Qatar

November 2012: We had a long weekend in Kuwait (Lunar New Year), so we decided to take a little trip to Doha. We had a couple of friends there, and wanted to get out of Kuwait for a bit and enjoy some (real) drinks. Plus the flight only takes an hour. We stayed at the Hilton (decent price), we had a huge room, and the hotel was right on the water. There was a decent buffet, and a nice pool/beach area. 

walk along the water

Doha has a great waterfront pathway, with lots of grassy areas where people can sit and enjoy. We walked all the way from our hotel to a museum. It was a long walk, but we did it at night so it wasn't too warm, and it was pretty cool with the downtown buildings lit up. 

museum of islamic art

This museum is beautiful, both from the outside and the inside. We really enjoyed wandering through it. Very open foyer with beautiful lights and a staircase, and the art was interesting to look at. Especially if it's your first time to a museum in the Middle East. I recommend visiting.

souq

The Doha Souq (market) surprised us, as it was a lot cleaner than the one in Kuwait. Don't get me wrong, I love the Kuwait souq, but this one seemed more geared towards tourists maybe? You HAVE to go to a souq if you are in the Middle East. No question. And this one is nice to wander around in. All outdoors, narrow streets with shops everywhere. And they have a little restaurant, which you should definitely eat at (see below for food and drinks).

food and drink

I love Arabic food. Again, if this is the first time to the Middle East...here are a few foods you should try (all my favourites): falafel, shawarma, shish taouk, humous, fatoush salad. For drinks, you can only get alcohol at the hotel bars and restaurants. Having said that, there are a lot of hotels with some good bars and clubs if you need a few drinks. I'm sure you'll find all the westerners there as well.