Qatar is NOT the Most Boring Place

The Marriott Doha is pretty much a city in itself. With five full-service restaurants, a lounge, poolside café, pool, private beach, fitness room and full-service spa--what more do you need? The executive level rooms come complete with breakfast every morning and snacks/cocktails in the evening.

When I checked into my executive level room on the 6th floor, it was dark out--10:30 at night. But when I woke up and opened my drapes, I thought I was in Marina Del Rey, California. I saw open water with a marina, and in the distance, Palm Tree Island. I was right over the pool and hot tub and could see the private beach, past the pool area.

My room was spacious and modern, with a flat screen TV, rainforest showerhead, robe and slippers, hairdryer and iron/ironing board. There is a safe in the closet and plenty of closet space. There’s also a desk with high-speed Internet connection. The only thing lacking is in-room coffee, which is becoming more and more rare in most high end hotels.

The breakfast buffet was nice and included fresh-squeezed juices (mango, orange and grapefruit), a coffee maker with cappuccino option, hot items such as veal bacon and sausage (they don’t eat pork) potatoes, and a made to order omelet bar. There were fresh fruits, muffins, breads, yogurt, hummus, lunch meats and cheeses. The breakfast area is on the 7th floor and has a great view of the marina and beyond, into the city. There’s plenty of seating and a TV in the corner to catch up on the day's news.

One thing that was a little unnerving was the fact that the front of the hotel is blocked off, meaning the shuttle lets you off about a thousand feet away from the front door, due to terrorist threats against American hotels. There is also a metal detector at the front door. All in the name of security, I guess. I never once felt unsafe at all, so I guess the precautions are good.

I had the intention of visiting the spa and getting a massage or salt scrub, but I never had time. Damn shame. I did eat at the buffet restaurant, The Corniche. It’s a Mediterranean concept restaurant and the food was pretty good. There was a pasta and stir fry bar, along with many hot items, salads, breads, soups and dessert. The lamb curry was wonderful.

Unfortunately, due to the cold wind that blew and my schedule, I never got a chance to go to the pool. I really enjoyed the hotel and everyone was very friendly. It was close to the airport and a short drive from shopping. The concierge can arrange for a driver to take you around, at a very reasonable cost. I paid about $25 USD for a driver to take me to the Souq and wait an hour for me.

Shopping in Qatar is a great experience. Whether you go to a large shopping mall with brand-name stores, or to a local souk, you never know what you’re going to see.

The word "souk" (pronounced sook) means bazaar or market and are similar to a U.S. flea market. There are several souks around town, each one with a different name. Vendors sell everything from clothes to toys, tools, spices, perfume, cosmetics, candy, jewelry, brass, gold, incense, or anything else you can think of, and the value can’t be beat.

In the old days, souks were outside, and consisted of narrow walkways and alleys, where vendors hocked their wares. Nowadays, you can still find the alleyways, but newer parts have been added on. Areas with marble floors, air conditioning and escalators. It’s like walking from one extreme to the other.

I was in the old area, no marble floors, and I noticed there were NO women shopkeepers. Only men. Even in the women’s area where women’s clothes are sold, there were only men. I saw women shopping, but that’s all.

There were SO many things to choose from. Abaya, which is the traditional dress for women, several spice stores, homegrown nuts and fruits, candies, toys--it was amazing. Some of the shopkeepers were not too friendly, I assume because we were American, but that was evened out by the nice shopkeepers. The shop we were in, accepted both US dollars and Qatari Riyals, so having Riyals, wasn’t a must. They actually prefer U.S. dollars to their currency. They have calculators to help with the conversion, but I always make my own conversion chart that I carry around with me. Everyone spoke really good English, so don’t be intimidated to ask questions or ask for the USD conversion. I spent QR44.00, which came to about USD$11 and got a TON of gifts to take home.

Seriously, unless you HAVE to have a Coach purse, your best bet to get souvenirs, is the Souq. I took home some Saffron, Arabic candies, Iranian olive oil and some jewelery and it didn’t cost me a thing. I loved shopping at the souk. We went to two different ones, Souk Al Asiery and Souk Al Ahmad. Both had dirt parking lots and are divided into sections. We went to the womens’ section only. At Al Asiery, there is a store called Dana that specializes in Indian sari’s. BEAUTIFUL! I got my bracelets there. They had tons of different kinds and they were inexpensive. This souk was right behind a small mosque.

Don’t waste your money at the mall; go to the souk.

The Gold Souq is the place where everyone goes to get all their precious metal needs. This was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. This is a whole city block dedicated to everything gold. Tiny shops display all they have to offer, including the traditional bridal jewelry that Qatari husbands-to-be give their perspectives wives, prior to the wedding, that are amazing, huge, and EXPENSIVE.

You can find solid gold rings, bracelets, hair ornaments, watches, decorative belts, necklaces, and headdresses. A very popular Qatari gift is to have a necklace made with the name of the person in gold. It can be done in either English or Arabic.

Items are sold by the weight of the gold and a small fee is added per gram for the labor. Most of the gold in these shops is 22 carats, but there are also 18-carat items. And it’s all the real deal. No fillers. It’s all 100% pure gold. I saw some things I would never see in the US: HUGE wedding pieces and rows and rows of bracelets and beautiful rings. Every store is different, and the gold can be less expensive than in the US because it’s based on weight.

I recommend at least browsing through this area; it’s very interesting and you can pick up a pricey bauble for a loved one.

It’s located behind the Al Fardan Center, off the Grand Hamad Street. Just tell your driver you want to go to the Gold Souq.

Doha City Center rivals some of the best malls in the US. Mall of America pales in comparison to this place. There are five floors jam-packed with all the name brands you could want. Dior, Abercrombie, Prada, it’s all within these walls. American favorites like Starbucks, Burger King, and KFC are scattered about for a little taste of home.

This shopping complex boasts an ice-skating rink, a rock-climbing wall, and a movie theater. I hope you have a couple of days to spare, because that’s what you’ll need to cover the entire place. I didn’t have a whole lot of time to spend here, but I spent long enough to see some beautiful dresses and suits that, once worn, are promptly covered up by traditional Arab women. More on that, later.

The mall is located right off the Corniche, or the center of town. To get around the center, there are elevators and escalators in the middle of the complex. The ice-skating rink is on the lower level and the rock wall is on the third level. The interior resembles a huge tent, and smack-dab in the middle is a beautiful glass arch. Marble floors, stairways, and a waterfall make this a must-see, BUT save your money for the souks (see attached reviews). You’ll get more for your money, there.

So, if you MUST go to a mall, this is the best one in town.

When I found out we were goin' 4 wheelin’ through the sand dunes in Qatar, I was a little nervous, because I’m not a big four-wheeler.

Our driver met us in the hotel lobby and drove us to the outskirts of town, past the oil refineries and the new airport that’s being built.

Let me tell you, this was the highlight of my trip! Our very experienced driver was having a blast making us girls scream our heads off by going straight up and straight down these dunes. We would go completely sideways and would feel like we were going to roll over. It was so exciting! We drove way out to the middle of nowhere, past camps that offer lunch and overnight accommodations, to the Persian Gulf. When you take a minute to think about it, you’re looking out over the Persian Gulf and watching the sunset over Saudi Arabia! Now that’s not something you see every day.

When we got to the water, we took a short pit stop and our driver had sodas, water, and snacks for us to munch on. One of the snacks was a flaky pastry surrounding curry chicken, which was WONDERFUL! I got to put my feet in the Persian Gulf water and just look out over the quiet. It was really something.

On the way back, we made another stop atop a dune to finish watching the sunset. It was beautiful. We ran across a couple guys and their four camels, which they were selling rides on. At only 10 Riyal, which is roughly $2.75, I couldn’t pass it up. (You’ll have to see my attached camel-riding review) The drive back to the hotel was at 6pm and it was dark out. We made a short pit stop at a garage to have the air put back in the tires, and off we went, back to the hotel.

There are no bathroom facilities, so make sure you go before you leave. I have a tiny bladder and had to make a of couple stops. There aren’t a whole lot of bushes to hide behind, so I had to be creative and hide behind dunes, only I never knew if another truck was going to pop up.

I would say that if you have a chance to do this, get out and do it. You will never forget the rush or the view. I believe it was around $75, but I wasn’t paying, so I’m not exactly sure of the price. You can email them at nettours@qatar.net.qa. Now this isn’t the thing for you if you have neck or back injuries, as it’s very bouncy and unpredictable. The Nissan four-runners were new, comfortable, air conditioned, and equipped with seat belts.

Do it…you won’t regret it. It was a great experience.

The sunset in this desert was something that everyone should see. I mean, I live in Arizona, the desert, but this is different. When are you ever going to be in the Middle East again and be able to see the sun set over Saudi Arabia? NEVER... so take the sand dune tour, or better yet, take one that’s called, The Inland Sea tour. It comes with a barbeque at the Arabian Gulf, as you watch the sun set. Like I said in my first sand dunes review, there are a few companies that offer these kind of tours. There are some that are overnight in a tent on the desert that include dinner and breakfast. I’m not sure if I’m THAT brave, but it sounds interesting.

This particular tour was about 5 hours long, from the hotel lobby, to the dunes, and back. Driving time from the hotel to the dunes was about 30-45 minutes. The rest of the time we were in the sand and making a couple stops along the way. (see part 1 of my review) The dunes are southeast of the city of Doha.

Our driver was awesome and did a great job scaring the crap out of us. What’s 4-wheelin’ if you’re not scared, right? That’s the best part! Some of the dunes are 40 meters high and a BLAST to drive up. At the entrance to the dunes there were several companies that rent ‘quads’. (The 4 wheel motorcycle bikes). They provide helmets and riding gear, but unfortunately, I don’t know the cost. It looked really fun though. I prefer having a driver take me around, so I don’t get lost, or hurt, or break down all alone.

The sunset was awesome, but it’s quite windy out in the dunes. I suggest wearing a jacket and tying your hair back if it’s long. I got tired of pulling the hair out of my mouth and having it whip me in the face. I wore shoes that I could slip out of so I could sink my toes in the sand and walk in the sea. I even got to ride a camel. It was definitely an experience I will never forget.

This is the tour company we used. Net Tours Qatar Co. W.L.L *Tel:+974 4310902* *Fax:+974 4310945* Email-nettours@qatar.net.qa

Palm Tree Island is literally an island in the middle of Doha Bay. It was originally just a sandbar, but the city built it up, and it’s now one of the most popular attractions for families and tourists.

It’s a 10-minute boat ride to the island from the Corniche, and it offers plenty of activities for all. Once there, there is an expensive seafood restaurant, a swimming pool, private beach with shallow water for children, pony and camel rides, a cafeteria, a quad bike track, public restrooms, and even a mosque.

The ride from the city costs QR 15 for the round-trip (about $4), and the island is open from 9am until 9:30pm 7 days a week. We ate at the Seafood Market restaurant for lunch. They serve seafood dishes and grilled items. We had a pre-planned menu of steak, so I can’t comment on the seafood. The island was beautiful, and I’m sure that in the summer the water is very nice and warm (I was there in January and it was COLD). I would have loved to stay a couple hours and wander around, but we had to leave right after lunch.

There were a few families having lunch at the seafood place as well, and I saw a huge lobster being served. YUM! We had a brisk walk around, just taking in the view. At night, the city lights from the island are spectacular.

I've never seen water the color that it is at Palm Tree Island—it's almost turquoise.

The traditional Muslim people cover themselves from head to toe and there’s no shortage of that in Doha. Qatar is a Muslim country and most of the residents are devout Muslims which requires this sort of dress. If you asked someone why they cover themselves, you may not get an answer, but I did get a chance to speak to our tour guide who offered this explanation.

According to Allah and the Qur’an, (the Muslim Bible) “one must lower their gaze and be modest”. Specifically, it says: "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their chests and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers and family members.”

It IS beautiful to see these elegant women walking around with their Louis Vuitton purses and Jimmy Choo shoes, covered in black from head to toe. I wasn’t really prepared for that, even though I knew where I was going. I guess you don’t really think about it until you actually see it. And I saw A LOT of it. Not everyone dresses this way, but it is very prominent in the community. Don’t even THINK about taking pictures of the women dressed like that. It’s a big no-no. I managed to get the picture I took by being very sneaky. No one knew I took it.

Men wear the long shirts and a veil of their own, called Hijab. You’ll see white, black, green and blue ones but there is no significance between the colors. One color doesn’t mean that one man is more wealthy than another. I did notice at the Souq, that the black abayas the women wear could have decoration on them. I saw some with black sequins along the bottom or along the cuffs of the arms.

I know as an American, we don’t understand this, and I’m no exception. Women buy these beautiful clothes, then cover them up. What’s the point, right? I was worried I may have to cover my hair, as I would have to do if I was in Saudi Arabia, but Qatar is a little bit more conventional that Saudi Arabia, and it wasn’t an issue. I did stand out though, because I’m as blonde as they get, but it wasn’t too bad.

As we were heading back to the hotel, after a day of sand duning, we came across two guys and their camels. It was 10 Riyal (about $3) for a short walk atop a camel.

They were so pretty, just resting in the desert, and I was talked into taking a ride. I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a camel, but when you get on one when it’s down on all fours, you have to HOLD ON to the saddle. When he gets up, his back legs go first, leaving you in an awkward position and at a 90° angle. This is the part when you need to hold on… or you’ll fall right off. They walk strange, with the left side, then the right… they shimmy from side to side, making a bumpy but fun ride. Of course when the ride is over, the camel will go down to all fours again, front first… so you’ll be at a strong angle until he puts his back legs down.

This was towards the end of the trip, before we left the desert for the paved roads. It was the tail end of the sunset and getting dark, but we had a few minutes to enjoy these beautiful animals. I was a little upset that these particular ones looked so skinny, but they were still beautiful.

Camels have a tendency to spit, so be careful and keep a pretty good distance. They move slow, but at one point, I turned around and there was his face right in front of mine. A little scary. I’m glad we finally saw some camels because I was instructed by a friend that I HAD to take some pictures of them because she loves them. So… here you go. Enjoy... I did.

Before 1949, Doha was a small village that survived by pearling and fishing. The city had about 350 pearling boats at the beginning of the 20th century, then the development of Japanese cultured pearls, and the worldwide economic depression of the 1930's, severely affected the town. Since the 1980’s, with the discovery of the world's largest known offshore gas field, Qatar now has the third-largest natural gas reserves in the world, making the country over two billion dollars, and making it one of the world's fastest growing, and highest per-capita income countries.

You will see a lot of pearl associated references all over town, especially on the "Corniche" (pronounced corneesh) where residents, as well as tourists, go to jog or just relax. The corniche is 7-miles long, and offers paved walkways, grassy knolls, and gorgeous views of the Arabian Gulf. From here you can see out over the turquoise blue water and Palm Tree Island. I’ve never seen water this shade of blue. It’s beautiful.

Due to the natural gas discovery, Doha is slowly becoming a major hub for business. The downtown area is building high rise office buildings at a quick rate. They’re even building a new and improved airport, to handle all the new flights that will be coming and going. As we drove out to the sand dunes (see that review), we saw all the new houses going up on the outskirts of the city. New highways are also being planned to alleviate all the new traffic.

Pretty soon, Doha will be as popular as Dubai. There are new resorts going up all over the city, and on the beaches. Everyone speaks English as a second language, so American businesses will probably be doing a lot of expanding over here. I never had any problems while I was here, and I never felt unsafe at all. Everyone I spoke to, even in the local markets, spoke great English.

The current Doha airport is an interesting place, to say the least. As you can imagine, security is high and I found out just how high when I went from the ticket counter to the gate area.

I put my bags through the x-ray machine, stepped thru the metal detector, then was lead to a small room where I was hand patted by a woman. It wasn’t a horrible experience, just strange. I only felt a tad bit violated.

Now once you get past security, the airport is one huge duty-free shop. Everything from alcohol to electronics, to watches, this place has it all. I found that cigarettes are CHEAP! I spent QAR 87 for 2 cartons of Marlboro Lights, which converted to $24! A "smokin" deal if you ask me. I looked at the cosmetics, liquor, and memory cards for my camera and I didn’t feel that the value was THAT great, but I did see plenty of people filling suitcases with bottles of vodka and whiskey to take out of the country for the weekend; alcohol is prohibited in Qatar, as it is a Muslim country.

The work week for the Middle East is Sunday through Thursday, which means their weekends start on Friday. I was at the airport on a Thursday night and it was packed with people going to Dubai, and places beyond, for the weekend.

This airport is small and cluttered with seating areas. The restrooms are quite small, making the lines long, and they’re pretty dirty. This is no Ritz. There is a restaurant on the upper level, but I’ve heard that there are no announcements up there so you need to pay attention to the time. I got a few snacks in the duty-free shop to keep me occupied while I waited for my flight. The seating area is also small, I guess that’s why they’re building a new airport, south of the city. They vow the new airport will take only 9 months to build, so it should be up and running by September 2006.

There were plenty of Americans waiting for their flights, as there is a large military base here. The airport staff was nice, and they all spoke English. It’s basically a madhouse in there, because it’s so small. I can’t wait to see the new airport when it’s done... it’s supposed to be very nice.