Doha, Qatar

Wonderful heading back in the Middle East! Qatar and Doha has not really been on bucket list, but since it crossed our path due to a layover, I guess it could be worth a visit. Our initial travel plan was to visit the Maldives, which was an idea that my mother brought to my attention. She loves scuba diving, and Maldives is all about just that. Anyways, more about that in another post. 

So, as our journey started from Helsinki to Doha, the corona virus had been a hot topic already. It was difficult to predict what we could except from our trip, but after reading the news both Qatar and Maldives had not been affected much when our holiday was about to begin. 

After arriving in Doha early in the morning, we checked in to the hotel and decided to take a quick nap before exploring the city. The vibe I got from Doha was a "wannabe Dubai". It seems like they wish to build something remarkable that would live up to the same standards as Dubai. For whatever reason, many buildings are not completed and it does not seem like they were busy with the construction either. Somehow, I found the souqs and the area around that area very charming and nostalgic. Sure, it might not be as old as it seems, but the overall atmosphere was cosy and the locals were hospitable. If you wish to explore the city, I highly recommend to use the metro. It's very convenient as it stops at the most significant attractions, and t's also affordable. We took the metro to the Katara Cultural Village, enjoyed a delicious lunch at MAMIG and returned with the metro passing by the Souq Waqif. We stayed at the Saraya Corniche Hotel, due to its location close by the souq, the National Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art. 

I love the middle east, but Doha is probably not a destination I would return to, nor spend many days exploring. It's perfect in case you have a layover and feel like exploring a new place for 2-3 days.