Tirupati to Kuwait City Flights

  About Tirupati

Tirupati or Tirumala as a lot of people call it, is one of the most visited temples in India. It's also one of the richest shrines in the country. Tirupati is the place of worship for Lord Balaji or Sri Venkateshwara, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. Hundreds and thousands of devotees visit Tirupati daily to offer their prayers. It is a tradition among a lot of people to shave their heads and offer their hair at his feet to seek his blessings. It is believed that Lord Vishnu incarnated on earth as Balaji to save mankind from all the troubles in Kali Yug. People wait for hours in a queue to get a glimpse of God and offer their prayers. The temple is located on seven hills in Andhra Pradesh, which is yet another speciality about the temple. Though Tirupati is majorly known for its religious significance, there is a lot more than you can do here.

You can visit the Sri Venkateswara National Park after your darshan. The beautiful landscape and view of the valleys will take your breath away. The Sri Venkateswara National Park was built in 1989 and was declared a National Park in 1998. The national park is home to a lot of exotic animals like the Nilgai, Flying Lizard, Hyena and Golden Gecko. You have to pay a certain price for tickets to enter the park and spending some time here will definitely be a treat to the eyes and the mind. If you are in Tirupati with your family and kids, the little ones will definitely be delighted to spot the animals. In addition to this, the holy place also boasts of a Deer Park. You'll find different species of deer and might even get to feed them. You'll find solace from the crowd and spend some time with nature and nature's best here.

You can also immerse in the holy waters of Papavinasam Theertham. It is believed that taking a dip in this holy water will rid you of your sins. Just being here calms your mind and takes you to your happy place. You will also find a lot of waterfalls like the Talakona waterfall, Vaikuntha theertham and so on. There will be several places in the complex where you can sit and meditate. The early morning aarti is one of the most overwhelming and divine feelings. The chants and devotional mantras echo through the hills early in the morning. Swami Pushkarini lake is also a highly recommended place to visit in Tirupati.

Though you will have to adhere to certain decorum and rules when visiting the temple. A strict dress code to wear something traditional must be followed in the temple vicinity. You are also not allowed to consume alcohol or non-vegetarian food while you are in the temple premises. Not to mention, the queue can tend to get on your nerves, so avoid getting into any fights or heated arguments. You will not be allowed to bring any of your gadgets like the camera or phone. While a lot of people believe that shaving their head off and donating their hair is essential, it entirely depends on you and whether you want to do it. It will be fairly easier for you to find and book a hotel in Tirupati.

Best Time to Visit Tirupati

September to February is an ideal time to visit Tirupati. This is when the city experiences winter and the weather is quite pleasant during the day. It can get quite nippy in the night and early mornings can be quite chilly though. The summer will be pretty unpleasant to handle since the southern part of India does experience scorching heat during April and May. It rains in Tirupati from July to September, and while monsoon does make the weather quite pleasant, it won't be the best time to climb the hill even by a car or bus.

Places to Visit in Tirupati

Apart from the main temple of Tirumala Balaji, it is also mandatory to offer your prayers at Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple. It is believed that your prayers will not be complete unless you pray to the Goddess, and according to scriptures, it is important that you pay respects to the Goddess first before heading to Tirumala. Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple is not very close to Lord Balaji's temple. After offering your prayers at the Sri Venkateswara Temple, you can visit the Srivari Museum to know more about Tirupati's inception and how it became one of the most popular temples in the country.

Head over to Papavinasam Theertham to take a dip in the holy water. It is believed that it will wash away your sins, and it also calms your mind instantly. It's the sheer sanctity of the place that makes you embrace your spiritual side. Tirupati is also home to many exotic animals. The Sri Venkateswara National Park houses animals like Hyenas, Nilgai, Golden Gecko and more. You can visit the National Park with your family or alone. You must also visit the Deer Park that has deers of different species, and they're quite friendly, too. If you're lucky, you might get to feed the deers.

Take a tour of the Srivara Museum. You'll get to read more stories about the inception of the temple and the Gods and Goddesses. Since the temple is located on seven hills, each hill has been named after a God or devotee of mythological importance. There is Vrushabhadri, which is also called as the Hill of Nandi, the biggest devotee of Lord Shiva and also an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Anjanadri is the Hill of Hanuman, Neeladri is the Hill of Neela Devi, Garudachalam is the Hill of Garuda, Seshadri is the Hill of Sesha, Narayanadri is the Hill of Narayana and Venkatadri is the Hill of Venkateswara.

There are also a lot of sub-temples and shrines that you can visit along with the Sri Padmavathi Ammavari and Sri Venkateswara temples.

Things to do in Tirupati

Find a spot in the temple after your darshan and just sit in peace to meditate for a while before you make your itinerary. Do not forget to take the famous Tirupati laddoo that is served as the prasad. The temple also serves puliogare, a savoury rice, that is also served as the prasad. The temple city can get noisy, so get away from the hubbub of the crowded places and visit one of the famous waterfalls. You can quietly sit and admire the nature around you. The serene aura of the place and the breathtakingly beautiful scenario makes for the perfect place to take pictures, too.

The National Park and the Deer Park make for the perfect locations to put your wildlife photography skills to the test. While a lot of people rent a car or take a bus to get up to the hill, some even walk or climb all the way up. Though some do it because they love a nice trek, a lot of people do it out of pure devotion to the Gods. Don't just go to Tirupati to offer your prayers to God but also make the most of it by getting to know more about the place and visiting all of the other places mentioned here. Being close to nature is also one of the best places and moments to introspect or to just leave all your worries behind and live in the moment. You will surely be able to leave all your worries behind and be optimistic effortlessly once you visit Tirumala.

Food and Restaurants in Tirupati

While there will be no non-vegetarian food served within the temple premises or on the hilltop, you will find restaurants serving non-veg food a little away from Tirumala. Andhra Spice and Hyderabad House are some of the popular restaurants that serve non-vegetarian food. It goes without saying that it will be quite easy to find South Indian food in the area, and the food will not disappoint you one bit.

How to reach Tirupati (Transportation)

By Air

While there is no international connectivity of flights directly, the domestic flights frequently run to and from Tirupati Airport. You will get pretty good flight deals and cheap flight tickets, too, if you book at the right time. Don't forget to look for offers on flights online. You can also land at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad and take a bus or hire a cab from the airport to Tirumala.

By Rail

Tirupati Railway station is connected to domestic routes like Bangalore, Chennai, Vishakapatnam and Madurai. Renigunta station is also quite close to Tirupati and an easier way to get to Tirupati.

By Road

You will find multiple bus services that run from cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and every part of Andhra Pradesh to Tirupati. It is advisable to carry a few medicines or chocolates with you if you suffer from motion sickness because the way to go up the hill is going to be full of twists and turns.

  About Kuwait

Kuwait City is the official capital of Kuwait, the country. It is nestled on the coast of the charming Persian Gulf. It is recognised to be one of the most expensive cities with residents relishing an upscale lifestyle.

Best time to visit Kuwait

Kuwait is predominantly a desert and follows a similar season throughout the year. November through April is ideal for a trip to Kuwait. The peak for Kuwait is November to January as the temperatures drop severely but to give a pleasant desert winter. During winters, not only is the weather perfect but the city also bustles with various events and lively excursions. Indulging in tourist activities becomes easier. Despite the favourable weather, many tourists don't opt for this season as the winters can get too cold. With fewer tourists in the city, the hotel prices in Kuwait also turn cheap. This makes for a perfect time to visit the beautiful city and not deal with the excess throng of travellers. September to November is also quite favourable as the temperatures are balanced. The city faces humidity but is windy at the same time, making it less irksome.

The prices of flights and accommodation also see a surge as the demand is high for tourism. If you do some intense research on the web, you might be able to snag some amazing online flight deals. They might even come with some good hotel deals. As long as you make prior bookings for hotels and flight tickets to Kuwait, you will be able to receive some cheap deals. It would be better to make your bookings in advance as that would help you plan your trip better. With a major chunk of your expenses sorted, you will be able to indulge in some of the fun things the city has to offer. You can further elevate your experience by engaging in some of their fancy settings too. You might even be able to book a snazzy hotel in Kuwait with exquisite views and hospitality.

Places to visit in Kuwait

Kuwait is blessed with some beautiful tourist attractions. You can start your trip by visiting the Tareq Rajab Museum. It is a popular ethnographic museum with compelling exhibits that would definitely marvel you. From collections of gorgeous Islamic art saved by the first minister of Kuwait and his British wife to a pair of fabulous ornate doors from Cairo, the museum has some fine exhibits and decor. The city also has the bizarre but entertaining Mirror House. The establishment is basically covered with mosaic mirrors which was created by the Italian-Kuwaiti artist Lidia Al Qattan. You would have a good time at the Mirror House with its eccentricities. Kuwait's most popular attraction is definitely the Souq Mubarakiya. The establishment is one of the oldest souk markets in the city which continues to rake in all the attention. The ancient market is now surrounded by modern tall buildings.

You should know this, the city actually has about 800 mosques out of which the Grand Mosque is the largest and the one which survived an Iraqi invasion. The Scientific Centre also has one of the colossal aquariums which includes spider crabs and shark and ray tanks. Do not miss the Kuwait Towers which has been designed by a Swedish architectural organisation. You can also spend some time from your trip by hanging out at the Al Qurain Martyr's Museum. It has some great historical references. Kuwait's love for vintage cars and classic automobiles is very well-known. In fact, they have even placed a museum to commemorate the same. You can actually peruse through some of the exquisite imperial models of vintage cars in mint condition. The vehicles are perfectly maintained and polished to ensure that not a scratch falls on it.

Things to do in Kuwait

Kuwait is recognised as one of the poshest places across the globe. The city bustles with pizzazz lifestyle as people walk around with Birkin bags and Gucci shoes. The best thing to do in Kuwait would hence, be to indulge in some of this luxe lifestyle. You can actually indulge in their food culture as a means to start the lavish rendezvous. There are many upscale food establishments in the city that would keep you entertained. Of course, if this is not your cup of tea, you can always work out some shopping schedule. There is literally not a single person who has ever avoided indulging in shopping during a trip. It would be quite therapeutic for you to engage in shopping and at the same time, check out some of the intriguing places in the city. You might even end up finding fun neighbourhoods that would go well with your vibe. Speaking of which, if smoking sheesha and enjoying that kind of setting is something you're up for, then there are many parlours in the city that have this provision.

Some of the other fun things that can be done in Kuwait is to check out the surrounding islands. The Failaka island seems like a good place to check out. You can take a ferry from the city to reach Failaka, an island that is not inhabited. You will actually witness a city of ruins as an effect of the historic Gulf War. The one main attraction here is the House of Martyrs which celebrates all the soldiers who fought the war and perished in the line of duty. Another fun activity to do in the city is to take up a desert safari and spend the night in the desert. There are many luxurious tents and provisions of accommodation in the desert region that you would totally enjoy.

Food and Restaurants in Kuwait

Kuwait has a fancy spread of cuisines which majorly range from Lebanese to Puerto Rican. You can make quite an experience of your dining scenes in Kuwait as the city caters to some exquisite luxe lifestyle. There are provisions of quaint restaurants with decent prices, and there are also five-star hotels with shisha bars and views of the water. Overall, it is quite the posh experience one can savour in the city. As stated though, their cuisine while predominantly is of Lebanese background, it also adds a small portion of Puerto Rican flavours. You can indulge in some flavourful zingy hummus while slurping down grilled shrimps and lamb cutlets. Not to mention how there is always room for fancy desserts that complete the dining experience.

Assaha Village, located in the Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street of Kuwait City, is one such food complex that would lift your senses. Their brilliant food interspersed with fancy settings is something that will go down well with you. You can find some of the best places to indulge in food, here in the village. There's a Glass Cafe, Fire Station and Police Station that provide splendid food. For a lavish spread of seafood, you should head straight to Al Boom. The place does boom with impeccable seafood and also caters to the audience that wishes to be entertained with some steak. To savour the rich Lebanese magic, you should check out Ayam Zaman. It has all the flavours and food from the Lebanese cuisine that would excite your taste buds.s

How to reach Kuwait (Transportation)

Flight connectivity to Kuwait from India is exemplary, owing to the massive demand. There are many families, businessmen and even employees who flock over to Kuwait for employment opportunities, adding to the excessive demand for flights. There are many flights that fly to Kuwait from India daily. Airlines such as Srilankan Airlines, flydubai, Air Arabia, IndiGo, Gulf Air, Oman Air, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudia, to name a few, have flights to Kuwait from Indian cities. You can find direct and nonstop flights to Kuwait from Kochi and Delhi. A majority of airports in the South Indian cities have dedicated direct flights to Kuwait. The most popular international routes often chosen to travel to Kuwait are from Dubai, Muscat and Bahrain. These cities are well-connected with Kuwait and even have dedicated flights to Kuwait. Most of the Middle-Eastern cities are perfectly connected with each other. This makes travelling to Kuwait much easier as you can reach the city from any of the Middle-Eastern cities that are located in proximity.

The flight duration to Kuwait from India is also quite convenient. It takes approximately five hours and fifty minutes to reach Kuwait from India. However, depending on the flight that you choose, the time duration to reach Kuwait will be altered. For the expensive flight tickets to Kuwait, the duration is extremely less. You can easily reach in five hours and fifty minutes from India for approximately INR 20,000. However, for INR 10,000, you can reach Kuwait within a flight duration of seven hours and forty minutes. The contrast in the prices explains how just an extra hour would cost you double the money. The range of cheap flight tickets to Kuwait further makes it easy to reach. Many tourists opt to visit Kuwait for a touristy excursion. It is essential that you make prior flight bookings to Kuwait to avoid a surge in prices. If you are planning for a vacation in Kuwait, especially during the peak season, then you would have to deal with the additional holiday cost. Hence, as long as you can make prior bookings and hotel reservations done for Kuwait, you will be able to save tremendously.

  About Kuwait Airport

Kuwait International Airport is the main international airport which is located in Farwaniya, approximately 15 kilometres to the south of Kuwait City. The airport is sprawled over 37.7 square kilometres and serves as the primary hub for airlines such as Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways. Along with the airport's passenger facilities, there is a dedicated zone that has been designated to be the headquarters of Kuwait Air Force. It also comes with a Kuwait Air Force Museum. The airport complex, along with the passenger activities, is also designated to be under Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base.

About Airport Terminals

Kuwait International Airport supports five terminals out of which, one will be operational from 2022 while the others are already functioning. Terminal 1 is the primary building that is prevalent in the airport and caters to all departing and arriving flights. These do exclude those operated by airlines such as Kuwait Airways, flydubai, Jazeera Airways and Aegean Airlines. These airlines operate from different terminals. Terminal 1 has about 16 gates and houses necessary security checkpoints, restaurants, duty-free shops and four lounges. Terminal 2 is currently under construction and has been designed by Foster + Partners.

The new terminal is set to expand the total capacity of the airport by a whopping 13 million passengers annually. The terminal is also set to introduce a triangular building which would support 28 gates, 400-bed air-side hotels and 4,500 additional parking spaces. The construction of Terminal 2 began in 2017 and is slated to complete by 2022. Terminal 3 was originally called Sheikh Saad General Aviation Terminal. In fact, it has been created to be used for private aircraft. The building is comparatively small and has been exclusively assigned to airlines flydubai and Aegean Airlines.

Terminal 4 has been installed much recently and is recognized to be one of the biggest terminals in Kuwait International Airport. The terminal accommodates operations of Kuwait's national carrier, Kuwait Airlines. The beautiful terminal has been designed by the Spanish branch of the American firm AECOM and constructed by a consortium of Cengiz Insaat & First Kuwaiti Contractor. The terminal is located very close to the cargo-handling facility within the airport premise. It is spread out over an area of about 55,000 square meters. Terminal 4 has only five bus gates with nine boarding bridges gates. It can accommodate about eight planes at once.

The total passenger capacity of the airport is to accommodate 4.5 million passengers in a year and help reduce the congestion that is usually faced by Terminal 1. Additionally, the airport also has 2,450 car parking spaces along with a dedicated surface that is connected directly to the terminal building by a bridge. Terminal 5 is majorly used by Kuwait-based airline Jazeera Airways. The terminal is attached to Terminal building one but has its dedicated entrance and exit points, check-in counters, lounges, security checkpoints, customs, departure gates and arrival conveyor belts. Along with this, the terminal also has 350 parking spaces along with a multi-story facility that is connected by a bridge to Terminal 5.

About Airport Authority

Kuwait International Airport is owned by the Department of Civil Aviation and operated under Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The airport body is known to hold a plethora of responsibilities and is consistently been developing as well as innovating newer solutions to help generate a dynamic structure in the Middle East region. Thanks to the excellent air traffic, Kuwait's economy is seeing quite a jostling. With the expansions and infrastructural development, the airport is also able to accommodate about 25 million passengers. The average growth of the number of passengers as well as cargo traffic soars at an average of 10 per cent every year.

Top airlines flying from Kuwait International Airport

Kuwait sees tremendous airline traffic owing to its demand by other Middle Eastern cities and Southeast Asian cities. India, specifically, also has many flights that fly to Kuwait on a daily basis. Hence, Kuwait International Airport accommodates Indian airlines to operate from its terminals. Currently, the Indian airlines supported by Kuwait International Airport include Air India, Air India Express, GoAir and IndiGo. They majorly connect with Indian cities such as Kannur, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Chennai, Goa, Kochi, Kozhikode and Bagdogra.

Kuwait International Airport often serves for flight layovers as well as for connecting flights for international airlines. Many of the airlines have excellent connectivity with international cities such as London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Istanbul, Cairo, Frankfurt, Muscat, New York City, Paris and more. Kuwait International Airport sees operations of flights from airlines such as Air Arabia, Air Arabia Egypt, Air Cairo, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, British Airways, EgyptAir, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Flynas, Gulf Air, Iran Air, Iraqi Airways, Jazeera Airways, Jordan Aviation, KLM, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Oman Air, Pegasus Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, SriLankan Airlines and Turkish Airlines.

Facilities at Kuwait International Airport

Luggage - At Kuwait International Airport, the baggage services offered are aplenty. They range from wrapping services for the luggage, escorting the luggage for security checks and other such procedures. You can also store your luggage at the airport. Or ask the airlines to send the luggage at the desired destination so you wouldn't have to lug around the city with baggage.

Lounge - The airport does support a lounge that has been sponsored by Kuwait Airways. The lounge is available in the airport terminal. It is quite snazzy with exquisite modern facilities and is exclusive for first-class and business-class passengers as well as premium members.

Health centre - Medical rooms and services are also available at the airport. In order to combat medical emergencies, Kuwait International Airport has reserved rooms for the same. There are pharmacies also available in the premise that one can visit for last-minute medicine purchases. They usually have all the required pills and necessary medicinal drugs.

ATM and banks - To make transactions and transfers of money easy, the airport has installed ATM kiosks as well as local bank branches. You can also opt for currency exchange at the banks. They tend to give reasonable rates. In case you forgot to make your currencies exchanged, the airport is always considered as a perfect place which offers this service.

Travel office - Travel agencies have set up their offices at the airport to cater to the hotel booking needs of first-time travellers. They have all the brochures and travel packages that the passenger can avail, including accommodation deals. They are mostly present at the arrival section of the terminal. If hotel bookings haven't been made, they will help you with it.

Airport hotel - Kuwait International Airport also has a hotel within its premise to accommodate in-transit passengers. The hotel is located just 200 meters from the airport's main passenger terminal. There are about 200 rooms available at the airport's property which are perfectly equipped with amenities such as AC, three-layered windows, world-class decor, facilities and more. Even during peak season, the airport hotel manages to accommodate passengers. There are basic rooms as well as deluxe suites available. You can choose from these and book a room accordingly.

Restaurants and cafe - With world-class facilities come global cuisine that Kuwait International Airport glorifies. There are some top-notch restaurants and food establishments that can be found at the premise. This includes a dedicated food court as well. From mid-range establishments to upscale dining experience, you can find many options at the airport.

WiFi - The airport provides free WiFi that one can avail. You will need to speak with the airport staff and learn how to log in to the network to get a WiFi connection. Internet cafes are also available for passengers who need to get some work done.

Special assistance - Along with porter services, the airport also has provisions of wheelchairs and strollers that will help senior citizens, parents with kids as well as disabled travellers. All kinds of travel assistance can be found at the airport. However, it is necessary that you inform the airlines about the same so they can communicate it to the airport.

How to reach Kuwait International Airport

Bus

The airport is perfectly connected with public bus services that further network with other cities in Kuwait. The popular bus services, KPTC, KGL and CityBus, will directly reach you to the Kuwait International Airport. In fact, the local buses have scheduled times that would help you reach Kuwait International Airport from anywhere in the main city. The bus services also cater to long-distance travel and traverse through Saudi Arabia, provided you have a Saudi visa.

Airport taxis and car rentals

There are dedicated taxicabs that reach to the Kuwait International Airport and within the city. There are dedicated booths that are available outside the arrivals of the terminal where you can book your ride. Rental facilities are also available at the airport. You can book a rental and return it on your way back to the airport from the city.