An often overlooked tourism destination is Qatar.
I recently visited Doha, the capital city of Qatar. While there is always potential for regional conflicts in the Persian Gulf, the Government of Canada’s travel website lists Qatar as a country where you should take normal precautions.
It should be noted that popular tourism countries like Italy, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates (where Dubai is located) are listed as countries where you should exercise a high degree of caution. During my time in Doha, I felt totally safe at all times from day to night.
As with some other Persian Gulf airlines, Qatar Airways has special deals to attract visitors to Doha.
If you fly any class of service on Qatar Airways with a layover in Doha anywhere from eight to 24 hours, you will receive a complimentary hotel room during your stay. This includes airport transfer to and from the airport and a temporary entry to visit Doha for no extra charge.
That is enough time to book a city tour and still enjoy one of Doha’s amazing hotels.
However, if you want to stop in Doha for more than 24 hours, Qatar Airways provides discounted hotel rooms under their Discover Qatar program.
We took advantage of this program and stayed at the Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli, a collection of eight boutique hotels inside a marketplace whose origins date back to the 19th century.
One unique feature of the Discover Qatar program is the unique 24-hour clock hotel check-in and check-out feature.
Since we checked in on our first night at 6 p.m., we did not have to check out of our room until 6 p.m. on the date of our departure!
You will want to note that many places (including our hotel) and restaurants do not serve alcohol. As a wine lover, this did not bother me as there was a variety of non-alcoholic drinks available. My favourite drink is the mint lemonade, which was refreshing amid the hot weather.
Qatar has a desert climate so if you are going in the summer months, it is really hot! But you can experience outdoor air conditioning at the Katara Cultural Village, an open-air entertainment area with an amphitheatre, museum and convention centre plus shops and restaurants.
Some other highlights of my trip to Doha were:
Museum of Islamic Art
The outside of the museum is stunning and built to the specifications of I.M. Pei, the same architect who designed the Louvre Pyramid. Inside the museum, 14 centuries of Islamic art are showcased and this is probably one of the finest historical and art museums in the world.
The Corniche and riding on a traditional Dhow boat in Doha Harbour
The Corniche is a seven-kilometre waterfront promenade built in the 1970s to be a new economic zone in Doha.
Along the Corniche, you can ride on a Dhow boat, which is a traditional boat used for trade and transportation of goods.
Viewing Doha Harbour at sunset allows you to see all the architectural wonders of Doha.
Souq Waqif
The entire outdoor marketplace was renovated in 2006 but the original buildings date back to the beginning of the 20th century.
It is a really diverse marketplace with a falcon area, a bird area and a camel area along with shops and restaurants.
The souq was originally a gathering place where Bedouins and locals would trade a variety of goods. Most of the souq was destroyed by fire in 2003 and rebuilt in 2006.
Doha is such an interesting and different city and well worth it to visit!
Tony Kwan is a Richmond News columnist. Lawyer by day, and a food and wine lover by night. Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
