Things to do in Doha Qatar
By: Nicky Meintjies
Qatar is an incredibly rich nation, both in culture and history. If you are planning a visit to the Arab emirate, you can be sure to find a great number of things to do inside and out. With Qatar being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, there are a great many activities for any tourist to participate in while visiting.
The nature of Qatar's location and ecosystems lends to a variety of events constantly transpiring within the country. Being surrounded by water on three sides means that there are plenty of maritime activities to participate in, something recognized by and encouraged by the state's government. Of course, being a Middle Eastern nation, the Qatari landscape is largely desert, and there are plenty of things to do out in the dunes and sand hills of this fine emirate.
In the water, there are a good number of sports and boating events available for tourists. As far as boating style activities, there's kayaking, which requires a few hours of training for certification, as well as power boat races in the main harbor, with boats that go up to 160 km/h! One can also go out on dhow cruises, which are rides on traditional Arab vessels that have been used in Qatar for centuries. There's fishing to be done as well, with many Qatari hotels sponsoring excursions and renting out vehicles to their guests. Fishing in Qatar is lucrative, with schools of puffer and angel fish, dorados, king and queen fish, as well as crabs and urchins. There's lots of laws regarding fishing in Qatar, and several reserves set up for protecting the stock; it's good to get familiar with what's what before going out and dropping a line. Last but certainly not least is water skiing. It's a great break from the heat. If you don't want to go down to the harbor though, you can always sand-board; getting on an inline board similar to a snowboard and riding the dunes throughout the day.
While you're out in the sand, there are lots of other activities to try as well. Parasailing isn't strictly limited to the harbor; out in the dunes you can get set up with a truck that will tear along at top speeds while you're tethered to it with a chute, allowing you to soar into the sky for a beautiful view of the desert. This is another event that your hotel can arrange for you. If you want to try something by yourself, Blokarting is one of the newest and most exciting land sports around. Invented by New Zealanders in 200, it's a land based sailing sport focused on an easy to assemble kart device with wheels and a sail similar to what you'd find on a small boat. They're incredibly safe, easy to learn (even kids can do it!) and they can be 'sailed' pretty much anywhere in Qatar.
Most famous of the attractions in Qatar however is the camel race outside of Doha. Head out of the city on Al Rayyan road towards Dukhan, and after passing the Al Rayya soccer stadium, take the first exit at the traffic circle and then turn left at the Oryx sign. There you'll find the Al Shahaniyah camel track, home to the exotic racing scene in Qatar. Following regulations to make the region more friendly to tourists, Qatar's camel races are highly moderated by the government, eliminating the once fervent child jockey trade in the Middle Eastern country. The animals are raced with either a human on top or a robotic counterpart; the autonomous jockeys do as good a job as their human comrades while costing more as an initial investment; however due to their small size and wide variety of customization options, teams using bot-jockeys are just as unique as those still using humans.
Overall Qatar has many things to offer; whether you decide to jog along one of the many walking paths in Doha or if you decide to experience the bountiful nature of the country, you can find something to amaze you and give you memories that will last a lifetime.
About the Author
The author is the owner of a Qatar Hotels website. To learn more on Doha Hotels visit BestQatarHotels.com
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