Leisure

Doha is the choicest destination to unwind. Being here you can choose the number of options available here to charge up yourself and have some real fun. Sightseeing, visiting the forts, art galleries, historical sites, desert safari will add more to your stay in Doha if you are a tourist! The number of water sport activities, beaches and walkways will also keep you busy.

Let’s start our journey with Doha’s Corniche. Doha’s picturesque palm tree-lined Corniche is one of the most frequented places in Doha. The breathtaking sight of the high rise buildings from the Corniche reminds us that the city is bigger than what we imagine it to be!

Families love to get together at the Al Rumeila Park situated along Doha’s Corniche, just before the post office. Families can go for picnics on the lawns and for the children there is a play park.

Then there is the Heritage Village which gives an impression of a traditional Qatari village!

Souq Waqif will make your evenings unforgettable with bright lights, shops, restaurants and eateries of your choice.

Amid carnival like ambience, one can see local residents and foreigners vying with one another to pinch a deal at various outlets or take a bite at the restaurants offering delectable dishes. Handicraft pieces and ethnic jewellery boxes are also a major attraction for the customers.

Dhows and Fishing are visible on Doha’s Corniche and in the fishing harbours of Al Wakra and Al Khor. Dhows, meaning ‘fishing boats’, leave the harbour loaded with domed fish traps called Gargoor, which are lowered onto the seabed overnight. What’s more is that you can travel on dhows in big groups, enjoy a barbecue and cruise around the bay at sunset.

Musuem of Islamic Art The museum draws much influence from ancient Islamic architecture yet has a unique design. It was the first of its kind in the Persian Gulf and has a very large collection of Islamic art, plus a study, a library, and several restaurants. You can view the ancient collection of Islamic masterpieces. Of course they are a rare sight! The museum is open everyday except Tuesday, from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm and on Friday from 2pm to 8pm. The entrance is free so come and explore the rare collections!

Doha Zoo Located on the edge of town on Al Furousiya Street, Doha Zoo houses more than 1500 animals belonging to 147 species from all over the world. The zoo is open from 8 am to noon and 2.30 pm to 7.30 pm daily, except for Friday mornings when it is closed.

For fish lovers, there is the Fish Souq set alongside the vegetable souq on Salwa road. You can find crabs, crayfish, lobsters, prawns! There is plenty of seafood as well. Aromas and fragrances will pull you towards the Omani souq located just behind the wholesale section of the central market. You can also buy spices, nuts, perfumes, plants, camel sticks and incense burners.

SHOPPING IN QATAR

Souq Waqif

If you are brand conscious then you will surely not miss the shopping malls which house the top brands. But if you are the casual going types and like funky stuff then you must visit Souq Wakif.
At Souq Wakif you can buy traditional yet trendy things! From Pashmina shawls, junk jewellery, abayas, kaftans to henna, scarves, jackets, wall hangings…
You have it all there!

City Center Mall

Amongst all the malls in Doha, the City Center Mall is most frequently visited. You will be tempted to swipe your card each time you enter a shop. However, you will never regret splurging on shopping in the mall. The mall is magnificently built and houses hundreds of world-class brand names.

The mall boasts of having Carrefour which is a giant hypermarket chain, two ice-skating rings one of which is exclusively for women, many multiplex cinemas, a number of cafés and restaurants in addition to two huge food courts, and a famous water park.

City Center Mall, Doha also has a large entertainment centre as well as two 10-pin bowling centers.From books, music, electronics, make-up, clothes to eye glasses, bank, exchange house, food courts… you will find it all under one roof! This saves you time from hopping from one mall to the other!

It houses brands such as Mango, Debenhams, Pierre Cardin, Giordano, Body Shop, Milano and the list just goes on!

The Villaggio Mall,Doha

Located between the Hyatt Plaza and Sport City on Al Waab Street of Doha, the Villaggio mall is the latest shopping mall in Doha, and is also hoped to be one of the largest malls.

The mall has several shops, including the famous brands in the UK, Italian, US and German markets. Such is the mall’s magnificence that the shoppers are left in awe of its beautiful ambience. From an artificial sky, an artificial lake and a small boat… it gives you a feel of Venice in Doha.

Few of the shops already in there, are Virgin megastore offering good music, computer selection and a wide range of books. There are brands such as Hallmark, NEXT, Mango, Claire’s, and Haagen Daaz . There is also the leading Carrefour hypermarket, apart from other stores such as Oasis, Topman, Banana Republic, Massim Dutti, and Topshop.

The Landmark Mall

Located close to the City Center mall, The Landmark shopping mall boasts of several international brands and focuses mainly on clothing, jewellery and cosmetics, apart from Carrefour market for groceries.

Few of the renowned international brands available within this mall include Milano, Esprit, Mango, Benetton, Mexx, and more. There is a one-stop grocery store MegaMart, for vegetables, lentils, pulses and spices. The food courts include the usual well-known fast food brands too, such as the KFC and McDonalds.

The other entertainment features in the Landmark mall are the ‘Circus land’ – an amusement area for children, and a good entertainment for little ones, Haagen-Daaz icecream parlour, and ofcourse the cinema screens.

The Mall

Located along the D Ring Road, adjacent to Lulu Hypermarket, The Mall was the first shopping centre for Qatar. There are a few fairly interesting stores in The Mall, such as the 'Makki gallery' for jewellery, 'Badran Carpets' for well-designed Iranian rugs, and the Q-mart food store, to name a few. For food buffs, there is Chilis among others!

Hyatt Plaza

is a family shopping centre comprising of local and international retailers, entertainment outlets and restaurants. It also houses Qatar’s popular indoor Theme park- Jungle Zone. So get your kids and see them have a gala time!

Divided into three distinct avenues – Fashion Avenue, Service Avenue and Food Avenue, it has become Doha's most comfortable retail, dining, and leisure hangouts. Offering a friendly, cozy ambience, a pleasing green landscape and hassle-free, shaded parking, Hyatt Plaza boasts of the best international brands under its roof. Anchor tenants include names like Giant Store, Paris Gallery and Jungle Zone.

Royal Plaza

Royal Plaza in Qatar is an elegant three-storey shopping mall located along the Al Saad Street. The mall has been designed using essential elements that render elegance and comfort to the facility. The floor layouts enable visitors to walk about each level with ease. The plaza mainly includes luxury goods like watches, coffee shops and few eateries on the second floor. There is also a “Cinema Palace”, the new modern multi-screen Cinema Complex, with a total seating capacity of 412. Royal Plaza has two levels of basement parking, while out of the other seven levels, two are office suites occupied by professional firms.

That’s not all! Salon goers will be happy to find salons in the malls- Paris Nails in Landmark, ‘Nails’ in Royal Plaza and the medical spa in Villaggio. Other than just shopping, there are plenty of other services in these places. Branches of local banks stay open beyond normal hours. On the other hand, telephone bills can also be paid at the Qtel service and payment centres. There are wide selections of home furnishing shops where you can get find your best style and design. The One in Landmark mall and Villaggio, Home Centre in City Centre, iDesign and Bombay in The Mall.

What’s more interesting is that most of the malls here host events throughout the year. From fashion shows, seasonal discounts and offers, children’s shows, lucky draws… just name it and you will find it!

Malls are generally open from 10 am to 10pm, Saturdays to Thursdays and half-day on Fridays. There is also a family day in some of the malls to allow families to shop with ease and comfort.