Doha Educational Trip November 26 - 29 November 2017
Qatar Airways had started flying from Dublin in May 2017 and I had used the airline for booking a number of long haul destinations. I was excited to fly with the airline myself and also to visit Doha to see what it had to offer.
I was not disappointed with either the airline or Doha itself!!!
I had the pleasure of flying Business Class from Dublin to Doha and economy on my return. I experienced excellent service in both cabins. If you have a long layover, I highly recommend spending time in the Business class Lounge at Doha Hamad International Airport. It is extremely spacious, and I can only describe it as similar to a deluxe 5* Hotel Lounge. It is available free of charge to Business Class and First-Class passengers, and for a fee to economy class passengers who fly with Qatar.
Landing in Doha, we stayed as a group in the City Centre Rotana Hotel. Contemporary large bedrooms, large spacious lobby and 7 distinctive dining venues, with a range of cuisine. The Teatro Restaurant/Lounge serves fabulous Cocktails and Mocktails and has nightly entertainment. The hotel itself is attached to the City Centre Mall, perfect for shopping!
We visited The Museum of Islamic Art which I would highly recommend from a cultural point of view, representing the full scope of Islamic art across three continents over 1400 years and from here the amazing views back to Doha Skyline.
For some luxury we ate breakfast on the beach at Sharq Village Resort & Spa. A very traditional and relaxed hotel for both leisure and family holiday. Lunch was enjoyed at the Four Seasons, amazing food and again we dined on the beach. This hotel is excellent for family holiday and features the largest Nobu Restaurant in the World. Later, we visited Shangri La, Intercontinental and Movenpick Hotels. Followed by visits to the Katara Cultural Village, the Pearl (a manmade Island) and the obligatory Souq Waqif. Compared to other Souq’s I have visited, this is the most pleasant I have ever been in, I was able to happily browse the stalls and shops in peace.
The highlight of our trip was the Desert Safari and a visit to the Inland Sea, a Unesco recognised natural reserve and the Regency Holiday Desert Camp. This was an amazing place where you can also have the option to stay overnight. This camp is also the perfect destination for a honeymoon. Here, I enjoyed a refreshing swim in the beautiful waters, followed by an excellent traditional lunch.
Doha is a destination in its own right and in particular a lovely winter sun destination and excellent stopover city. I am already looking forward to the day I return. If you would like more information on this wonderful destination, or are thinking of booking a break to here, please do not hesitate to contact me.