We landed in Doha around 4:30am after our overnight flight from Tokyo (in the Qatar QSuites! – more on that in my next post). We thankfully had access to an arrivals lounge so we could shower and change. We headed over to our hotel to drop off our bags then set out exploring. We really only had 1 day there (basically one full day then we flew out mid-afternoon the next day). Because of the timing of the typical flights in and out of Doha, they offer transit visas (you even get a special visa just for the day). We wanted to have a little more time than that so we spent one night here before heading on to Germany.
Our hotel was pretty close to Souq Waqif (https://visitqatar.com/intl-en/things-to-do/shopping/souqs/souq-waqif) – a huge market and our #1 must see for the day. It was about a 15 min walk from our hotel (or 1 stop on the metro but we decided to walk). On the way there we passed a McDonalds (yes they are everywhere ….) and Chris sat down for a chat with Ronald.
We walked through the Souq just as it was starting to open up so we got a feel for it and had coffee and breakfast then had a plan to come back later in the day when it was more lively. It was nice to see it both ways – slow and sleepy in the morning and teaming with activity in the evening.
We walked beyond the Souq out to the water since it was still pretty early then circled back over to the market as it opened up a bit more. As we walked past the market we saw a bunch of signs for the FIFA Arab Cup – and realized the quarterfinals were actually happening in Doha that week!
As we got to the water we saw a bunch of these dhow boats. They are wooden boats that are referenced in Greek texts as far back as 600 BC and were used for fishing, transport, and trade (https://visitqatar.com/intl-en/things-to-do/family-break/get-onboard-a-traditional-dhow). You can take cruises around the local area on them but we didn’t end up doing that while we were there.
We headed back to the market to grab a bit to eat and experience it as it was opening up more. The bronze thumb statue (Le Pouce; https://www.iloveqatar.net/news/artsCulture/thumb-monument-installed-in-souq-waqif) was put up in 2019 to celebrate Qatar’s victory in the Arab Cup (soccer) – it was an interesting statue that seemed almost out of place compared to the other structures in the market. That juxtaposition was intentional, mixing old with new. It was definitely unique!
Then we took the metro over to the Corniches (along the water). The metro here cost a whopping 6 Qatari Riyal for a day pass – about $1.65! A single trip is 2 Riyal (55 cents). It was also incredibly clean and efficient (and incidentally there was a stop right in front of our hotel).
The traditional souq plus the giant mirrored sky scrapers are such an interesting contrast. The signs like the assembly point one below were interesting because they showed the women in burqas. We definitely saw a mix of attire for the women – some with just a head covering, some with a full burqa, some with no head covering. It’s not legally required here so it’s more cultural which I assume explains the variety we saw. I put a long skirt on over my shorts to keep my knees covered but other than that just wore a t-shirt and it wasn’t an issue. I saw several western men in shorts (longer knee-length type shorts) but all of the western women I saw either had on a skirt or pants so I was glad I had a skirt to put on.
The giant circular structure out in the water (on Palm Tree Island) is a sculpture commemorating the 2022 FIFA World Cup – the first to be held in the Middle East. The sculpture is 26.5 meters (about 87 feet) tall on an island in the Doha Bay.
Along the corniche we came across this guy – Orry. He was the official mascot of the 15th Asian Games held in Doha in 2006.
We also came across a Starbucks (and of course I had to buy a small mug).
After walking along the Corniche, we hopped back on the metro to the City Center Mall. I always think it is fun to check out everyday things in other countries – not just the tourist sights but the grocery store (I never knew so many Tang flavors existed!), the mall, etc. The mall here had a prayer room so that was definitely something I hadn’t seen before. There was also a grocery store in the mall and they had a cafe area so we stopped there for lunch.
Then we headed out to the Katara Cultural Village (https://visitqatar.com/intl-en/things-to-do/art-culture/katara-cultural-village).
By this point it was close to 3pm and we could check into our hotel. So we headed back that way and were surprised with a free upgrade! (it was a Marriott property – Four Points Sheraton Doha (https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/dohfp-four-points-doha/overview/) – and because of a credit card sign up bonus we had done with that care them, we had a lower level status with Marriott). It was definitely a nice perk – too bad it was only 1 night. We got off our feet for a bit and then headed back out. But Chris did a fun video of our room before we headed out.
Once we freshened up, we headed back out to the souq to see it at night and to grab some dinner. It was quite a bit more lively – especially because of the FIFA Arab Cup quarterfinals going on that night. It was pretty fun to see!
We actually brought the food back to the hotel and ate it on the rooftop terrace with amazing views of the souq and the city.
Despite only having one full day, we saw a lot! It ended up being our 2nd biggest step day on Garmin (2nd only to the day of the Queenstown marathon).
