Travellers Experiences
A futuristic and unique city that has so much to offer. The architecture in Doha is astonishing. Nothing is straightforward, from the huge skycrapers to even the street lights.
Travelling with Qatar airways from Durban. Overall they were quite good, although they stopped in Johannesburg and the wait of about 1 and a half hours was tiring. No disembarking, you have to wait in the aircraft on departure and return to Durban. No visa is required for a stopover in Doha. The airport process was quite simple and went through immigration with no hassle.
Places of interest:
1. Souk Waqif – You will find lots of arts and crafts, clothing, shoes, bags , perfume, sweets etc. Most shops close by 10pm in summer but the restaurants close very late, after midnight. Try Tea Time for cheap karak, Queens Tandoor for Indian food, a must is the Qatari cuisine such as Majboos, crepe filled with nutella or cheese from the locals that sell at the entrance of the Souk.
2. Gold Souk – if you interested in buying gold at good prices, it is a short walk from the Souk Waqif. Remember to bargain at the souks.
3. Museum of Islamic art – 50QR pp entrance fee.
4. National Museum of Qatar – 50QR pp.
5. Katara Cultural Village – Art, amphitheater, restaurants, katara beach, Gold Mosque, 21 High street that has outdoor air-conditioning.
Malls to visit:
Villagio Mall, Vendome Mall, City centre.
Uber is fairly cheap to use. Metred taxis are also available outside the Souk or on the roadside.
Free Wifi is available at most places (if you have a vodacom number you can use that for registering for free wifi at the malls).
We stayed at Marriot Marquis City Centre which is situated in the West Bay area. Hotel room was very spacious and comfortable with excellent views. Really great service. This hotel has access to the City centre Mall which was very convenient. Some good food to try out: KFC, Nandos, Jollibee chicken (ask for spicy chicken).
Carrefour is a huge supermarket where you can stock up on your water, juices and whatever else you wish for. There’s a huge selection of readymade food and a bakery. This was also at City centre.
In Summer it’s best to go to the malls, museums or indoor places where you will have air-conditioning as the heat is unbearable. Leave the outdoor activities for the afternoon and nights. Most places open late and close late. The people in Qatar are very friendly most of which are foreigners. If you need any assistance just ask, they will gladly help.
Jazakallah to Zaheerah Nabee who has kindly submitted this article through the Halaal Travels submission portal.
