Kuwait

With the Iraqi war a fading memory, Kuwait is once again the prototypical oil state, and travellers looking for a relaxed entry into the Muslim world can look forward to wandering around mosques, souks and other sandy traces of bygone Bedouin days.

When Iraqi troops were driven out in early 1991 and reconstruction work began in the ruins of Kuwait City, the government became obsessed with meticulously re-creating the country's pre-invasion appearance - right down to the pink marble steps at the entrance to the city's leading five-star hotel.