Travel Tips Qatar – It’s been a year since I started calling Doha home. So I’ve learned a thing or two about living in the desert state of Qatar.
When I first lived here 20 years ago, no one had heard of this remarkable little country. Today, cruise ships hug the coast, and tourists from all over the world come here. Yet some travelers come unprepared.
Travel Tips Qatar
Knowing some background information before your visit will help you get the most out of your trip to this country on the Arabian Peninsula. From braving the heat and navigating the ultra-modern metro to seeing amazing art and getting to know Qataris, here are my top tips to help you get the most out of your visit to Qatar.
Best Things To Do In Doha, Qatar
Qatar’s “season” runs from October to May. These months are the best time to visit, when most events and exhibitions take place and when the temperature is pleasant enough to walk outside.
Qatar is a desert country, and it gets hot. Like, really hot. Summer temperatures easily reach 50ºC (122ºF) – in the shade. While you can expect everything from your rental car to the malls and even some bus stops to be air-conditioned, you can still be inconvenient bouncing between them.
The ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar is the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset. During Ramadan, eating, drinking, smoking or even chewing gum in public during daylight hours is prohibited. While Qataris are tolerant of non-Muslim visitors, almost all restaurants are closed during the day (hotels offer a few exceptions). Visiting Qatar during Ramadan means that your travel plans should be more flexible, but you will have the opportunity to experience festivities such as the daily sunset cannon, the beautiful lantern decorations around the city and the night. Iftar, Iftar. After sunset it is a pleasant event in private homes and restaurants.
Qatar is a Muslim country, and while Qataris are tolerant – especially for visitors – it is a sign of respect to dress modestly. Bikinis are not a problem on hotel beaches and pools, but it is respectful for men and women to cover their shoulders and wear clothes that reach to the knees, especially in areas where you encounter many locals. , as in Souq Waqf
Tips Before Traveling To Qatar
While most of central Doha is walkable in the cooler months around Souq Waqf and Musharib, the easiest and most comfortable way to get around is the Doha Metro. This modern, clean and extensive system takes you to all the busy centers in and around Doha, including the airport and the towns of Al Wakrah and Lusail.
Learning about Arab etiquette – including the many traditions associated with coffee – will add to the enjoyment of your trip to Qatar © Juan Alberto Casado / Getty Images
From avoiding eating with your left hand to coffee taken with cardamom and different styles of traditional dress, Arab culture can be a new experience for people outside the Muslim world. To learn about manners and practices directly from Qataris, embrace Doha for experiences that will teach you about the cultural ways and practices here.
Even before they leave, many travelers have an opinion about Qatar – but it’s important to arrive with an open mind and experience it for yourself. Although the rules, customs and laws may differ from where you live, Qatar has seen a lot of changes in recent years. When I returned to live in Qatar again after a 15-year absence, I barely recognized the place. The increase in the number of international visitors has encouraged the country to continue working towards further changes.
Qatar Travel Guide Ebook By Makie Bly
One of the safest countries in the world, Qatar offers the best experience for solo female travelers © urbazon / Getty Images
Many people consider Qatar to be the safest country in the world – and as a woman living here, I have never felt threatened. (Of course, it only takes one bad experience to change your view on this, but that’s the case for every country in the world.) In Qatar, I usually forget to lock my front door and my car. Go, and even leave my handbag inside. My shopping cart. You should use common sense as you would anywhere – and hope you feel safe and welcome.
As Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, celebrity chef restaurants abound throughout the capital. Even so, travelers to Qatar on a budget can still find delicious low-cost eats, such as local breakfast favorites
Spicy as well as sweet, while chapati is a flatbread usually served with honey or cheese (or both!). You can try these two staples at the most simple-looking cafeterias, parks or food stalls in Katara Village. Hungry locals queuing up to order will let you know where to find them.
Best Things To Do In Qatar: Sights, Activities, And Travel Tips
The majestic falcons in Qatar are treasured as an important part of the country’s culture © Abdul Rahman M. Hassanein / Getty Images
The falcon is the national bird of Qatar and is so revered that it is allowed on flights and even gets its own seat. Doha is home to the Falcon Hospital as well as the Falcon Market. On your visit, stop at Souq Waqf to see these beautiful birds up close. While you’re there, don’t miss the camels and thoroughbred Arabian horses that stand in the center of town.
Qatar is more than luxury shopping and prestigious sporting events like the 2022 FIFA World Cup: it is also fast becoming a heavyweight on the Middle East’s art scene. At Hamad International Airport alone, you can see more than a dozen installations by internationally renowned artists such as KAWS, Urs Fischer and Jean-Michel Othoneil. Go to the desert of Zekreet for a spectacular view.
By Damien Hirst. Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art is world-class, while pockets of street art complement the capital’s high cultural offerings.
Qatar Travel Guide
Much of Qatar’s landscape is gray and sandy – so take a break from the desert colors at one of Doha’s green parks. My favorite is the MIA Park behind the Museum of Islamic Art, which curves around a bay and is full of small food trucks that sell.
Chapati and other items. Not only is MIA Park’s magnificent mature trees and grass perfect for picnicking, but it also offers stunning views across the skyline, with charming wooden dinghies (traditional boats) moored nearby.
It’s easy to stay busy in Doha, yet you can’t leave Qatar without experiencing the desert. As you drive off-road over the sand dunes in a 4WD vehicle, camp under the clear skies of the “inland sea” of Khorladadd to spot flamingos and down the horseshoe-shaped singing dunes. Glide, you will know what the desert is like. In the true heart of Qatar – and symbolically one of its people.
Bedouins have long lived around the Arabian deserts, but the culture’s nomadic lifestyle means that most sites in the region have no ancient structures. Nevertheless, Qatar has some historical wonders, such as the petroglyphs in Aljasiya and the UNESCO-listed Al Zabara Fort, both of which are well worth a visit.
Melissa Biggs Bradley’s Tips For Exploring Qatar
It’s possible to beat the heat in Qatar with a cold beer – but you’ll need to plan ahead. You cannot import alcohol into Qatar from duty-free shops or buy anything other than non-alcoholic beer from a grocery store, nor are you allowed to drink alcohol in public. Alcohol in Qatar is only available in licensed places, such as large hotels and hotel restaurants. Most hotels have great bars, cozy beer gardens or outdoor restaurants where you can sit with a glass or two.
Travel to the planet’s most spectacular places with this thought-provoking portrait of our world. See it like you’ve never seen it before and renew your relationship with the place we call home. Considering a stopover in Doha or planning your first visit to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup? This list of 19 incredibly useful Qatar travel tips covers everything from couples’ dress codes and rules to budgeting and how to get around the city.
Before I decided to sign up for a holiday in Doha, I knew very little about this small oil-rich Islamic country on the Persian Gulf. Like many travelers before me, it was precisely this sense of the ‘unknown’ that lured me to visit Doha – and the promise of fragrant souks, dhow-filled harbors and street hawks instead of falcons on my wrists. sitting man Rolex watches.
What is it like to travel per capita in the richest country in the world, where more than 85% of the local population are foreign or migrant workers?
Qatar Travel Advice & Safety
Most people’s experience of Qatar will be similar to mine: a somewhat superficial brush with a small but socially complex country on an extended layover. For practical reasons, Qatar is a great place to break a long flight (eg traveling from Australia to Georgia).
Even if your visit is temporary (heck, even if you’re not planning to leave the airport), here’s a few things you need to know about Qatar to make your experience in this beautiful Middle Eastern country smoother. Things should be known in advance.
