Qatar
ahlan / sabah alkhayr / masa' alkhayr: Welcome to our guides on Qatar 🙂
Qatar. Famous for hosting the 2022 World Cup and for being extremely rich (Doha has possibly the nicest airport in the world, although Singapore Changi might disagree). Oh, and for being extremely hot – I once met someone living here who described it as living in a “fan oven”.
Now, a quick confession. We have never actually been to the city of Doha (although this will change in August!). We have, however, had our passports stamped at the airport, gone through immigration and stood outside. Although only for 10 minutes, I think this counts (no stamp, no tick off the list!).
For my guide to leaving Doha airport with a 2/3 hour layover (the only one on the internet!!) click here!
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Key Info!
Language: Arabic! Scroll down for some useful words 🙂
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Currency: Qatari riyal
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ATMs: ATMs are widely available throughout Qatar, with almost every mall, hotel, souq (market), hospital and petrol station having one. While credit cards are widely accepted for most purchases in shops and hotels, some smaller restaurants and shops may not have a working credit card machine, so come prepared!
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Plugs: In Qatar, plugs are type G (UK plug) and the standard voltage and frequency are 240V and 50Hz.
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Safety: Qatar is one of the safest countries in the world (if not the safest). However, the Middle East is not, so there is always a risk of terrorism etc. And as always, make sure you have travel insurance!
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Cultural points: Qatar is an Islamic country, so there are a few things to keep in mind, especially during the holy month of Ramadan:
- Dress code = women should cover their shoulders and not wear short skirts, and men should not wear shorts or vests in public.
- Alcohol – as the football fans found out, it is illegal to drink or be drunk in public. However, licensed hotels, restaurants and bars can sell it.
- Unmarried couples – no public intimacy (you could be arrested!). Unmarried couples cannot stay in the same hotel room (which is why we did not stay long).
- LGBT+ – unfortunately homosexual acts are still illegal in Qatar.
When to Go:
We went in September and left the airport at about 0600. It was somewhat brutal and my glasses were fogging up. However, as we were travelling around the region at that time, I would say that September is perfectly doable, and cheap because it is low season!
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But I would NOT go in July and August when temperatures regularly reach 42°C/108°F during the day and 32°C/90°F at night. (Remember the fan oven)
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Overall, we recommend visiting Qatar in winter – December, January and February are probably perfect, and you will have blue skies and sunshine, and temperatures around 25°C.
Costs....
The land of Lamborghinis, Ferraris and gold. You might think that it is impossible to travel to Qatar on a budget. But, for the most part, this is untrue!
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Although we didn’t go into Doha, I spent a lot of time researching Qatar as a potential stopover and here are the prices I discovered (in USD):
Hostel/Budget Hotel: 30/night
Luxury hotel: 100+
Shwarma (Mia’s favourite!): 5
Restaurant: 20+
Attractions: Many (like the Museum of Islamic Art) are free. However, tours are extremely expensive (100+).
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So probably similar to the West, although the quality of hotels is miles better.
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Sloth Suggestion: Shwarma for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Some Useful Words!
English
Arabic
Hello
Good Morning
Good Evening
How are you?
Good night
Goodbye
Yes
No
Thank you
One shwarma please
As-salaam ‘alykum
Sabah alkhayr
Masa’ alkhayr
kayf halika?Â
tab masawuk
mae alsalamaÂ
naeam
la
Shukran lak
shawarma wahidat min fadlikÂ
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