🏙️ Should you go to Qatar? What is interesting about Doha? What do tourists need to know before traveling? In this video I will answer the main questions about Qatar and show the sights of Doha. I’ll tell you about the rules for entering the emirate, where to stay and find cheap food, what to see. I will also dispel a few stereotypes. Everything you need in one place for traveling to Qatar on your own for the first time!
🔹 Hotel Imperial Suites Doha 4*, where I lived - vk.cc/coGKjZ
🔹 Take excursions in Doha in Russian here - vk.cc/coTCUU
🔹 Look for tickets from Russia to Qatar on the Aviasales website - aviasales.tp.st/d7DpEl46
📈 Exchange rate at the time of shooting (June 2023): 1 QAR = ~23 RUB = ~0.27 USD = ~0.25 EUR
• Entry rules. Russian citizens can stay in Qatar with a free stamp for up to 90 days (it is placed at the border upon arrival). You do not need to apply for a visa in advance.
• When is the best time to go to Doha? The best time for a beach holiday in Qatar is autumn and spring (in Doha, the Persian Gulf). Winds can blow in winter. Summers in Qatar are hot and humid.
• Currency exchange. You can change money in Doha at exchange offices or through ATMs that have such a function. I used the Travelex exchanger (for every $100 they took a commission of 30 QAR). It is worth going to Qatar with dollars, since the Qatari rial is pegged to this currency.
• Transport. Doha has a metro. It is profitable to buy an unlimited travel card for 24 hours for 6 QAR. You can also travel cheaply by taxi in Doha: use Uber or the official city service Karwa Taxi (the first option is more profitable). You can get from Hamad International Airport to Doha by metro, bus or taxi. Hotels often offer private transfers to guests.
• Where to stay. I lived in an inexpensive hotel near the main attractions of Doha - Imperial Suites Doha 4*. In this video I reviewed it and showed breakfast.
• Prohibitions. It is forbidden to import pork and alcohol into Qatar. You can not take pictures of Arab women, law enforcement officers and government facilities. On public beaches, women are forbidden to appear in European swimsuits. In Qatar, dress respectfully for Muslim culture. Alcohol is banned in the country (exceptions are hotels).
• What to try in Qatar? From national dishes - pilaf makbus and sweet vermicelli balalit. From street food in Qatar, you need to try triangular pies (sambusa), chapati, shawarma. From sweets - dessert kunafa. Drinks - spiced karak tea and Arabic coffee.
• Where to eat? Average prices in standard (not "Michelin") restaurants and cafes are 100 QAR for a dish and a drink, 50 QAR for a coffee with dessert. Some establishments offer a "business lunch" for 70-100 QAR per person. You can eat inexpensively in Doha at Karak Mqanes and Chapati & Karak eateries. In the Souq Waqif market, I recommend Shay Al Shoomos (an inexpensive restaurant of the famous native of Qatar) and Shay & Rqaq (an eatery with delicious chapatis). Doha's popular supermarkets are Al Meera, Carrefour, Spinneys (prices for many products in Qatar are comparable to those in Moscow).
😍 What to see in Doha:
• Corniche
• Doha Old Port and Mina District
• Box Park
• Katara Cultural Village: amphitheater, Golden Mosque, pigeon towers
• Souq Waqif Market
• Falcon Bazaar
• National Museum of Qatar
• Museum of Islamic Art
• The Pearl-Qatar Islands and Qanat Quartier
• West Bay area (skyscrapers)
While relaxing in Doha, it is worth a trip to the city of Lusail, which was built specifically for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. And also visit the desert and Education City.
I came to Qatar for the first time and was delighted! It was very hot in Doha in June, but I'm still happy with the trip.
⏰ Timestamps:
0:00 - In this episode
0:21 - Briefly about Qatar
1:38 - Hamad International Airport
2:17 - Entry rules
2:36 - Currency exchange
3:08 - How to get from Doha airport to the center
3:34 - Transfer to the hotel
4:24 - Where to stay in Doha
5:12 - Overview of the apartments where I lived
7:11 - Breakfast at the restaurant
8:18 - Public transport
9:37 - Taxi in Doha
10:33 - Boat trip
11:38 - Katara Cultural Village
13:09 - About a beach holiday in Qatar
13:32 - Corniche
13:45 - Box Park
14:12 - Fish market
14:41 - Mina District
15:19 - Souq Waqif
16:35 - City Center Mall
16:58 - Skyscrapers (West Bay area)
17:21 - Evening Doha
18:11 - Bans in Qatar
19:34 - Where to eat in Doha
20:17 - Conclusion
#Qatar #Doha #Travel #Tourism #MiddleEast #PersianGulf #VisitQatar
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