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.

The mall is located right off the Corniche, or the center of town. To get around the center, there are elevators and escalators in the middle of the complex. The ice-skating rink is on the lower level and the rock wall is on the third level. The interior resembles a huge tent, and smack-dab in the middle is a beautiful glass arch. Marble floors, stairways, and a waterfall make this a must-see, BUT save your money for the souks (see attached reviews). You’ll get more for your money, there.

So, if you MUST go to a mall, this is the best one in town.

In the old days, souks were outside, and consisted of narrow walkways and alleys, where vendors hocked their wares. Nowadays, you can still find the alleyways, but newer parts have been added on. Areas with marble floors, air conditioning and escalators. It’s like walking from one extreme to the other.

I was in the old area, no marble floors, and I noticed there were NO women shopkeepers. Only men. Even in the women’s area where women’s clothes are sold, there were only men. I saw women shopping, but that’s all.

There were SO many things to choose from. Abaya, which is the traditional dress for women, several spice stores, homegrown nuts and fruits, candies, toys–it was amazing. Some of the shopkeepers were not too friendly, I assume because we were American, but that was evened out by the nice shopkeepers. The shop we were in, accepted both US dollars and Qatari Riyals, so having Riyals, wasn’t a must. They actually prefer U.S. dollars to their currency. They have calculators to help with the conversion, but I always make my own conversion chart that I carry around with me. Everyone spoke really good English, so don’t be intimidated to ask questions or ask for the USD conversion. I spent QR44.00, which came to about USD$11 and got a TON of gifts to take home.

Seriously, unless you HAVE to have a Coach purse, your best bet to get souvenirs, is the Souq. I took home some Saffron, Arabic candies, Iranian olive oil and some jewelery and it didn’t cost me a thing. I loved shopping at the souk. We went to two different ones, Souk Al Asiery and Souk Al Ahmad. Both had dirt parking lots and are divided into sections. We went to the womens’ section only. At Al Asiery, there is a store called Dana that specializes in Indian sari’s. BEAUTIFUL! I got my bracelets there. They had tons of different kinds and they were inexpensive. This souk was right behind a small mosque.

Items are sold by the weight of the gold and a small fee is added per gram for the labor. Most of the gold in these shops is 22 carats, but there are also 18-carat items. And it’s all the real deal. No fillers. It’s all 100% pure gold. I saw some things I would never see in the US: HUGE wedding pieces and rows and rows of bracelets and beautiful rings. Every store is different, and the gold can be less expensive than in the US because it’s based on weight.