Doha has many superb malls but without a doubt Villagio stands out as the cream of the crop - and it's not even finished yet! The best thing about this mall is the canal which runs through it - and the gondolas which, for fifteen riyals, will give you a ride up and down it. As you glide along the canal, you could easily forget that you are in the middle of a desert country.
Look up at the ceiling, and you could almost be outside. The ceiling has been decorated to look like the sky, and different areas of the mall represent different times of the day. In the area where the ceiling represents the night, authentic looking street lamps light up.
This is not a place either where you have to carry on walking until your feet drop off. Regular benches and arm chairs provide rest for the weary. Or, if you are hungry, you could have a meal on a bridge overlooking the canal.
But lets not forget the shops - it is after all a shopping Mall. Virgin Megastore is my favourite - not least because it has the best collection of books in Doha. However, clothes fans will not be disappointed - there is a huge range of stores here, from Western chains to small boutiques. There's even Qatar's one and only Boots store here.
In summary, its already a superb mall - I can't wait to see it when it is finished.
(I have posted pictures of the mall on my website review of
Villagio.)