Originally Posted by
Duck1981
I think your timings are very generous.
Don't forget that the malls are not comparable to the malls in say Dubai. The Museum of Modern Art I did in 2 hours, but I am also not really the type who studies every carpet for 20mins. You can do everything in 1,5 days in my opinion.
Assuming you have access to the proper QR lounges, I would go even earlier (but I can easily spend six / seven hours in the lounge
)
Thanks for the inputs. One of the reasons to have an actual stop at DOH vs just transiting, is to visit the Museum of Islamic Art. Had transited thru DOH more times than I could remember, and yes, used the Al Sawa (incl the sleeping room twice) and Al Mourjan each time. Would be interesting to see the new addition of business lounge on this trip.
Originally Posted by
IAN-UK
You're in WestBay with two malls on your doorstep - one large and very busy, the other distinctly upmarket. I can't see the point of going to yet another mall.
You are right about other malls - from the pictures on the net, the fountain outside Place Vendome is very small, no where can compare to the one at Mall of Dubai. Both Mall of Qatar and Place Vendome are being lauded on TripAdvisor forum, hence they pique my interest.
I dont need mall-shopping, just curious to see how the malls look like, why there seems a lot of hype.
Originally Posted by
IAN-UK
The souq is most fun at night
I think so too. Several years ago we did a QR transit City Tour, being the last one at 7pm but we did not head out until well passed 8pm. The Souq was very fun, could not remember whether it was a weekend or not but it was full of families with kids as there was a small Fair Wheel and Merry Goround. Kids looked thoroughly had a super good time. In the side alleys of the Souq we saw local caftsmen still worked on making the dress accessories of their tradition garbs. Very interesting.
Originally Posted by
IAN-UK
At this time of year you can walk the corniche during day or night - but maybe there's more magic to the view at night.
I found the National Museum totally dull and uninspiring, but i think kids enjoy the hands-on stuff. I can't praise the Islamic Art museum enough.
My plan is to visit the Museum of Islamic Art either in the late afternoon on the Day of Arrival - though this is a bit rush as the last admission is 6pm. Would need a taxi to get there since Metro takes too long. Probably just use the balance of the day and evening to explore the West Bay area and the nearby 2 Malls. My plan for the departure day with flight departs at 1:30am, is to do late check out at JWM, then kill time at the lounge / Malls before taking Metro to the airport between 8 and 9pm. Good idea to get familiar of the hotel surrounding area ahead of time. (a long walk to get to the nearest Metro station per Google Map which direct me to go outside street - but I suspect I can walk the Mall from one end to the other end, then exit from Marriott Marquis to the street - Metro station is not far down the road on the same side.)
So may be a better set up is to save the museum visits to next day after having a good breakfast lol. After the visits, stroll the corniche and surrounding green areas. Then enjoy the Souq from early evening.
Originally Posted by
IAN-UK
I think replies have covered the fact that the Pearl is both a kitsch statue on the corniche, and and upmarket residential/commercial/socialising area north of the city proper. The former is completely forgettable, the latter might be interesting if you like that sort of thing - though it really comes to life in the evening. You can get there by metro+metro-bus.
Don't underestimate the pleasure your hotel might offer - pool, gym and just relaxing before the next leg of your journey.
I think you get the picture. Doha, like most cities in the region, is there to be enjoyed after the sun goes down: there are only a few months of the year when outdoor activities are tolerable in the daytime. Mall-shopping can be done anytime, so can museum visits.
You confirm my hunch that The Pearl is not something I feel a must see. Good for those who enjoy the vibe of the upmarketing / socialising thing but not what I would seek it out. It is just too much logistics to get there using public transport. Of course taxi is always an option.
Thanks a lot to everyone for inputs!