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What to Expect From Your First Visit to Qatar
Written by Rebecca Ellwood
Whether you’re looking for a stopover out of the ordinary or a week-long deep-dive, Qatar is sure to captivate with its fascinating melange of old and new.
When it comes to blending ancient tradition with futuristic vision, no country does it better than Qatar. Here, gravity defying architecture, progressive fine dining and cutting-edge luxury sits in harmony with the ornate mosques and bustling souqs of yesteryear, culminating in a dynamic, dazzling destination that defies all expectations.
So, prepare to sweep your preconceptions aside – and read on to discover what really awaits in Qatar.
Discover more about Qatar on the new season of Luxury Escapes: The World’s Best Holidays, airing Thursdays 8:30pm AEDT* on Foxtel Lifestyle.
Next-level luxury
If there’s anything Qatar does well, it’s luxury. The Katara Towers complex is home to not one, but two five-star hotel heavyweights: Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha. An architectural feat designed to resemble the emblem of Qatar, this crescent-shaped building has 974 mirrors in its foyer (reflective of the Qatar dialling code). Fine dining establishments like the swanky Zuma and Nobu, and upmarket beach clubs (Bagatelle Beach Club and SushiSamba), are places to see and be seen.
Bustling souqs
A tradition that has endured throughout the centuries, shopping within the Qatari souqs is a feast for the senses, with fragrant spices, glittering jewellery, juicy fruits and embroidered textiles at every turn. Take a step back in time at the historic Souq Waqif, built on a one-time Bedouin market site and crammed with trinkets and treasures, or the beachside Souq Al Wakra, born from the ruins of Al Wakrah city.
Out-of-this-world flavours
Qatari cuisine is influenced not only with the traditional flavours of the Middle East, but the neighbouring Persia, India and Africa, resulting in dishes rich with nuance and spice, designed to share over the family table. Get a taste of its contemporary foodie culture at Box Park, where reclaimed, rainbow-coloured shipping containers serve up flavour-packed street food and Instagram-perfect shots. Other highlights include the Persian flavours of the bejewelled Parisa, the part-restaurant-part-museum Bayt Sharq and the glossy fine dining of ALBA within Raffles Doha.
Desert adventures
Have you even been to the Middle East if you haven’t done a 4WD desert adventure? High-octane dune bashing is worth every riyal for thrills-per-minute. Take a tour out to Khor Al Adaid, on the border of Saudi Arabia, for otherworldly landscapes that will stay with you long after you return home. Its shallow Inland Sea, once frequented by pirates, and sabkha (a plain formed from an accumulation of salt and minerals) is surrounded by towering sand dunes of up to 40 metres, among which you can spot green sea turtles, dugongs and flamingos.
Blissful beaches
Qatar really is a destination with a little bit of everything – including postcard-perfect sands. But in true Qatari style, its bountiful beaches are all served up with a little extra, whether that’s watersports, safari tours or wildlife spotting. Sealine Beach in Mesaieed is a favourite for its camel riding and sunsets, Al Maroona for its fine sand and shallow depths, and the dreamy Fuwairit for Hawsbill sea turtle sightings between April and July (not to mention its crystalline blue waters).
Arts and culture
By far one of the most exciting aspects of Qatar is its commitment to culture, which shines through its progressive architecture, museums bursting with treasures and traditional Arabic experiences. Katara Cultural Village is an ode to Qatari culture, where rotating exhibitions, a grand Greek-Islamic amphitheatre, an opera house, a planetarium and food hall add up to a fascinating day out. Then there’s the spectacular Museum of Islamic Art – a feat of design in itself, sat on Doha’s Corniche – which is home to one of the world’s largest collections, dating back to the 7th century.
Leafy mangroves
As part of the desert-swathed Middle East, it may come as a surprise that Qatar has some incredibly leafy green pockets: the most spectacular of which being Al Thakira (also known as Al Dhakira), Qatar’s oldest mangrove forest, 40 minutes from Doha. Traverse jewel-like waters and native saltwater trees as you uncover its unique ecosystem by kayak or stand-up paddleboard, spotting flamingos, crabs and fish along the way.
Seriously good shopping
True to its old-meets-new outlook, Qatar’s shopping scene whisks you from spice-laden souqs to glitzy mega malls in minutes. It even offers a taste of Europe at the Venetian-style Villaggio Mall, whose high street and designer boutiques centre around an indoor canal, where gondola rides are offered between shopping. The four-storey Place Vendôme has to be one of the world’s most beautiful malls with its dancing fountain display and palatial, French-inspired architecture, home to more than 500 global boutiques, dining and entertainment.
Travelling with reluctant shoppers? Head to the Mall of Qatar with its stunning palm-tree-filled atrium, where Arabic brands and international favourites sit alongside an entertainment quarter, complete with a cinema, bowling alley and even a Boeing 737 flight simulator.
Endless adrenaline
From the thrills of the Formula 1® Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix (which takes place from 29 November to 1 December 2024 this year), to splashy family fun at the epic Meryal Waterpark, there’s something to make everyone’s heart race in Qatar. Golf courses, theme parks, dune bashing, even an indoor snow park: there’s something here to spark excitement for all ages and abilities.
Discover more about Qatar on the new season of Luxury Escapes: The World’s Best Holidays, airing Thursdays 8:30pm AEDT* on Foxtel Lifestyle.
This season of Luxury Escapes: The World’s Best Holidays is brought to you by Citi Credit Cards. This product is provided by National Australia Bank Limited, using certain trademarks temporarily under licence from Citigroup Inc.
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