My Trip to Doha, Qatar

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There were nine of us; eight travel agents and one representative from Qatar Airways, seven from Dallas Metro-Plex and one from Houston who joined the rest of us on arrival in Doha.

We boarded the flight QR734 on the 3^rd of October from DFW international airport embarking on a 15H20 M flights bound to Doha the Capital City of Qatar. My first thought was “OMG 14+ hours inside a tube God help me” but to my pleasant surprise and the good fortune of working for a major global travel company www.riya.travel I had the privilege of travelling on business class.

The 14 plus hour journey in business class on board a five star airline Qatar Airways; Once you board this majestic aircraft manufactured to the specifics of Qatar Airways by Boeing, the 777-200LR you are treated to a fresh hot towel that would immediately sooth your tired face and handed to you by a gorgeous flight attendant is a flute of the finest champagne in the world and for those of us like myself they very gallantly offer the non-alcoholic version of the bubbly. Sit back relax and enjoy the flight! This statement can be attributed fully to their business class service; which offers the traveler the true lie-flat comfort that may be the closest thing to your bed at home. You are also offered complimentary 100%!c(MISSING)otton PJ’s,designer toiletries, slippers and what not, for your added comfort while cruising to your destination. The cuisine on board is dine-on-demand for the premium class traveler, and the array of choice is a unique gastronomical experience. You have the luxury of treating yourself to a fresh smoothie or a hot cup of a world class cappuccino is one of many luxuries you can treat yourself to on board while flying with Qatar Airways in premium class. You want an opportunity to experience this luxury at 36000 feet up in the clouds visit www.riya.travel to get the best deal to fly business class on Qatar Airways.

Arriving at Hamad International Airport, wow it is a uniquely aesthetic structure rising from the golden desert sands surrounded by blue waters, and yet built of solid world class structure probably to withstand any natural force but yet bounce of melodies of the echoes of her ever growing travelers. This is the first impression of the people and the state of Qatar, a commanding personality but generous and welcoming in nature. This international airport offers a unique paradigm to its travelers, especially when you are traveling business, you are whizzed through a special lounge facility where you will be greeted by a Qatari national immigration officer, who will take no more than five minutes to stamp you out and welcome you to this pearl of the Arabian gulf; Doha- Qatar. Like her flying partner Qatar Airways who bring you to this airport, HIA airport business class lounge offers dine-on-demand in addition to the gastronomical extravaganza of a world class buffet; offering cuisines of the world to fulfill the thirst and hunger of a multi ethnic and culturally diverse taste buds.

Doha, The capital City of the State of Qatar is a peninsula in the east of Arabia bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, and extremely rich in petroleum deposits. Here are some interesting facts shared by our very friendly tour guide Mr Hari a Nepalese national working for Qatar Tourism as an official guide for many years; the entire state comprises an area of 4,416 square miles and shelters a population of approximately two million people out of which only 20%!p(MISSING)erson make up the Indigenous Qatar Nationals. The small but rich state is rich in petroleum and petro chemical minerals and many other natural resources. The GDP of the small country is over one hundred thousand dollars making it the richest country in the world. Also stated by our very impressive tour guide Hari, there are no poor Qatari Nationals, they are either just rich, very rich or super rich. The State of Qatar provides its citizens, with free water services, home telephone, healthcare and many more facilities making it one of the most socially responsible country in the world.

Our visit to Qatar included a quick trip to some of the following interesting and amazing sites within the vicinity of the city of Doha;

Pearl Qatar- a brand new city being built on reclaimed land from the Persian Gulf at a cost of approximately two hundred billion dollars to be completed by the end of the year 2015, will provide housing to approximately forty five thousand families, shopping centers, schools, hospitals and every conceivable facility that one can ever imagine in a 21^st century modern city. This coastline city is the first lands in Qatar to be available for free hold ownership to foreign nationals.

The Old Harbour- this is where you can see a display of the old dhows that was owned and operated by the original pearl fishers, which was the only source of income to the locals. But with the introduction of the relatively cheaper option the “mikimoto pearl” introduced by the Japanese decimated this centuries old traditional heritage and livelihood creating a severe economic crisis to Qataris of the glorious past. Today it is a tourist site and one can enjoy a ride around the waters.

Katara Village- the name is derived from the ancient name of the state of Qatar, and this cultural village is actually the location of the ancient city and it is built on preserving the old architecture with the luxury of modern amenities. The birth of Katara was with a vision to preserve the local culture and to spread the awareness of all cultures of the world. It is known to host many international cultural events promoting cultural diversity and ethnic harmony through Art, Music, Theater, literature and more.

The Museum of Islamic Art- A majestic structure designed by I.M. Pei a world renowned Chinese American architect. This structure sits on an island off the Doha Corniche surrounded by a park without obstruction of the rapidly emerging sky scrapers. This museum houses some of the best in Islamic art and artifacts dating back to many early Islamic civilizations and caliphate. We were also surprised to see a special display of the famous Indian warrior Tipu Sultan. We took the quick route to just rapidly glance through the exhibits as a result of being kind of tired and gradually working up an appetite to the traditional lunch awaiting us. It typically would take someone anywhere from two to three hours to grace the entire museum and enjoy and appreciate the display of art and historical culture through an aesthetic perspective.

Souk Al Waqif by Day & Night – since a lunch rendezvous was at this location we took a walk through this century old standing market heading toward the hotel for treat to an Arabian lunch. On our way we made a pit stop at a shop where falcons are sold. Falconry is famous in Arabia is a traditional sport. This souk comes alive after sunset and is bustling through the night into the midnight. You can pick up some reasonably priced souvenirs and many a bargain on variety of interesting stuff, including gold at a bargain. We picked up some stuff and went on to enjoy our dinner followed by another browse around the souk. It was during the holidays celebrating Eidul Adha hence we had the opportunity to take in the festivities and frolic of the local celebrations.

It was a wonderful experience squeezed into a day and half but truly enjoyable adventure, leaving you wanting for more, almost like a good story teller. The local people are a unique breed, sometime gazing at you with an inquiring mind, but wonderful in every aspect in displaying their rich culture and hospitality. I would love to go back and spend more time in discovering and experiencing the entire country and see more of what Qatar is all about. A pearl in the Arabian Gulf, rising from the desert with so much to offer its peoples in this small but rich peninsula. If you like to book a trip to Qatar or any other destination of your dreams speak to the experts at Riya call 1877 669 7492 or click www.riya.travel

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