Our favorite local joint!
Nai'a making friends.
Koa, a boy and a well.
Getty Images | Gulf Images RM
Dune bashing is part of the fun in Qatar. Riders can expect a roller-coasterlike good time traversing the sand dunes.
DOHA, QATAR — It wasn’t until we crested the mountain of sand and I stared through the car’s dusty windshield at nothing at all that I realized what awaited us.
The ground had disappeared; we saw only sky. In the driver’s seat, Abdul Aziz smiled mischievously and gunned the engine. Down we careened at what seemed an impossible angle, like a roller-coaster car that had jumped its track. My stomach rose, and I let out an involuntary yell that no one else heard, as my companions in the back were screaming just as loudly.
“Stop! Please stop!” one begged, but Aziz was oblivious. He didn’t speak English, and besides, he was just doing his job.
Our desert safari had been billed as a leisurely drive through the desert to see the beautiful inland sea, Khor Al-Adaid. When we finally reached level ground and piled out on the sea’s sandy shore, catching our breaths and stilling our pounding hearts, I understood what dune bashing meant.
“If this is an easy ride,” I said, “I don’t want the hard one!”
My three days in Qatar were like that: surprises around every turn. The occasion was Qatar Airways’ pending launch of a direct flight from Houston to Doha, the capital. The new route is a logical business-minded venture, linking two major energy industry hubs. But as my brief stay revealed, this connection can be so much more.
Called the cultural destination of the year by the New York Times, Qatar is a spectacular destination for decidedly unbusinesslike reasons. Not in the way of Dubai, the Las Vegas of the Middle East. Qatar has chosen a different path, using its oil wealth to invest in the arts and education. But there’s no shortage of the “wow” factor here, to be sure.
Doha’s latest architectural marvel, the Museum of Islamic Art, was designed by famed architect I.M. Pei and houses the world’s largest collection of Islamic art. The collection spans more than a millennium and stretches halfway across the globe, from Central Asia to Spain and from the dawn of Islam to more contemporary works. The structure itself, with its soaring lines, spiral staircases and its very own island, might dwarf a lesser collection. But that’s hardly a problem with exhibits including the armor of a fierce Ottoman soldier on armored horseback, a silver Turkish war mask, the glittering jewels of an Iranian princess and a high-tech touchscreen exhibit introducing the works of the Arabic predecessor to Leonardo Da Vinci.
Visitors can wander the Corniche, a sweeping boulevard of restaurants and skyscrapers that hugs the bright blue waters of Doha Bay; luxuriate in a private villa with a butler and a seaside view at the Ritz-Carlton’s Sharq Village, an Arabian nights-style resort with the Middle East’s largest spa; strap on skis and carve their way down a dune; tour the studios of Al Jazeera, the CNN of the Middle East; or scuba dive in the crystal waters of Khor Al Adaid.
Or, if none of that appeals, shop for a trained falcon, silken-stringed oud or silver khanjar dagger in the souk.
A city under construction
My first surprise was the flight itself. Qatar Airways bills its business class ride as a five-star flight, and it delivers. You board with a glass of champagne and the attentions of a charming staff, then continue with a gourmet menu for a five-course meal. After dinner, passengers can choose from a vast selection of movies and multimedia that help pass the time on the 17-hour flight. Seats convert into surprisingly comfortable beds, and amenities include cotton pajamas and socks. When you awake, it’s time for a delightfully decadent breakfast and another movie, and before you’re even ready, you’ve landed.
But land we did, and our drive along the Corniche revealed a city under construction. Parts are beautifully landscaped with palm trees and colorful flowers; Qataris sharing the broad promenade with an international cast of characters, jogging, walking, sipping drinks at a coffeehouse or boarding a wooden dhow to take a ride on the Persian Gulf’s calm waters.
Farther down the boulevard, the peaceful scene disintegrates into round-the-clock commotion. The sky fairly bristles with cranes, and taxi drivers circle endlessly amid the seemingly random street closings.
In the past decade, under the leadership of Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Doha has grown from a nondescript gulf backwater to a bustling metropolis of more than a million, with foreign nationals making up about 80 percent of the population. An estimated 180 skyscrapers are expected by 2012.
Land is being “reclaimed” from the sea for a variety of high-end real-estate ventures — such as the Pearl, a $2.5 billion mix of five-star hotels, boutiques, restaurants and condos. The development is named for the source of Qatar’s centuries-old livelihood, an industry eclipsed by the discovery of petroleum, but the imagery lives on in the region’s art and folklore, and in high-end developments like this one.
Our whirlwind city tour included a stop at Qatar’s Equestrian Center, home to some of the most expensive and well-cared-for horses in the world; a Venice-style shopping mall called Villaggio, reminiscent of the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian in Las Vegas, with indoor canals, gondolas and a spectacular painted sky; and the Aspire Sports Hall in Sports City, constructed for the 2006 Asian Games. Qatar has become a leading sports destination, with high-level events like the Qatar Masters Golf Tournament, held while we were there, and the Qatar MotoGP, a Grand Prix motorcycle competition coming up in April.
We also took a drive through Education City, a 2,500-acre campus on the outskirts of Doha that provides a base for five U.S. universities, including Texas A&M, and offers an American-style education to Qatari students. Here, too, the architecture is bold and groundbreaking; renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta designed the brightly edgy A&M building with a distinctive Latin flair.
A taste of the desert
After our tumultuous ride through the desert, we arrived at Khor al-Adaid exhilarated and ready to feel our feet on solid ground. The sun sparkled on the water, and shifting dunes cut gentle curves into the blue horizon. I longed to stay for sunset, to spend the night in stillness beside the water. I imagined sleeping in one of the tent communities set up along the way to house “ecotourists,” as they call campers these days. I wanted to outlast the dune bashers and the tourists, to be alone with the silent, star-filled desert night.
“A taste of the desert is a dangerous thing,” Palestinian author and poet Ibtisam Barakat warned me when I told her of my trip.
Back home in Texas, it seems she was right. I still dream of a night in the desert.
IF YOU GO
Luxury abounds in Doha — but be prepared to pay for it.
Where to stay
• Top end: Sheraton Doha Hotel & Resort, the city’s oldest five-star hotel, has a restaurant with belly dancers and one of the best beaches on the Gulf; www.sheraton.com/doha. The Ritz-Carlton’s Sharq Village Spa & Resort boasts individual villas, Rolls-Royce pickup service and the Middle East’s largest spa; www.sharqvillage.com.
• Middle range: Mövenpick Tower & Suites is comfortable and located near the end of the Corniche across from the Sheraton; www.movenpick-hotels.com.
• Budget hotels: Solo women travelers are not accepted at most budget hotels, according to Lonely Planet, which lists three hotels under $200 that it calls the exception to the rule: New Capital Hotel, Regency Hotel and Qatar Palace Hotel.
Where to eat
• Assaha Traditional Lebanese Village: As much an interactive cultural museum as a fine-dining experience, this rambling two-story restaurant replicates a traditional Arab village setting. Watch the breadmaker; try the sweet smoke of the shisha; peruse the collection of artifacts and sample an array of Arabic mezze or appetizers as you await your main course.
• Others: Animato Restaurant at the Mövenpick and Corniche Restaurant at the Marriott are both excellent, as well.
• Alcohol: As in many Muslim countries, alcohol is available in most high-end hotel restaurants and bars, but otherwise can be difficult to find.
What to do
Gulf Adventures: Our tour company was top-notch, with a knowledgeable guide and courteous (if at times adventuresome) drivers. We did the city tour and the desert safari, but other options include scuba diving, sport fishing, a dhow cruise, a night in a Bedouin-style camp in the desert and a north Qatar tour. www.gulf-adventures.comWHERE TO EAT
• Assaha Traditional Lebanese Village: As much an interactive cultural museum as a fine dining experience, this rambling two-story restaurant replicates a traditional Arab village setting. Watch the breadmaker craft a variety of artisanal breads; try the sweet smoke of the shisha, served by elaborately dressed attendants; peruse the collection of artifacts and sample an array of Arabic mezze or appetizers as you await your main course.
• Others: Animato Restaurant at the Mövenpick and Corniche Restaurant at the Marriott are both excellent, as well.
• Alcohol: As in many Muslim countries, alcohol is available in most high-end hotel restaurants and bars, but otherwise can be difficult to find.
