inexpensive city break to Albania's dynamic capital is running out. The budget route, which opened in September 2021, will cease on August 31. With five-hour flights operating on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, it is still possible to zip across and tick Tirana off before then. A captivating blend of Ottoman, Communist-era and contemporary influences, the Balkan gem rimmed by the Skanderbeg mountain range is an intriguing destination. Its city centre is only half an hour from the airport by bus and compact enough to get around entirely by foot. Yes, it can be hot in August. But it's about 8°C cooler than Abu Dhabi in summer, so walking around to see the sights is doable. And it has more than enough intriguing attractions to satisfy curious travellers for 48 hours, especially those on a tight budget. Skanderbeg Square: Heartbeat of the city Most guide books will recommend starting a Tirana adventure at Skanderbeg Square, the sprawling central plaza named after Albania's national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. The military commander died in 1468 and is celebrated for leading a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. This square bearing his name is surrounded by landmarks such as the National History Museum and the opera house. The equestrian statue of Skanderbeg himself is a focal point of the square, its backdrop of changing facades reflecting a city that has a complex past and vibrant present. Et'hem Bey Mosque: A testament to endurance Adjacent to Skanderbeg Square stands the exquisite Et'hem Bey Mosque, a testament to religious endurance. Built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, its intricate frescoes and delicate artistry are a rare sight in Islamic architecture, depicting natural landscapes and still life. The mosque miraculously survived the totalitarian regime's atheistic policies, serving as a powerful symbol of Albania 's resilient spirit and the revival of religious freedom. Entry is free and a look around takes no more than half an hour. Bunk'Art 1: Unearthing a hidden past It takes only a few minutes to stroll from the mosque to one of the city's most fascinating tourist attractions. Bunk'Art 1, a network of underground bunkers originally built for the political elite in case of a nuclear attack, has been transformed into a fascinating museum and contemporary art space. Visitors can delve into Albania's clandestine communist history and explore its chilling corridors and rooms. Exhibits detail the paranoia and repression of the nation's Hoxha regime, offering a powerful insight into a bygone era. Entry is 500 Lek (about Dh20) and a minimum of an hour is recommended to take it all in. Climbing the pyramid: History with a view After exploring down below, it takes 10 minutes to walk to an attraction offering a city skyline view from up above. Climbing the Pyramid of Tirana – another free activity – feels like scaling a concrete relic of history, its slanted sides weathered, but proud. Originally built in 1988 as a museum to honour long-standing Communist dictator Enver Hoxha, the once-grand structure now boldly symbolises Albania's shifting identity. Each step upwards reveals more of the city's chaotic charm, framed by graffiti. At the top, the panorama opens, with the city sprawled below and the beautiful mountain range in the distance. Air Albania stadium tour: A modern sporting landmark The national football stadium proudly represents the city's more modern architecture. For sporting enthusiasts, a guided tour of the Air Albania Stadium is well worth doing and is only 10 minutes from the pyramid by foot. The sleek venue, opened in 2019, stands on the site of the former Qemal Stafa Stadium. Built as a compact English-style venue with spectators seated close to the pitch, it has a capacity of 22,000 and is sold out for every national team match. The guided tour, costing 1,500 Lek (Dh65), takes about two hours and includes pitchside access, the dressing rooms and VIP areas. An enthusiastic English-speaking guide offers a deep insight into the nation's passion for the sport. Grand Park and lake walk: A green oasis The Grand Park of Tirana and its artificial lake is only a five-minute walk, via Mother Teresa Square, from the stadium. This expansive serene space is a beloved retreat for locals, offering walking and jogging paths, cafes and peaceful spots to unwind and escape the urban bustle. Walking the 5.3km loop around the lake takes about 45 minutes. Formed by a dam in the mid-20th century, the lake offers picturesque views and buzzes with the sound of birds. Why now is the time From crumbling Cold War bunkers to lakefront strolls and skyline views from graffiti-tagged rooftops, Tirana packs a punch well above its weight. An evening spent in Blloku, the city's chic and vibrant cafe and restaurant zone, is the perfect way to round off a day and reflect on what has been missed out. Going to the top of Dajti mountain by cable car; visiting Pazari i Ri market; and wandering through Tirana Castle, a Medieval fortress that's now a pedestrian street with an array of restaurants and artisan shops, are just some of the other things that could be crammed in. Tirana is an unexpected gem that's easy to explore. With Wizz Air's direct route from Abu Dhabi ending soon, this month might be the last easy chance (for now) to enjoy Albania's fast-changing capital.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Postcard from Cannes: How the French Riviera turns Gulf in July
The restaurant on Cannes' La Croisette boulevard didn't require reservations, just first-come, first-served. Except for one table. A group of five men arrived and took their seats at that lone reserved spot, chatting easily with the waiter. It was a former senior Gulf politician and his family. The mood in the restaurant reflected how Cannes, and a handful of cities along the French Riviera, feel in July: the coastal summer escape speaks fluent Gulf. Across town, another restaurant, famous for its open-air ambience, tucked into the almost-Italian alleyways of old Cannes, was packed on a Saturday night. Nearly every table was taken by Gulf guests. 'I came here at the beginning of July to escape the heat and enjoy the summer,' said Aya from Saudi Arabia. 'After two weeks, a wave of fellow Gulf tourists arrived. 'We come every year, but this year feels different. It's like the whole Gulf moved here,' she added, holding up her phone case showing the flags of Saudi Arabia and France side by side. The Gulf presence isn't just felt in restaurants. It stretches to the beaches. At one family-friendly beach club just before sunset, the calm sea was filled with swimmers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and other neighbouring states. Six different groups stood waist-deep in the water, chatting in various Arabic dialects, with only one French couple nearby. 'Are we in Cannes or in Bahrain?' one man joked to his friends, laughing as he realised he was surrounded by people from his region. Each summer, tens of thousands of Gulf tourists escape the searing heat back home for cooler destinations like France, the UK, and Spain. The French Riviera remains one of their favourites. Mediterranean escape Gulf visitors are known for their high spending power, filling five-star hotels and crowding luxury boutiques along the famed Croisette beach. In 2024, travellers from GCC countries made approximately 24.4 million outbound trips, spending about $75.4 billion abroad, according to Gulf figures and VisitBritain's market data. With more airlines launching from the Gulf and competition intensifying to win over travellers, the GCC outbound tourism market is projected to grow to $81 billion in 2025 and could reach between $139 billion –$198 billion by the mid-2030s, according to travel experts. France alone welcomes more than 100 million international visitors annually, generating tens of billions in tourism revenue. GCC nationals form a growing slice of that, though exact numbers for July visits are not publicly available. In Antibes, 20 minutes from Cannes, two men sat on one of the Riviera's most exclusive beaches, gazing at the multicoloured blue sea framed by green hills and dotted with boats. 'I love this view,' one of them said in a Saudi dialect. 'But it's a little too calm being here. I don't want to just relax, let's go somewhere else.' The nearby old town of Antibes bustles with tourists in summer. Its narrow streets are packed, and its cafes buzz around the clock with people from all over the world. But Gulf visitors stand out. In nearly every cafe, Arabic can be heard, and some waiters have even learnt a few Arabic phrases to use with regulars. 'The South of France is Mediterranean, and it feels closer to our hearts,' Aya said. 'I wouldn't want to live here, but coming every summer for a few weeks makes life more exciting. I randomly bump into neighbours and people I haven't seen in years. I feel at home.'
