Fulfilling my wanderlust from Qatar
Top picks for weekend trips
“Where shall I go this weekend?”
That is a question that always comes to mind before the middle of the week.
It is a known fact among my friends that I do not stay in Doha on the weekends. I moved here for one reason only — to travel the world.
I’m Sheryl, and I have been in Qatar for a little over two years now.
Unlike many pilots or crew who arrive with batch mates, or those who move here with their families, I came here alone, not knowing anyone. While I have made many friends through hobbies and the Singaporean community, I get bored here very easily, and personally find the country a little stifling for a free-spirit like me.
It would also be a shame not to make use of the close proximity of the Middle East to explore the cities that would take us so much longer to get to if we were back home.
I had set myself a goal to visit at least one new city a month. In my two years here, I have been to over 30 unique cities, and most of them are weekend trips.
I travel solo mostly, but sometimes also with friends or family. However,
I don’t enjoy big groups as I prefer exploring the city at a leisurely pace without the pressure of accommodating too many people’s needs.
I also enjoy meeting locals on my trips to get a sense of life in the city from their perspective. You never know what gems they might introduce you to. I’ve met a local in London who took me on a beer mile, someone in Stockholm who brought me up a hill with a beautiful view of the city, a new friend in Bratislava who gave me a history lesson, and many other interesting people.
With a little bit of research and planning, a lot can be achieved in a weekend.
I choose destinations with a flight time of about six hours or less, with reasonable flight timings that allow me to arrive in the morning and leave
the next night. That gives me about 36 hours to explore the city.
Here are 3 of my favourites so far.
Istanbul
We chose an Airbnb in the heart of the old city (Sultanahmet) and could see the Blue Mosque once we walked out of the street our apartment was in.
Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace were all just a five minute walk away from us. The Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar were about 12 minutes away.
I would recommend spending the 40 Euros on the Bosphorus cruise. They picked us up at 7.30pm, and took us back at 12 midnight. The cruise included dinner, free flow of drinks, and entertainment on-board. Go up to the top deck and take in the majestic sights of the city, as you sail between two continents.
We also found some beautiful Turkish bath towels at Pera Soaps near the Galata Tower. They were only about SGD$3.50 per towel and SGD$5.25 for a beautiful gift set that includes a soap and scrub.
Istanbul is only a 4hr 45mins flight away from Doha.
Maldives
Everything that people say is beautiful about the Maldives is true, and this gem is only under five hours away. Choose a window seat on your flight to see the gorgeous islands floating in the emerald ocean.
I picked Meeru Island Resort and Spa because I am a cheapskate and we had a discount there. It is also a beautiful island resort. I did my research.
The stay is full-board, which means your 3 meals are covered, but for an additional USD$50 a night, I opted for the all-inclusive package which allowed me to booze and snack all day.
The attentiveness of the staff at the resort and the Maldivian hospitality is amazing. They noted my birthday from my passport details during check-in and sent champagne to our room. They also had a special table set up for my partner and I at dinner.
Indulge in a spa day, go for a sunset cruise with the dolphins, book a romantic private island picnic, or go snorkeling or diving. The resort has everything you need for a perfect beach getaway.
Maldives is only a 4hr 50mins flight away from Doha.
Munich
One of my favourite cities in Europe. Munich is so beautiful and has so many activities all around the year. I have been there 4 times so far and it has never failed to amaze me.
Experience the real Oktoberfest the Barvarian way. Dress up in a traditional dirndl or lederhosen and join the many people on the train all dressed up and making their way to the festival grounds. There is so much more to do that just drinking beer during that time.
Or visit in December and go to the Christmas market and the Tollwood Festival. Try the Feuerzangenbowle and Gluhwein (mulled wine). Just remember that the Barvarians can really hold their liquor and their drinks get pretty strong.
While Munich is a city known for a consuming copious amounts of beer, the festival grounds is actually like a huge carnival, with many rides, shops and stalls. There’s something for everyone there.
Munich is only a 6hr 20mins flight away from Doha.
Jordan
Bonus city because I cheated. This was a weekend plus one day trip.
We booked a 3-day tour since there were so many things that we wanted to see, and trying to navigate these places ourselves would be challenging in such a short time.
Arriving on Thursday night, we had one night in Amman to have dinner and drinks along Rainbow Street.
The next day, our adventure began with Petra. Bring comfortable hiking/trekking shoes. We hiked about 7 hours in total, all the way up to the highest peak. Ride the donkeys if hiking is not your thing. But don’t forget to bargain with the handlers.
Stay a night in a camp at Wadi Rum. This is where most movies about Mars are filmed, because of the red sand. When night falls, the skies are so clear you can see the stars shining so brightly.
On the last day, we had an entire afternoon at a resort at the Dead Sea.
There is something about the mud that feels like it really is extracting all the gunk out of your body. And of course, we did the must-take shot of floating and reading a newspaper.
Don’t try tasting the water. I already did that so you don’t have to. It is really, really gross.
Amman is a 3hr 5mins flight away from Doha.
The app Been helps me to keep track of places I’ve visited. I’ve been to 40 countries (or 16% of the world) to date. I only wish they would let me mark states/cities instead for the bigger countries.
I see the world as my playground and I hope that this post inspires you so that it becomes yours as well.
That being said, it is now time for me to think about my next trip.
Next stop, Kenya.
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