Travelogue – Qatar قَطَر
Our visit to Qatar was last summer, and it has taken me to now to put this Travelogue together of our family trip. I joke that we were in Qatar at about the only time it wasn’t being bombed in the last 12 months. Hopefully the Qataris can now look forward to a more peaceful existence.
We chose Qatar for a family holiday for a couple of reasons. There was a direct flight from Miami, it was half the distance of our first pick, which was Vietnam, and we only had limited time plus importantly we wanted to expose our daughter to a culture far away from what she currently occupies.
We knew in August the temperature would be very hot, with extreme humidity. We are used to the heat and humidity, but day one out on an exploring stroll we quickly realized no one else was outside, and we got some strange looks as we walked along the Corniche dripping in sweat.
Going in August also meant cheaper, so we managed to stay in a couple of top notch hotels relatively cheaply. We split our time between staying in Msheireb, which is the downtown business district complete with air-conditioned streets, and then on the water a short journey north of Doha at Lusail.
The Mandarin Oriental in Msheireb was intimate, stylish and reserved whereas Raffles in Lusail was luxurious, lively and verbosely designed. The former was in a classic downtown tower and Raffles occupied one half of the iconic twin-swords Katara Towers. Both were great.
What struck me in Qatar is the coexistence of opposites. In Souq Waqif, the country’s most iconic market, merchants sell spices, textiles, and falcons in narrow lanes that echo an earlier age. The air smells of oud and cardamom, and conversations drift in Arabic, English, Hindi, and languages from across the globe. Yet only a short drive away, futuristic towers in West Bay glitter with corporate precision.
Qatar’s story begins long before its skyline. For centuries, the peninsula was home to Bedouin tribes who lived in intimate connection with the desert and sea. Life was shaped by pearl diving, fishing, and trade routes linking East and West. Today, these traditions are not lost—they are preserved, adapted, and performed in subtle yet visible ways.
This blending of tradition and modernity is not accidental. Qatar has deliberately cultivated a “dynamic, evolving culture” that preserves heritage while embracing global influences. Some with good reason call that ‘whitewashing.’
Still, cultural change has not been entirely seamless. Rapid development has raised questions about identity, particularly in a country where expatriates vastly outnumber citizens. Scholars note that modernization—accelerated by projects like the World Cup—has reshaped the built environment and everyday life, even as Qataris strive to preserve traditions in a hybrid manner.
The result is a society negotiating its place between memory and momentum and the balance Qatar tries to strike was deeply interesting to me.
Qatar’s transformation from such modest origins into one of the richest countries per capita is among the most dramatic economic shifts of the modern era. The discovery of oil and gas in the 20th century brought wealth that allowed the nation to reimagine itself. Infrastructure, education, and urban development surged forward, particularly in Doha.
Tourism, once an afterthought, has become central to this story. The country has invested heavily in museums, public art, and hospitality, presenting itself as a cultural destination rather than merely a business hub. The Museum of Islamic Art, with its sweeping geometry, charts over 1,400 years of Islamic history, while the National Museum of Qatar narrates the country’s journey from prehistoric desert to modern state. We went to both, and are very recommended.
Doha itself feels like a city under continuous reinvention. The stunning Corniche—a sweeping waterfront promenade—serves as the city’s spine, offering views of dhows drifting against a skyline of mirrored towers.
Neighborhoods like Msheireb Downtown and Lusail blend traditional Qatari architectural elements with modern sustainability principles, while the expanding metro system, which we used a lot, connects key districts with impressive efficiency. Much of this infrastructure owes its existence to hosting of the 2022 World Cup and other global events.
Still, wake up early enough and Doha’s quiet authenticity was there to see. The Amiri Diwan (Royal Palace) Camel Parade takes place on the vast lawn at dawn, and is Qatar’s version of Changing of the Guard.
Early morning, fishermen still cast their nets along the coast, couples are having sunrise strolls along the Corniche, falconers are training their birds of prey and the cultural and social heart of Doha, the Souq Wagif, is getting ready for business.
The Souq was fun, and when we stayed in Msheireb, every night we found ourselves drawn to it. Originally, Bedouins and locals gathered here at the dry riverbed of Wadi Musheireb to trade livestock, spices, and wool. There are an intricate labyrinth of alleyways, split into highly specialized trading zones such as gold, spice and perfumes, textiles and what I can only describe as a livestock area.
Pets, possibly pets, such hedgehogs, rabbits, turtles, frogs, fish, all kinds of birds as well as puppies and kittens are all there to be found homes.
The most dramatic of landscapes was the Corniche though, I couldn’t take my eyes off it, even though for the first couple of days is was hidden in a steamy haze. The 7km-long crescent-shaped waterfront promenade along Doha Bay, offered spectacular views of the Arabian Gulf and the city’s skyline.
We planned on a Dhow Boat Ride to get the full panoramic vista of the skyline. Our enquiries were met with a mixture of mirth and incredulity. No one was taking pale white tourists out on a wooden boat in 42°C.
We Uber’d instead to the Al Dafna area, and stared at the spectacular modern architecture and high-rise buildings. Built on reclaimed land, this area is anticipated to become the major commuter business district of Doha.
Close by the Katara Cultural Village offered us another dimension. A curated space where traditional architecture frames festivals, exhibitions, and performances. In these spaces, Qatar is not just preserving culture; it is actively shaping how that culture is presented to the world.
We spent a few hours at the Mina District, one of Doha’s newest waterfront areas. Previously the Old Doha Port, it has been transformed into a picturesque precinct with pastel-coloured buildings, cafés, and boutique shops overlooking the Grand Terminal Building, where cruise ships dock during cruise season.
Among the Instagrammable shipping containers converted to cafés and little stores was the L’wzaar Seafood Market. Here you can personally select fresh seafood from an ice display and have it cooked to order and eat it in the restaurant upstairs.
Near Lusail was Pearl Island, man-made like a lot of Qatar. Home to wealthy expats, it featured a mix of marinas, residential towers, villas, cafés, fancy shops and top-end car showrooms.
We strolled the Qanat Quartier, a picturesque Venetian-style section of the Island known for its colourful buildings, arched bridges, and canals where you can go on a gondola ride. It reminded me more of Las Vegas than Venice.
We shopped and ate at the Place Vendôme, a luxury shopping and leisure destination in Lusail, inspired by classic Parisian architecture. To remind us that Vegas is the model the Vendôme’s ‘Dancing Fountains’ takes place every evening between 7 and 11pm.
Outside Doha, Qatar reveals its quieter, older self. The desert stretches endlessly, broken only by forts like Al Rekayat and Zekreet, built to guard water sources and trade routes.
We rode the obligatory camels and drove out in a jeep across the Arabian Desert to the border of Saudi Arabia separated from Qatar by the Khawr al Udayd (The Inland Sea). This is a unique, massive tidal bay in the southeast corner of Qatar.
Enchanting, breathtaking and peaceful, gigantic sand dunes surrounding the Inland Sea formed a surreal, almost alien juxtaposition of landscapes. I couldn’t take enough photos.
At Al Jassasiya, ancient rock carvings—some believed to date back to Neolithic times—etch mysterious patterns into limestone. These petroglyphs hint at civilizations long gone, reminding us that Qatar’s story extends far beyond its modern wealth.
The coastline, too, holds significance. Once the centre of the pearling industry but today offering a tranquil escape where the pace slows, and the desert meets the sea in quiet harmony.
On the drive back to Doha it was impossible not to see the flare stacks and plumes of steam and smoke coming from the vast LNG plants at the Ras Laffan Industrial City, about 80km from Doha. The massive industrial complex processes natural gas piped from the North Field—the largest non-associated natural gas field on the planet.
Eight World Cup stadiums were used in 2022, seven built from scratch. Although we declined the tour to visit each one of them, we drove by many sat lonely it seemed. Some were meant to be repurposed, others shrunk to smaller arenas and some were to be dismantled and donated. However whilst some are used frequently many sit waiting their fate.
Other memories of the World Cup were along the Corniche. The La’eeb statue (the official mascot) and Flag Plaza, were for me a little sad reminders of the world’s greatest sporting event.
We ate well, and alcholic drinks are only served in hotels. Both hotels had ridiculously plentiful and excellent breakfast buffets. For lunch we became regulars at Saasna near the Mandarin, but the two most memorable meals were at the busy and chaotic Parisa where I chowed down on juicy lamb kebabs, and at Burj Al-Hamman, which was off the beaten path and no one spoke a lick of English. Possibly my vegetarian-other-half may have eaten more than just vegetables that night! I wouldn’t like to say.
It was at the Airport we ended our adventure, and the Hamad International Airport is rightly regarded as one of the most luxurious and architecturally spectacular aviation hubs in the world. It was a suitable end to our holiday.
We felt in the short time we were there we really got under the skin of Qatar. We found a dynamic, and clearly wealthy country where religion and deeply rooted Islamic values are attempting to sit side by side with modern luxury. To visit Qatar is not just to see the place, but to understand how tradition continues to guide a nation racing towards the future.
