Doha is the capital of Qatar, an oil-rich peninsula jutting out into the Gulf between Bahrain and UAE. Once a fishing village, it has not transformed into a bustling city of commerce. The country’s population is under 1m and best to avoid the hot summer. One of the major attractions is the Doha Bay dotted with beautiful palm trees.
Doha used to have a reputation for not being the most exciting place on earth (1999), but there changed significantly and there are a variety of activities, areas and events to take part in especially after the Asian Games 2006 event.
The thing to do, unless you have done it before, is to hire a jeep to drive you around the desert, riding the dunes. This will cost you several hundred Qatari rial, and may require a minimum of four persons to join in the fun. At international hotels, the receptionists will advise you, and hire a driver for you.
A popular excursion was to take the small boat ride from the Corniche (near the Sheraton) to Palm Tree Island in Doha Bay, although in July 2006 the island was closed for complete renovation. It has been left as a nature reserve and is completely bare except for 2 trees (not palms).
A typical Middle Eastern activity in the afternoons is to find a sheesha cafe and smoke some fruit-flavoured tobacco. One of the best places in Doha is Ras-Naswa at the non-Sheraton end of the Corniche. Located in a picturesque old-style building reminiscient, in colour and texture if not grandeur, of the red Mughal structures in India, Ras-Naswa has a nice outdoor garden and serves decent Middle Eastern food.
Doha has several markets which are worth visiting as well. See the Buy section for more details.
If you want to people-watch afluent young Qataris who are inseparable from their mobile phones, the best places to head are the modern shopping malls, starting with City Centre, not far from the Sheraton.