A completely different experience that put me out of my comfort zone, and allowed me to see another side of society so vastly unlike my own. Doha is hot hot hot (especially in July) and i’m so glad I was able to see the stunning architecture as well as have a bit of a culture shock.
Things to do:
Qatar Airways City Tour: this is offered by Qatar airways and is FREE!! The only catch is, you need to have enough time between landing and your next flight AND there are very limited spaces. Basically, make sure you run straight to the sign up booth, located in the middle of the airport, and sign up so you actually make it. I met a family who had missed out twice already so i put their name down and was able to do it with them which was nice. PLEASE NOTE: you must be dressed appropriately as this is a Muslim country. Even though it is extremely hot, be respectful of their culture and cover up as much as possible. I wore a t-shirt and genie pants and that seemed to be ok.
Markets: they take you to these local markets and honestly they are amazing. So many colours and cool trinkets that you can buy. There are also different local foods and spices that you can buy. This was a really awesome experience.
Pearl Island: you see ‘how the other half live’. The very wealthy part of the city where people own boats and there are expensive shops around… it is a big contrast to what you drive past on the way there.
Around the city: Doha is wanting to become a lot like Dubai/Abu Dhabi and so there are brand new things being built, including incredible architecture. Unfortunately, I don’t think the city will get to be as successful as Dubai but it was still nice to see the effort.
Overall, it was a really good experience that I would recommend you do, especially as it is free!
Travel Guide 