Take off to Qatar

Thanks to its thirst for world-class art and heritage treasures, Qatar easily backs up its billing as the ‘cultural hub of the Middle East’. Capital Doha lays claim to more leading museums and art galleries than you can count, with the Museum of Islamic Art sitting at the top of its cultural tree. Here, you can walk through 14 centuries in just a few hours, with three continents’ worth of textiles, paintings, ceramics and glassworks to pore over. 

Both the National Museum and the Msheireb Museums celebrate Qatar’s rich heritage, from the history of the Bedouin right up to how the discovery of oil transformed the nation. Truth be told, all of Doha is much like a museum and gallery rolled into one, where past and future is showcased in its eclectic architecture – only without the attention and crowds that neighbour Dubai endures. 

There are glinting skyscrapers at Qatar’s core, but an ancient heritage is also alive amid the humming alleys of Souq Waqif and Katara Cultural Village. The latter was designed to feel like an ancient fereej (neighbourhood) complete with twisting alleys, mosques, courtyards and an amphitheatre. The old and new is also visible away from the capital, with public art installations such as Richard Serra’s epic ‘East-West/West-East’ sharing the Qatari coastline with the crumbling ruins of Al Zubarah Fort – Qatar’s only UNESCO World Heritage site.

Beyond sleek, hyper-modern Doha, Qatar is a land bursting with adrenalin-fuelled adventures. As a general rule of thumb, venture out of Doha in any direction and you’ll encounter endless ripples of golden whipped dunes. These flaxen-hued landscapes were once explored by the Bedouin people on the backs of camels; these days, sheering down dunes in a SUV has become the thrill-seeking way to explore the desert. It’s a white-knuckle ride that your driver will relish, performing stomach-flipping moves and careening across the sand. 

While the desert may attract the attention of most adventurers, the coast offers similar thrills. Qataris love water sports, and there are all manner of activities to suit those looking for every speed of adventure. Embark on a gentle paddle through the mangrove waterways of Al Thakira on a stand-up paddleboard or snorkel off the beaches of Bu Samra for sightings of dolphins, crabs and iridescent coral. Even Doha offers you a chance to get active offshore, from kayaking around the man-made Pearl island at dusk to sampling introductory dives or gliding down to discover coral-encrusted shipwrecks such as the Pericles. 

For the more intrepid-minded, adventures can be sought in even the most remote corners of Qatar, such as hiking among the unique rock formations of Ras Abrouq or scrambling 40m down into the Dahl Al Misfir cave.