subject: Stay In Doha Hotels In The Capital City Of Qatar. [print this page] Qatar is an up and coming nation, with its prosperity fuelled by its oil and gas industries, and much of these substantial revenues are being used to transform its capital city, Doha, into a modern bustling trade and tourist centre ideal for business people and tourists alike to stay in its Doha hotels. Its stunning skyline of modern skyscrapers reflects the development in both building and transport going on in this affluent city, and it is well on its way to becoming one of the foremost cities in the Persian Gulf, rivalling Dubai as a premier destination for travellers.
Shopping is marvellous here and the dedicated shopper will find tax free shops which are generally cheaper than Dubai. Be prepared to haggle this is the East and you may just find yourself with a bargain. The largest Mall in Doha is the City Centre-Doha where you can buy almost anything but look out for some good jewellery. Designed on the Italian style, the Villaggio is a newer mall, and here you will find the western style stores which also include fast food restaurants, and it includes a canal with gondola rides for a break from your shop till you drop day before you carry your purchases back to one of the superb Doha hotels. For the authentic Middle East shopping experience, though, you must go to one of the souks, or traditional markets. You will be expected to haggle as the stalls are run by traditional market traders. Here you can buy genuine spices from the east and exotic smelling incense. In the Old Souk you can buy your genuine souvenirs and may even see traditional hunting hawks for sale. The Gold Souk is where you can buy all forms of jewellery and gold in particular is a speciality, but again, dont pay the first price you are asked.
Food in Doha is as varied as its inhabitants. There is a booming Indian population and small Indian restaurants are situated mainly in the centre of Doha. These are reasonable and provide excellent and tasty food. Middle Eastern cuisine is also reasonably priced. The western influence is ever present in the numerous American fast food chains which have branches throughout the city such as McDonalds and KFC, and there are also more up market outlets like TGIFriday and Applebees.To drink, there are lots of coffee houses such as Starbucks, but alcohol is only available in bars attached to Doha hotels, and the laws are very strict about this. Alcohol may even be confiscated at the airport so do not bring it into the country.Instead, you could drink tea in a sheesha cafe and spend the afternoon smoking apple flavoured tobacco through a hookah or water pipe, for a completely eastern experience.
