Qatar

Fun Facts.

I took one last, quick, trip to another gulf nation. We visited Doha, the capital of the "State of Qatar".  It's home to about 2 million people, less than half of whom are nationals. People I have talked to, have mixed opinions about Qatar. Some say it's not worth checking out. I really liked it and I think they may have the best souk in the Middle East. 

Qatar has made headlines for winning the 2022 World Cup bid. They have also fallen under scrutiny for their treatment of migrant workers.  

Qatar has a lot of large green parks, which is hard to do it such a hot place. The places we went were modern, clean and green.

Our experiences.

We ate breakfast on a man-made island, called The Pearl, that is home to over 12,000 residents. 

We went to a mall, the Villagio, designed to resemble Italy, complete with a gondola laden river running through the middle. 

We visited The Museum of Islamic Art which had art from different time periods, from all over the Islamic world. The art was insightful and interesting and I loved the museum's cafe view. The air conditioning was also highly appreciated by me and my two traveling companions. 

The souk we explored was tidy and contemporary, yet looked like a traditional souk. It was extensive, had cultural goods and many regional and international places to eat. We wandered through an animal section with parrots and other exotic birds.

An Iraqi restaurant, at the Waqif souk.

Expensive. 

It is hard to say because we did eat at hotels and the airport, but Qatar seemed even more pricey than Kuwait.  And that is saying a lot. It only makes sense though since most lists place it as the richest country in the world. 


Friends.

We were able to visit another teacher friend we made on a trip we took last month, to Ethiopia. 

 

Recommending Qatar.

Most of those people who say Qatar isn't worth seeing, when pressed, will admit they have never even been there. Well, I have been there. And I say country number 37, Qatar, is definitely worth a visit.