The Desert of Qatar

Qatar has a large sand desert south-west of Doha which separates Doha from Khor Al Adaid, the Inland Sea. The desert in located in the Al Wakrah Municipality, about 30 minutes from Doha. As Qatar Inbound Tour’s explains, “There are only two countries in the world where the dune meets the ocean, one in Qatar and the other in Namibia”.

The Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art is free feature located in downtown Doha, and features four floors of beautiful exhibits. The museum is free to visit and is a must-see on any trip to the city.

Souq Waqif

The Souq Waqif is a huge market in the middle of Downtown Doha that serves as a gathering spot for Qatari locals and tourists alike. There has always been a souq in the location of the Souq Waqif, but it faced serious decline upon the increase in the number of shopping malls in the city, and then was mostly destroyed by fire in 2003. Lonely Planet explains that soon after the government decided to finally do something about the souq and started to rebuild a 19^th century style souq, using new construction as well as restore some of the original souq buildings.

Getting To and Around Doha

Qatar is located in the middle of the Persian Gulf, connected on land to Saudi Arabia. It is only a small 11,571km² peninsula, making it only twice the size of Canada’s Prince Edward Island, yet holds a staggering 2.24 million people.

What to Expect When Travelling to Qatar

 

Hotel Beach

Downtown Doha

Souq Waqif

This past summer I had the opportunity to visit family in Doha, Qatar. With the current political and social turmoil in many countries around the Middle East, many people were surprised that I would be traveling there on vacation. Doha is an amazing and unique city to explore, but with that being said, Qatar is a Muslim country and therefore adheres to Islamic laws and practices, which may be very different than where you live, so I’ll tell you about the important things to know before travelling to Qatar.