Top 5 Things to do in Qatar
Qatar is a boring place with nothing to do, said no one ever!
I’m Rachel Woon and take care of child’s psycho-social health at Sidra Medicine. Sidra is an upcoming public hospital for women and children in Qatar. I’ve been here for almost 3 years although it seems less for me. Life here consists mostly of work, socialising, travelling. I’ve discovered activities I’ve really enjoyed, some I’d do frequently, others once off. I’m a bit of a creature of habit. I like routines, but living alone has also pushed me to try new things and widen my boundaries. Having said that, here are my personal top 5 favourite things to do in this wonderful sandbox we call a temporary but permanent home..
In no particular order of pleasure:
№5 Camp in the desert
A breeze of a drive to the west of this peninsular brings you to Zekreet, land of campers and kite surfers! I recently tagged along for a ride with a group of Singaporeans who are experienced campers- with their own toilet tent, stove tops, shovel in tow. Winter time is the best as the weather cools down and the breeze is almost cold at night. Looking out at the stars under the tent and admire the fact that we do indeed, live in a desert. I often forget while sitting on the Doha expressway, cursing at heavy traffic. But as the highways leading out of town widens, and the cars become a trickle, the open sandy plains remind me that we actually live in a desert! You feel small staring at the stars at night, untainted by city lights. My favourite part of camping is watching the sunrise. Its almost a surreal experience, watching the colours change into a multitude of hues, as we steam up the pot of instant noodles for breakfast and pack up our tents to make it back to the city.
№4 Eat at a Malaysian place
I’m Singaporean. Good food. Enough said. When I first got there, I had resigned myself to a fate of endless burgers, shawarmas (pita sandwiches), plasticky tasting fried noodles, and used to dream of a hot bowl of laksa...
And then I discovered through friends, Malaysians (Singaporeans don’t seem so enterprising yet…) who cook a load of Malaysian food and open up their villas to customers every Friday. Kak Ipah or Maria Yong (consult facebook site for directions and phone numbers) They drum up catering style quantities of nasi lemak, duck rice, penang laksa, longtong etc. Just rock up on a Friday morning and pay for what you order. A steaming bowl of laksa is about 20 riyals. You can also tabao some spring rolls, or kueh kueh for snacks!
You can also also visit Holiday Villa’s Ole Cafe along C Ring Road for some steaming hot nasi lemak every weekend.
Hot tip! Everything on the menu at Ole Cafe before 11am is sold at half price!
№3 Stand Up Paddle Board
Nothing like learning a new skill… Standup paddle boarding became a quick relief to the summer heat when I started here in 2015. Its how I found some of my best friends here, through paddling and makan after. Paddling here costs about 150 riyals for 90 mins and its available at the Pearl under Blue Pearl. They provide you with all equipment needed. Perfect for a group outing for some fun in the sun and sea!
№2 Take a cruise on a dhow boat
Qatar is surrounded by water. And the best way to see it is to get on traditional Dhow, known by the early settlers as a traditional fishing boat in Qatar. Nowadays, visitors can enjoy a 3–4 hour boat trip out to the outskirts of the island, enjoy some BBQ onboard and soak in the Westbay skyline. This is my recommended company: https://qia-qatar.com/tours/doha-dhow-cruise-with-bbq/
№1: Indulge in hotel brunch
No — a brunch here does not mean eggs and pancakes at 11am on a Sunday. The concept of a proper hotel brunch here, I have learned, is that you book yourself and your friends for a 4 hour long indulgence of food and drink from noon till about 4pm on weekends. Most good hotels boasts of opulent arrays of meat and savouries, decadent seafood, chocolate fondue, fresh sushi and one can drink to their merry heart’s content. Most hotel menus offer alcoholic and non-alcoholic packages, enjoyed by families and adults alike. You’ll see throngs of people gathering together in food and drink, decked in their Sunday (or Friday or Saturday) best, drinking champagne to live music and dance in some hotels. Best reserved for post pay day since prices can be steep. However, I recommend new comers to try it at least once. Its a good reason for a birthday party, at the very least! Reservations are recommended.
New discovery!
Just off the record, I was hurled into a new trampoline park recently, called BOUNCE at the new Tarwa Mall. And as a side note, I was offically the oldest person there that day, I can’t do somersaults, but I had tons of fun defying some gravity like a 5 year old! Be prepared though, to stand in line for herds of pre-teens with riyals stuffed in their pockets, possibly from parents who want them out of their hair!
And there you have it–some of my top indoor, outdoor and culinary 5 (plus 1) things to do in Qatar. Qatar to me is an amalgamation of modern yet traditional, liberal, yet conservative. This strange dicotonomy that has resulted in my palate of things that I like to do a lot of but know that there are always new activities to discover. (There is certainly more to it than trolling the malls from weekends into months). If you’ve just arrived, apply a ‘say yes to every invitation’ rule in your first month! You’ll discover something about yourself and maybe your new happy place, in this desert city that is ever evolving.
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