mecabq

Immigration can be time-consuming, although probably not an hour. I don't know the airport well enough to know whether that hour is a busy one, but I would imagine that it's relatively peak. Still, you will have plenty of time.

Alcohol is like elsewhere in the Middle East -- only available in hotels, although in Doha it's even more restrictive than the UAE, in that it's only in a few select hotels. Surprisingly, the best hotels in the city (Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons) don't really have Arabic restaurants (they tend to have Italian, for example) and others (Sharq Village, InterContinental, La Cigale) only have buffets, which are quite upscale with lots of the local standbys but perhaps are not what you're looking for. (Also, by the way, the R-C and FS could easily be a 45- to 60-minute drive from the airport in each direction those times of days.) Your best bet might be the Sharq, which is actually a Ritz-Carlton property and is very close to the airport, and has what seem like (I have not been there) very nice restaurants.

Or, for a bit more local flavor, I could recommend the Al Shami Home Restaurant on C-Ring Road near the Ramada (also close to La Cigale). It's a mid-scale, authentic Arabic place with simple food. Also not romantic or opulent (and no alcohol), but it is fun, and you could walk over to the Ramada down the block afterward and go to Bubbles on Two, a very nice champagne bar. (I know that you think of when you think Ramada, but this is actually a nice four-star hotel with some excellent food and beverage outlets.) There's also the Pearl nightclub at the Marriott (next door to the Sharq), which is pretty nice.

Hopefully someone else on this forum can recommend an upscale Arabic restaurant in the city (to Reteli and to me). . .

expatinglasgow

the sheraton has restaurants that i enjoyed my last trip through doha (a couple years ago).

the al shaheen restaurant at the top of the hotel has a selection of qatari food (though as with most international hotels, such choices are only part of the menu, which can broadly be described as international).

BiziBB

Immigration (in fact all 'officials' at DOH) was a bit of a joke for this westerner.

No trouble or hassle at all. We made sure to exit the Premium Terminal in a quiet time. Had visa in a minute, no waiting.

Cultural difference was the funny thing. No pleasantries, nothing aat all when we were done.

Reteli

Thanks mecabq and expatinglasgow for your tipps. Unfortunately its not going to be the time for outside dining anymore.

@ BiziBB, can they be worse than the Saudi immigration guys when arriving on a flight from India (obviously almost exlusively with migrant workers...)?

that_guy

bump again-

So I'm looking at a flight sequence on QR that entails two 6-hour stopovers in DOH (in the morning, 6 AM - 12PM-ish).

Getting into town- how long does it take, and from what I read, the taxi queue is potentially a long wait.

The visa- as I'm going onward to DXB, and then returning two days later, do I need to buy the visa twice, or does this joint Qatar/Oman visa work fine for this quick double entry?

meFIRST

DOH is worth a stop over if you are flying Qatar Airways and have access to the premium terminal, flying business or better first !. I would spend at leat 5 hours there alone.

Other than that I'd say, pass - Bahrain and Dubai are much more interesting.

Most of the interesting stuff in Qatar can only be done during the day - i.e a tour outside the city - I did one that passed by the major us base. Huge! and of course the natural gas fields that go on, as far as the eye can see.

Spent_All_My_Miles

Agree that there's not a ton. The new Islamic art musem was nice, but a bit underwhelming -- was expecting more on the inside. I suppose they built the museum as big and nicely as they did in anticipation of continuing to build the collection. I'd definitely see it if going there, but maybe not make a special trip just for it.

I might have been given wrong information, but I visited Oman after Qatar and was told the free entry only worked if you went straight there, not via other countries. No idea if that's true or not.

mecabq

Between 6:00am and noon, the airport is not busy, and the taxi line shouldn't be too long, but I agree with meFIRST -- the city is remarkably slow at that time of day. One area that I'd recommend seeing on a stop-over is souq waqif, but that will be pretty much closed in the morning.

In my opinion, the premium terminals are not much to write home about. The food is nothing special and there are few reading materials. There is the "spa" on the first-class side (and a shower on the business-class side), but there is no place to recline and sleep, as there is in the main terminal at the airport.

If you can spare the $28 (I think that you would need a separate visa for each stopover), then I would at least kill an 1-1.5 hours by taking a taxi on a loop through the city -- maybe go to the Ritz-Carlton, which is across town, for breakfast, the walk around the Pearl, the man-made island, although I believe that as of this moment, little will be open in the morning.

Boraxo

Is Doha worth visiting on a Saturday, or is everything closed? Also any hotel recommendations?

I am having a tough time deciding between the Sheraton Resort, Four Seasons and RC. Can you hang out at the pool in a bathing suit (assuming you can brave the temp)?

mecabq

Friday is the day that most things would be closed. Saturday is not much different from a weekday.

The Four Seasons is the best hotel in Doha, no doubt. It depends on price, and what you're looking for, but for a short trip, if you want to hang out by the pool and beach, then it's the right choice.

Of course you can hang out by the pool in a bathing suit.

Condition One

Is there an ATM prior to immigration for me to grab some riyals for the visa fee?

mecabq

Yes, there is a Qatar National Bank ATM on the right-hand side as you're entering the arrivals hall.

However, the immigration counters, where you enter and pay for your visa-on-arrival, only accept credit cards (unless they changed this recently).

Boraxo

Thanks for the tips, mecabq. Any updated recommendations on moderately-priced restaurants (if such things exist?) and nightlife?

mecabq

For moderately-priced Arabic food, I like Assaha Lebanese Village, on airport road, or Al Khaimah on Al Saad Street. Turkey Central has possibly the best kebabs in town, as well as good mezze and shawarma, at bargain-basement prices. Al Sayyad, at the Diplomatic Club, is also good but slightly pricier. Al Shami Home Restaurant (C Ring Road branch) is decent but with a nice environment. Khan Farouk, an Egyptian restaurant at Katara Cultural Village, is pretty good and an attractive setting, including a lady making bread in the dining room.

As for Indian, Bukhara is a pretty good moderate one; or Swagath (branches in Najma or on A Ring Road), a lower-end choice with very good food; Asha's at the Villagio mall; or Chingari (pricier) at the Ramada hotel old tower. Shebastan Palace is a good Iranian (though pricier) or Shater Abbas (Salwa Road) is another choice.

As for nightlife, there isn't much. The only alcohol available is at upscale hotels. Decent lounges include Wahm (W hotel), Spice Market (also W), Skyview (La Cigale), Dunes (Grand Hyatt), Jazz Club (Oryx Rotana), Admiral's Club (Ritz-Carlton), or lounge at the Kempinski residences. The best cigar bar is the Library Lounge (Four Seasons); other nice ones, which offer outdoor seating, are at the Ritz-Carlton or Sharq Village. The Belgian Cafe (InterContinental) is probably the best pub/bar in town and Champions (Renaissance) the best sports bar. I also like the Manhattan Bar (Ramada new tower), a tiny place with a bit of character. As for night clubs, they are poor, but Crystal Lounge (W) is the best, followed by Pearl (Marriott). A few other hotels have night clubs, including La Cigale and the Ramada old tower.

A non-alcoholic version of nightlife can be found at Souq Waqif, probably the best tourist attraction in Qatar (though the restaurants aren't very good; Damasca is a semi-decent Arabic option), or the aforementioned Katara. The Pearl is the best spot for upscale restaurants and bars, but they have suspended alcohol service for the past six months.

Topolino

Moderate (for Middle East standard) and good ... why not in Doha?

Excellent Pakistani food in Doha. ZAOQ Restaurant on Salwa Road, Midmac roundabout: stylish, confortable, clean, popular and excellent food

Best Lebanese in town: Layali Restaurant, Salwa Road, Souq Najid, very popular, Government officials eating and many other food lovers , if you have a guest and you bring it here you cant do a mistake

If you are in the Royal Plaza Mall area in All Sad Street try Oishi Sushi: not sushi only but also many kinds of noodles, bento etc. etc. These japanese food place is much better than you can think"looking from outside". Food is way more than just ok.

All the 3 restaurants that I suggested have own web pages with menu (and prices) so you know what you can expect.

Bon appetit!