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25TH SEPTEMBER 2023 THE TRAVEL GUIDE DISTRIBUTED WITH Uncover the beauty of Qatar After hosting last year’s FIFA World Cup, this Middle Eastern gem continues to go from strength to strength


THE NED DOHA


On the northernmost tip of the penin- sula of Qatar, where the Arabian Gulf laps the golden sands of Fuwairit Beach, kite surfers from all over the world gather to somersault and whoosh over calm, warm waters. Tough locals long knew that Qatar — with its endless blue-sky weather and reliable breezes — offers some of the best kite-surfing conditions on the planet, it was only when Fuwairit Kite Beach resort opened here last year that holidaymakers started to follow. Daubed in colourful graffiti and with airy, glass-walled rooms and terraces that offer unimpeded sea views, the hotel also includes everything any prospective kite surfer might need to give the sport a go. Te setting is now so successfully embedded in the global kite-surfing circuit that it’ll host the Visit Qatar GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup Finals this December. Tat


championship, of course,


follows on the heels of another sporting extravaganza. Prior to hosting football’s biggest competi- tion last year, Qatar invested billions to improve its infrastructure and hospitality offering. Visitors can still reap the benefits of a diverse (and surprisingly affordable) hotel port- folio, high-tech attractions and seam- less connectivity throughout the capital Doha aboard an immaculate new metro system where single jour- neys cost about 40p. But we’ll get back to all that, because to really understand present-day


Qatar, you need to venture beyond its main city. Ringed by a 350-mile coastline and a seemingly endless parade of pristine beaches, this is a surprisingly compact country where it takes an hour or so to drive from the eastern seaboard to the western coast, and less than three hours to venture from kite surfing at Fuwairit to exploring the majesty of the Inland Sea at Qatar’s southern border. A startling and spectacular


geographical anomaly, this is where the sea flows into the desert’s inte- rior. Tumbling directly into those turquoise waters, the region’s moun- tainous sand dunes shimmer in the sunlight and provide a one-of-a-kind playground for adventurers. Joining a convoy of 4x4s for a dune-bashing excursion is exhilarating, though intrepid types might also like to try sandboarding and paratriking, and those who prefer to move at a slower pace can trek over gently shifting sands by camel. At night, couples can retreat to plush desert camps like Te Outpost Al Barari (where many of the tented suites feature private pools) for sunset barbecues followed by stargazing under dazzlingly clear night skies. Back in Doha, the dining options


are even more distinctive. At Souq Waqif market, where spice sellers’ stalls perfume the air with aromatic wafts of cardamom and cinnamon, families feast into the night on sizzling shawarmas at the casual cafes that line pedestrianised


walkways. Te atmosphere’s reli- ably celebratory during sundowners at Al Maha Island, where DJs play at the upmarket restaurants and beach clubs that line the water’s edge. Te romantic rooftop restaurants of West Bay’s skyscrapers offer sweeping views of the Arabian Gulf and rose- pink sunsets alongside innova- tive fine-dining menus covering everything from superlative sushi to pan-Asian delicacies. Even by London’s high stand-


ards, Doha stands out as an incred- ibly multicultural


city — every


taste is authentically covered. And when big-name restaurant brands debut here, they typically deliver a distinctly Qatari take on their typical


offering. A sister restau-


rant to its namesakes by Liver- pool Street and in Covent Garden, the country’s recently launched SUSHISAMBA is the brand’s first beach club. Housed in a beautiful 1970s Brutalist building, Te Ned Doha hotel’s outdoor Malibu Kitchen is shaded by picturesque folds of flut- tering fabric and stands beside one of the chicest open-air pools in the city. Its upbeat weekend brunch — featuring live entertainment, beau- tifully presented Californian dishes and a generous drinks offering — is legendary. Te atmosphere tends to be


much more peaceful at Qatar’s many museums and galleries. Te sister of Qatar’s ruling emir and one of the many female trailblazers


PLACE VENDOME


At night, couples can retreat to plush desert camps like Te Outpost Al Barari (where many of the tented suites feature private pools) for sunset barbecues followed by stargazing under dazzlingly clear night skies


determining the country’s future, Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al Tani has overseen investment in a portfolio of innovative cultural attractions and awe-inspiring public artworks that’s unrivalled in the region — or globally. Perhaps the country’s most beau-


tiful building, the Jean Nouvel-de- signed National Museum of Qatar features a facade of interlocking discs that reference the crystalline form of the rare desert rose; among its many treasures outlining Qatar’s long history, the sparkling Baroda Carpet is an 18th-century masterpiece inlaid with rubies, emeralds and sapphires alongside 1.5 million or so locally sourced pearls. Deep in the desert,


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