Our trip to the Mid- East Gulf States got off to a great start. Now it was time to move on to our next destination, Doha, Qatar.
Qatar would be the third of four countries visited during our trip before making our way back to the UAE to explore more of the country.
Some trip highlights so far include a visit to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital and spending 24 Hours in Bahrain. (Check for links to other related posts below.)
Our flight from Bahrain to Qatar was at night, getting us into Doha pretty late. This gave us a day to see some of the sites that the country has to offer. While we could’ve used a little more time, we were still happy with the visit.
Here are some of the things we did during our 24 Hours in Doha, Qatar!
Kim and I decided not to rush to get out early since we were still pretty tired from all of the flying we all had done over the past few days.
We decided to head off to the Villaggio Mall first since it had a pretty unique attraction that we knew Lucas would love.
We wandered around the mall a bit, checking out the canals and watching the gondolas go by before taking a ride after our lunch at Shake Shack. Lucas also had some fun playing in some of the toy stores.
Overall, the gondola ride was a fun, quick activity which we enjoyed, more so since Lucas had a lot of fun!
Our next stop was the impressive Museum of Islamic Art, a quick cab ride from the mall.
While the museum’s collection was pretty impressive, what really made us love this museum was the design of the building.
We spent some time at the beginning and end of our visit taking photos of I.M. Pei’s architectual masterpiece (you probably know him as the architect of the Louvre Pyramid). We also enjoyed relaxing inside the building, admiring the modern and striking layout. The central staircase is a work of art in itself. We also loved how the exhibits didn’t feel cluttered. The art and objects on display were well-organized which led us in a circular path around each floor.
The views outside were just as impressive.
To the back, we had great views of the modern Doha skyline, while the front of the museum brought us views of the corniche and boats docked nearby.
The Museum of Islamic Art is a must-visit during a trip to Doha.
A close walk from the museum is another must-visit experience, Doha’s Souq Waqif.
The souq (marketplace) really impressed us. Although it was renovated less than 10 years back, it still feels very old, in a good way!
It’s easy to get lost in the alleys inside but that’s usually what makes part of the visit fun.
Stalls appealing to locals and tourists alike sell things like spices, snacks, clothing, souvenirs and other items along those lines.
Besides sampling a variety of candies and nuts, (we loved the variety of flavored cashews) our favorite part of the market was the pet area. We saw all different birds, ducks, turtles and more.
We also took a break to eat a cheap, local dinner inside the souq at a place which seemed popular with the locals. The grilled meats were decent but nothing spectacular.
Since we had such a great time in Abu Dhabi at the falcon hospital, we had to pay a visit to the Falcon Souq. Once we found the area (its next door to the falcon hospital), we headed into a couple of the shops.
Inside the first shop, I don’t think any of the men looked up to even acknowledge us. We took the hint and left for another shop.
This shop was happy to have some visitors. After showing one of the bird’s to a local boy, they offered Lucas (and then me) a chance to hold it.
After our experience in the first shop, I have to say that I was happily surprised. This definitely added to our great experience around Doha’s souq!
The last thing we needed to do was find the Prince’s Camels. At the tourist info office in the souq we were told that the prince had his camels close to the falcon souq. We weren’t really sure where to go. However, we followed our noses to the smell of camel poop to locate an outdoor fenced area filled with some camels.
It was pretty dark and there was nobody around to ask questions to but the camels were still fun to see. (I used my cellphone’s flashlight to get a better look and then we headed off to our hotel.
While I would’ve liked another half day to visit Qatar’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, a fort called Al Zubarah and have a little more time in Doha, we were still satisfied with our time spent in the country.
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FyerDad- You’re very welcome! I’m guessing you missed the l in your name? 🙂 We stayed at the Radisson Blu. We got Visas on arrival without issue. Enjoy your visit!
Erica- Thanks, glad you enjoyed! We didn’t eat at the restaurant! I’m pretty sure that it’s dinner only and quite pricey.
Lovely report! I hope you ate at the restaurant at MIA–it’s amazing!
Thanks for your mini-report. We are transiting through DOH next summer. Where did you stay? And where there cumbersome visa requirements?