Drifting in Doha

There are so many people who think that Doha is too small a place and that there really isn’t much to do here, but we beg to differ. It might be smaller in comparison to the other Middle Eastern countries and possibly less flashy too, but Doha has a charm of its own that cannot be matched. Here we are going to help you out by letting you know the different places you absolutely have to visit to experience this charm and be as fascinated as we are with the city.


1. The night you get to Doha, or on the first night of your exploration of the city you must drive past the Corniche and end the night with some Karak chai or tea by the breezy skyline at Bander. When you do this you will feel the stillness and the life of the city all at once. This feeling instantly pulls you towards Doha and you immediately want to know more.

2. Katara Village – A visit to this section of the city is recommended not just for the wonderful traditional architecture that is all over the village but also because there is constantly something happening there, different fests, the carnival atmosphere, various displays of different cultures, good music, awesome food etc...and that is just the beginning. Walk by the beach and look out at Doha from a completely different angle, open skies, blue waters and different water rides just add to it. 

Note – Do try the  Red Velvet Bakery there, one of the few places in Doha that serves a good portion delicious cream cheese with it's red velvet cakes.

3. Souq Waqif – What kind of a person are you? Foodie? Shop-till-you-drop? Cultural adventurer? This Bazaar is the place for you. Multiple restaurants with different cuisines to choose from are scattered all over this marketplace. You will be spoilt for choice. Brilliant food, fine Sheesha and a great time is guaranteed. You will also be able to shop for everything from clothes to perfumes to chips from this one stop shoppers heaven. 

Note – try and visit the souq on a week day for a relaxed outing and definitely on a day when no football matches are going on unless you would like to be a part of the craziness of the sport that sweeps the city into a frenzy.
  
4. The Pearl – A drive to the Pearl is also a must. When you get there, get out of your car and just start walking around, hopefully if the weather is okay and you manage to get around you will see the wealth of Qatar in the structures around you there. The beauty of the Pearl is sometimes overbearing but undeniable. You absolutely have to see it to believe it.

 5. Villagio Mall – We recommend the Villagio mall because the building itself is lovely to walk through and it has all the possible branded stores you would want from H&M to Gucci. The mall has a section for the more expensive and exclusive brands which is slightly differently decorated as compared to the rest of the mall. It is definitely worth a walk though and even better, a spree if you can afford it.

6.    If you are taking someone around then you should definitely take the person to your regular haunt or sheesha joint. If you want a chill place to go, we would recommend Cafe Grand Joud (refer to the review here) for yummy food and fab sheesha. If you would like only some traditional Arabic food then you will not go wrong with Petra, located all over the city this restaurant has the basic traditional food that you should try when you come to Qatar, shawarmas or Felafel sandwiches to please your palette.
 
7. The Sand Dunes – You absolutely cannot miss the dunes in Qatar. Past Sea Line Resort you can hit the dunes and beaches with friends. You can either get yourself a desert safari with all the works including a barbeque at the end or just the trippy car ride that will make you gawk at the power of your professional sand dune guides and the scenery. Either way you should get sandy and get to the roots of this amazing Desert.

If you feel like we have missed out on something that makes Doha special please let us know, we will experience it and then add it to our list.

Till then, bask in the awesomeness of this city we call home.