Qatar

My time in Qatar started with a bang! Or, more aptly, a blow torch! Well, it felt like it anyway; it was a boiling 44 degrees.

Doha is an interesting place. It's had significant change over the last 25 years due to their abundance of natural gas. A bedouin past with a pearl diving economy that has rapidly changed to a city of skyscrapers. According to my guide, the first tower (skyscraper) was built in 1999. There are now 61. By 2028, there will be 70. Most of these buildings are on man made islands. When you look at my photos of the city, consider there was nothing there 25 years ago.

My guide also said they're trying to maintain some of their traditions with their falcon events, some buildings, and having camels in the city. They do a changing of the (police) guards on camels. It was quite a spectacle, but I'm not sure it's traditional. 😆 They also have a number of dhows in the port. These are traditional boats used to find pearls. They're no longer used, but they do make a great photo with the city in the background!

Unfortunately, there are no more pearls to be found, nor sharks, dolphins, or other big fish...

But they do have outdoor air conditioning. 🫢 Thank god I'm not paying the power bill!

The Souq Waqif is worth a visit for shopping, delicious food, and a good atmosphere. I went to a couple of museums - Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and The National Museum of Qatar. The museum buildings are amazing, particularly MIA. The people were lovely, and I felt safe walking around alone (even at night when I was trying to avoid the boiling sun!)

Doha is definitely worth a few days stopover, just not from May-September due to the heat.

I waited until I arrived in Italy before sharing this post. Smartraveller told me not to review any restaurants, services, or culture while in Qatar. It can be considered a cybercrime. I'm not sure if that's the case, but I didn't want to take the risk!Les mer