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Doha Things To Do

Professional landing!-City Center Mall, Doha - Doha
Professional landing!-City Center Mall, Doha
by bpwillet
Reviews and photos of Doha attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Doha sightseeing.
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You can get anywhere from here
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  • ElCidRugger
  • By ElCidRugger on June 17, 2004
  • Doha Page by ElCidRugger
  • Driving on the Corniche - Doha
    Driving on the Corniche
    by ElCidRugger
    The Corniche is the road that runs along the water in Doha. It is also where many of the attractions of Doha can be found. The Corniche has a river walk where you can always see families walking together or people jogging and biking. If you ever get lost in Doha, just remember that you can go anywhere from the Corniche.

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  • Directions: Along the water front.
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    Doha Cultural Festival
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  • jungles
  • By jungles on April 3, 2006
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  • Call to prayer - Doha
    Call to prayer
    by jungles, 4 more photos
    If you happen to be in Doha during the annual Doha Cultural Festival, be sure to check it out. It lasts for a week or two, during which there are performances, lectures, and other events happening throughout the city. Finding out details about these can be a challenge, but you can start with the festival's website. Some performances require tickets, which can be bought at the door or ahead of time at two of the local shopping malls - City Centre or the one that's creatively named The Mall.

    One thing that doesn't require tickets is the heritage village in Al Bidda park. This is a reconstruction of what a Qatari village was like a hundred years ago. Actually, this is probably just about what Doha was like a hundred years ago! Local crafts and foods are sold here, and demonstrations are given on aspects of local culture, such as pearl diving. Singing and dancing performances are held here in the evening.

    This was written during the 2006 festival, which was held in late March/early April. Remember things can easily change in subsequent years, so do your own research.

  • Address: Al-Bidda park and many other locations
  • Directions: Al-Bidda park is a large "families only" park just across from the Corniche, not far from the main post office. It's a nice place to go even when the festival is not on, and it's always crowded with families on weekend (Friday and Saturday) afternoons.
  • Website: http://www.dohafestival.net/english.html
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    Orry Spotting!
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  • jungles
  • By jungles on April 16, 2006
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  • Handball Orry - Doha
    Handball Orry
    by jungles,
    4 more photos
    Orry the oryx, the mascot for the 15th Asian Games to be held in Doha in December 2006, is popping up all over town. On banners and life-size statues, on buildings and watertowers, Orry is showing off his skills in all 39 sports that will be part of the Games. Here's just a sample of the Orrys around town; see how many you can spot!

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    KDF Islamic Centre
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  • jungles
  • Updated By jungles on May 30, 2006
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  • KDF Islamic Centre - Doha
    KDF Islamic Centre
    by jungles
    The Kassem Darwish Fakhroo (KDF) Islamic Centre is a new building that sits in the midsts of the souqs in downtown Doha and is most notable for its large spiral minaret built in the same style as the famous one in Samarra, Iraq, which is more than 1,000 years old (Sadly, the Samarra minaret was damaged in April 2005 when insurgents blew up the top section, which was being used by US soldiers as a lookout point). The KDF is the new home of the Qatar Centre for the Presentation of Islam, which offers courses in the Arabic language and in Islamic studies.

  • Directions: At the intersection of Grand Hamad Street and Abdullah bin Jassim Street.
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    This is No Boyscout Tent!
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  • jungles
  • Updated By jungles on January 2, 2006
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  • If you find yourself in Doha during Ramadan, make sure to visit a Ramadan tent. This is a local tradition in which families set up tents outside their homes and invite friends and family over for iftar, the meal taken at sunset to break the fast. The eating, sheesha, and socialising often continue through the wee hours of the morning.

    While it might be difficult to get invited to one of these family tents if you don't know any locals, all the major hotels around town have their own version of the Ramadan tent, some of which are quite glamorous. The price varies, as does the quality. You may be able to find one for as little as QR25, but this will probably just get you a bit of finger food. The tent at the Ramada serves dinner for QR50, but it's just an average tent. If you have a little extra money to splash out, at QR90 the Ritz-Carlton has the best tent in town in my opinion. For this you get a huge buffett, live entertainment (musicians, whirling dervishes, fire twirlers, etc.) and it's all in a beautiful setting that will make you feel like royalty. Sheesha and drinks (non-alcoholic) are extra, as is the 17% tax. The Four Seasons has one that's QR115 plus tax, but it's much smaller and in my opinion not as good as the Ritz-Carlton.

  • Phone: 4848000
  • Directions: Follow the Corniche all the way to the end. It's just after the new island real estate development The Pearl (currently under construction).
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    Dhows in Doha's Fishing Harbour
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  • jungles
  • Updated By jungles on May 30, 2006
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  • Doha Things To Do
    by jungles
    In the harbour you can see many dhows - traditional wooden fishing boats. You can even have dinner in one of three restaurants shaped like a dhow at the Al Bandar complex. This is a nice area for a stroll along the Corniche. Evening trips around the bay on a dhow are also possible; they leave from the jetty further north near the Balhambar restaurant

  • Directions: Many dhows are docked at the southern end of the Corniche, near the new port building (under construction).
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    Qatar National Museum
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  • jungles
  • Updated By jungles on June 3, 2006
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  • Palace building, now houses medals and jewelry - Doha
    Palace building, now houses
    medals and jewelry
    by jungles
    The National Museum, housed in the attractive buildings of an old palace, reopened in April 2006 after being closed for renovations for some time. Presenty it includes exhibits on archeology, natural history, traditional costumes, jewelry, folk medicine, and other aspects of Qatari culture such as weddings and coffee. As it stands now, the archeology exhibit is pretty interesting and explains the arrowheads and other prehistoric artefacts on display, but the labelling in the other exhibits leaves much to be desired.

    In the 'wedding room,' for example, there is a nuptial bed and a mannequin dressed as a bride, but no groom. Hmm, I think some more explanation is needed there. The folk medicine display also has a rather graphic photo display about 'cupping,' which Google tells me is a treatment for disease that involves drawing blood by applying a heated cup to the scratched skin.

    But while the present museum may be lacking, this is not the finished product. The well-known French architect Jean Nouvel has been hired to redesign the museum, and an entire new exhibition space is being built underground, beneath the old palace (built in 1901) that serves as the museum today. This new museum is set to be completed in 2006 in time for the Asian Games, and will also include an aquarium. For info on this and other new museums set to open soon in Qatar, see the website below. Enrance is free.

  • Phone: 4291777
  • Directions: On Al Muthaf Street just one block away from the Corniche, near Ras Al Nasaa cafe.
  • Website: http://nccah.com/project/project.htm
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    Doha Zoo
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  • jungles
  • By jungles on June 2, 2006
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  • Check out that tongue! - Doha
    Check out that tongue!
    by jungles, 4 more photos
    While I love to see different species of animals from all over the world, I believe that those animals deserve to roam free in their natural habitat, so I'm generally not a huge fan of zoos. They can serve a positive purpose if done well, though, and if they do things like captive breeding programs and conservation education. While the Doha Zoo is not the best zoo I've seen, it's certainly not the worst. Most of the animals have decent-sized enclosures and seem to be healthy. And it's not often you get to see lions, tigers, leopards, and elephants all for less than US$1.50! The zoo is set to expand to twice the size it is now, and there are plans to include a free-flight aviary, a marine world, and 'jungle adventures.' I'm not sure how they're going to create a jungle in the middle of the Qatari desert; that might be worth coming back to Doha in a couple of years just to see!

    In addition to the animals mentioned above, you can also see giraffes, chimpanzees, oryx, flamingoes, zebras, a rhinoceros, lots of baboons, various deer and antelope species, as well as several nocturnal species that are kept in a special dimly-lit area so that you can see them when they're active.

    Entrance is only QR 5. Opening hours are 7:30-11:30am and 3:30-8:30pm daily except Friday mornings. Tuesday afternoons are for ladies and children only; Wednesday afternoons are for families only. Opening hours can vary according to season so it's best to call ahead.

  • Phone: 468 2610
  • Directions: On Al Furousiya Street near the Doha Racing and Equestrian Club. Some written sources say it is 20km outside Doha but this is incorrect. There is construction (surprise!) at the entrance, but despite how it looks the zoo is open.
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    Al Koot Fort
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  • jungles
  • By jungles on May 30, 2006
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  • Al Koot Fort - Doha
    Al Koot Fort
    by jungles
    It's hard to believe this fort was originally on the outskirts of the old town of Doha; now this area is the centre of town. It is very close to the Souq Waqif, and at one point it was used as a base from which the nattoor (traditional armed guards) patrolled the souq. Careless reconstruction in the 1970s when the fort was turned into a museum meant that some of the original features were lost. Like the return to traditional architecture in the souq next door, this is now being rectified. Which means that, like just about everything else in Doha, the fort is closed while it's under construction

  • Directions: At the corner of Jasim bin Mohammed and Al Qalaa Streets, next to the Souq Waqif car park.
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    A small but pretty park
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  • jungles
  • Updated By jungles on May 31, 2006
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  • Park with flowers - Doha
    Park with flowers
    by jungles
    This park is very small but is well-maintained and full of flowers, which is a real rarity in Doha. Well, ok, some of the roundabouts have recently been planted with flowers too, but as for a place to walk amongst them and smell them, this is the only one I can think of. It also has architectural elements like gates and watchtowers, which are new but are built in the old traditional style.

  • Directions: Next to Ras Al Nasaa cafe/restaurant at the southern end of the Corniche (see my Ras Al Nasaa tip under restaurants).
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