________Practical Information in
Doha
One of the municipalities of Qatar, Doha has a lot to offer the traveler. A
relatively modern town, Doha made its fortune first trading pearls with the
Japanese, and then became one of the centers of Qatar's oil and natural gas
wealth. The government is currently trying to steer the economy away from
its dependence on oil and natural gas, leading to a large boom in the
tourist trade and lots of new development.
Climate
Situated on the Arabian Peninsula, Doha has a very hot and arid climate.
Summer temperatures often exceed 100 degrees, and rain is an almost
nonexistent occurrence. In the Winter months, temperatures are more
moderate, getting into the 60's and 70's F during the day, and quite a bit
colder at night. While you may find some relief in the ocean breezes coming
off the Arabian Gulf, it is still advisable to plan your trip in accordance
with your tolerance for heat.
Cleanliness
Doha is rare in that there are actually more expatriates living there than
Qataris. There is not a whole lot of the original city left, but there are a
lot of modern attractions and amenities. Hygiene standards in Doha are
relatively high, so you don't have to be as cautious about the food and
water.
Transportation
Driving in Doha can be very dangerous. Compared by the US Embassy in its
2007 Qatar Crime and Safety Report to an extreme sport, Doha drivers are a
force to be reckoned with. If you do want to drive, foreign driver's
licenses are valid in Doha for up to one week. Cars drive on the right side
of the road (theoretically). Be aware that traffic laws in Doha can be very
strict, even if you don't see them always being enforced.
Work
The traditional working week in Doha runs from Sunday to Thursday, with
Friday (which is the holy day for Muslims) and usually Saturday off. You can
find many western businesses in Doha, including a variety of fast food and
Starbucks. While Qatar has relatively liberal laws for the region, you will
still usually only find alcohol in higher-end foreign based hotels and
clubs.
Little Necessities
Doha's dialing code is 974. The time zone is Central European GMT + 3. For
your small appliance needs, the standard electricity is 240V, 50Hz, three
pin flat plugs. As of October 2009, a Qatar Riyal equals about .27 US
dollars and .18 Euros. You can easily check current exchange rates online
before you travel.
[add Practical address]___________Festivals
in Doha
Muslim festivals form a huge part of Doha festivals. There are other
festivals that cater to films and culture.
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar in which the Quran was
revealed by Allah to human beings in the seventh century A.D. Ramadan is
also a Muslim festival during which Muslims yearn to reach closer to God by
purifying their souls. During this month, the Muslims fast during the day. A
Ramadan tent is set up in the evening by families outside their house.
Families and friends gather together over ‘iftar’, the meal that is taken to
break the fast. Huge amounts of food are eaten during this meal. Many hotels
in Doha also hold their own version of the Ramadan tent where they set up
tents and offer food for a price. Dinner can cost anywhere from around QR25
to QR150 per person.
Id-ul-Fitr
At the end of the Ramadan, Id-Ul-Fitr (festival of breaking the fast) is
celebrated for 3 days. People exchange gifts with one another. Sumptuous and
special meals are prepared. Fairs are also held at some places. People dress
up in new clothes and wear ‘ittar’ (heavy perfume). Muslim women apply henna
on their hands and wear glittering jewelry. Muslims gather in the mosques to
offer special prayers of Id and greet one another.
Doha Cultural Festival
The Doha Cultural Festival is held all over Doha. It is held at the Visual
Arts Center, Ritz Carlton hotel, the city center, shopping malls as well as
the Alwaseel Auditorium. It lasts for a couple of weeks during which there
are exhibitions, music and dance performances, poetry sessions, theater and
lots more. Some of these performances also require you to buy tickets.
The Heritage Village in Al Bidda Park reproduces the look of a Qatari
village 100 years ago. There are lots of stalls selling local crafts and
food items. A popular local show is the “men jump” show.
The exhibition program at the Visual Art Centre showcases photography,
paintings, sculptures and other artistic work. Theater events include a
variety of plays, ballet and opera performances. There are internationally
famous shows like “La Traviata ”. Local theatrical productions are also
held.
Festival of the Senses
This family-friendly event takes place every year in May on the Corniche.
Various activities and exhibitions are held that focus on human senses.
Qatar Summer Wonders - Shopping Festival
Qatar Summer Wonders Festival is held during the hot summer month of July or
August. This offers huge discounts in the major malls of Qatar. There are
street theater performances and lots of film screenings.
_____Accommodation
There are plenty of choices to choose from, with all sorts of prices.
Currently, hotels in Qatar include the Ritz Carlton, Intercontinental, Four
Seasons, Sheraton, Movenpick, Rydges, Grand Regency, and the Marriot. There
are many hotels under construction in preperation for the 2006 Asian Games.
Things to Do
Shopping
Shopping is a main attraction in Doha, as there are several large malls with
all sorts of worldwide brands being sold; as an added advantage, it is all
tax-free. Shopping malls in Doha include the City Center, Landmark, Hyatt
Plaza, The Mall, and the Royal Plaza.
Swimming/Sea-related activities
The many hotels of Doha all offer many sea-based activities, including
fishing, paragliding, water-skiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, and other such
activities.
Dining
There are many great resturants and cafes in Doha, with all sorts of local
and worldwide resturants available to dine in. Also, there are many cafes to
choose from, including famous world-wide cafes such as Starbucks and the
Coffee Beanary.
Things of interest
Doha has many museums and an old fort for sightseeing, and there are many
beautiful mosques to see. An Islamic Musem is under construction, which is
going to be a huge project with plenty to see. Furthermore, a Cultural
Village will soon open in Doha, which also will have plenty to do and see.
The Corniche is a must see, with its many buildings and its famous "curly"
mosque (a mosque with a beautiful spinning minaret). The Education City is
also of interest, as it contains several world-famous universities such as
Weil Cornell Medical School and Georgetown School of Foreign Services, to
name a few.
Other Activities
There are several clubs in Doha which allow guests over the age of 21 to
enter, and are great to go to for a nice night out. Large organised parties
are also monthly events in Doha, with several worldwide DJs coming to Doha
for all sorts of parties through the Global DJs, which tickets can be
purchased for.
Transportation
There is an excellent public transport service in Doha known as Mowasalat,
with "Karwa" taxis available in all parts of Doha. The taxis are all new,
air-conditioned cars and are equipped with a GPS in order to be able to
properly find your destination. These have a starting fare of 4 QR. There
are also older orange-coloured taxis which are usually cars of much older
models, and are not always air-conditioned. These have a starting fare of 2
QR. Bus transportation is also available from Mowasalat, and bus stops can
be found in several of Doha's main sections(3.00QR Per Adult).
:::::::::Getting There
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[Add Global transport mode]
kyle
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A great way to travel to Doha is by Qatar Airlines this is a reasonably
priced airline with 1st class and economy class refreshments are offered
every 10-20 mins (all included in the ticket price). it is a non-smoking
airline and there are toilets a couple of meters away from you. t.v.s are
fitted in the back of the seat in front of you showing all the latest films.
staff are friendly and it is well worth the money you pay to fly. travel by
qatar airways and you will guaranteed satisfaction.
type: By Air
World66 rating: [rate it]
tel: -
url: -
address: -
email: kyle06@hotmail.co.uk
kyle
Edit This
A great way to travel to Doha is by Qatar Airlines this is a reasonably
priced airline with 1st class and economy class refreshments are offered
every 10-20 mins (all included in the ticket price). it is a non-smoking
airline and there are toilets a couple of meters away from you. t.v.s are
fitted in the back of the seat in front of you showing all the latest films.
staff are friendly and it is well worth the money you pay to fly. travel by
qatar airways and you will guaranteed satisfaction.
type: By Air
World66 rating: [rate it]
tel: -
url: -
address: -
email: kyle06@hotmail.co.uk
________Museums
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[Add Museum]
The Aquarium
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The pleasant lagoon by the aquarium building has a few dhows (the
traditional wooden ships of the Gulf) floating on it, in addition to being
stocked with fish and turtles.
A visit to the aquarium affords a good view of several local breeds of fish,
including sharks, hamour and various other inhabitants of Gulf waters. There
are some postively evil looking specimens, which will doubtless delight
younger visitors, in addition to various exhibits relating to the pearling
industry. You can contact the museum for more details on 442191 as this
aquarium seems to have disappeared.
type: general
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Tha Qatar national museum
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By far the largest and best museum is the national museum. Located in a
delightful restored palace on the corniche , the museum is clearly divided
into its two components (museum and aquarium), with a large lagoon in the
middle of the complex. The building won the prestigious Aga Khan award for
restoration and rehabilitation of Islamic architecture in 1980.
The museum is open from 8am to 12noon and 4pm to 7pm seven days per week.
The entrance fee is reasonable (around QR 5 for adults). Built around a
central courtyard, there are several reconstructed small rooms of the more..
type: general
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Doha fort
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This museum is housed, as you'd imagine, in an old restored fort in the Al
Bida district of Doha. The building is in the Moorish style and was
originally constructed during the Ottoman occupation of the region. The
collection consists of local paintings, weavings, gypsum carvings, ornate
wooden door pieces and other artefacts, and gives guides and explanations to
local crafts of the past and present. Admission is free (if open).
type: general
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THE WEAPONRY MUSEUM
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This museum can only be visited by organised groups at present, but is well
worth a trip as it houses a rather fine collection of ancient and modern
weaponry including solid gold daggers, Persian rifles from the Ottoman era
and a superb collection of swords. There are over 2,300 exhibits, clearly
displayed and labelled. The museum is located near Immigration roundabout in
Medinat Khalifa and admission is free. For further details call 438123 or
contact one of the tour companies to arrange a visit.
type: general
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Post office museum
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Housed near the Souq Post Office, this museum covers the early days of
Qatar's postal services and has some quaint Victorian artefacts, including
old scales, post boxes, and stamps. It is open from 4pm - 6pm daily, except
on Fridays. The old museum building near the Souq was recently demolished.
type: general
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_________Nightlife and Entertainment
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photo
Doha is amaizing city it is the best city to enjoy in Qatar. There are 4
clubs in Doha: Pearl, Admiral, Paloma(Latino). But the best news is you will
always find them packed with Qatar Airways Crew, so the question "Where do
you work?" is absolutely useless. Cloudnyn is a must visit for all those
night-life enthusiasts. Courteous staff, well-priced drinks, great music &
efficient management seems to be the hall mark. You can see the Incharge
taking rounds of all tables, greeting guests and ensuring customer service
is of the highest level. Overall its a great experince to be at Cloudnyn.
-------------------------------
Today is 29.06.2007 and I must for all other visitors to this club write
that all this is not true because yesterday night I was whit friend at door
of this Cloudnyn bar and the security gorillas doesnt permit entrance in
bar. I searching at home in Europe where to go when I come to Doha and look
at this hospitality.
At first they treat us very bad...small cinic laughing of 5 people in
entrance...and they say this is just for Hotel guest or club cards and for
couples man and woman...
Never come back and this is lies about this so popular club in Doha.
Contributors
June 29, 2007 change by hong kong
October 18, 2006 change by giorgio
[Add Entertainment place]
Global DJs - International club night
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Dohas number 1 night out.
Bringing world famous international DJs.
type: Musicals
World66 rating: [rate it]
tel: +9745360255
url: www.globaldjs.org
email: masterjay@masterjay.co.uk |
