Entertainment venues and tourist resorts are witnessing a great turnout from citizens and residents during the current holiday season, as the occupancy rate in hotels reached about 70% to 80%, and the high occupancy rate is expected to continue throughout the season. The majority of families and young people were keen to enjoy the golden beaches that Qatar enjoys, especially in hotels, tourist resorts and public beaches.
Perhaps the most important thing that distinguishes Qatar today is the multiplicity of water parks, golden beaches, ecological farms, forests, natural farms, archaeological caves and ancient rock carvings, which makes it an attractive destination for domestic tourism, away from draining money and savings on foreign tourism. The cities of The Pearl Qatar and Lusail are witnessing a great turnout of families and young people after the amazing developments that the two cities have witnessed recently.
Within a few minutes, these places can be easily reached with the family or on a youth trip, as they meet all desires, whether for sea lovers, green farm lovers, or those looking for nature in the desert and ancient ruins.
Banana Island Resort
The sparkling, crescent-shaped Banana Island is accessible only by boat, a 25-minute journey from Al Shuyoukh Terminal in downtown Doha. The island’s beach offers the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Guests can travel for the day or stay overnight at Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, which features a lagoon-shaped pool, spa, golf course, cinema and several restaurants.
Hina Salma Farm
Organic and natural product lovers should visit Hena Salma Farm for an eco-friendly experience. Growing over 30 different crops, fruits and vegetables, producing dairy products, eggs, honey and meat, the farm is a hub for hospitality, education and wellbeing.
Visitors can stay overnight in traditional tents around a fire, which instills a sense of community, and there is a swimming pool, a wellness room, a library and a kitchen where chefs prepare simple, healthy and nutritious meals.
Bin Ghannam Island
Bin Ghannam Island, popularly known as the Purple Island, is a hidden gem known for its abundance of mangroves. The island’s association with the color purple comes from an ancient dyeing industry controlled by the Kassites, which began over two thousand years ago, when Roman kings coveted the color for their clothing.
Sunset is a great time to visit Purple Island where you can go kayaking or hike around the island to explore the perfect sunset spot for photos.
Our country garden
A green haven on the outskirts of Doha, Baladna Park is a fun-filled family day out with a kids’ adventure land, bumper boats, petting zoo and reptile cave.
The park is managed by Baladna Farm, a 100% Qatari company that is one of the largest livestock farms in the region, providing fresh milk and dairy products to restaurants and residents in Qatar.
The farm is also open to the public, who can discover the milking process in purpose-built sheds that protect the animals from harsh climate changes.
Dahl Al-Masfar Cave
One of the country’s most dramatic natural sites, the cave is the largest accessible cave in Qatar. Estimated to have formed between 300,000 and 500,000 years ago, the cave emits a moon-like glow. In the centre of the peninsula, these same minerals create the “desert roses” – clusters of crystals that inspired Jean Nouvel’s iconic design for the National Museum of Qatar.
Rock carvings
No one knows exactly when the nearly 900 engravings, known as petroglyphs, were created. Discovered in 1957, the distinctive carvings feature motifs including fish, ostriches, dhow boats and cup marks, and span 700 metres.
Some believe the art dates back more than 2,000 years, others place the date just a few centuries ago, and either way, the sculptures offer a tantalizing glimpse into the ancient past and are Qatar’s most intriguing mystery.
Al Zubarah Fort
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Qatar, Al Zubarah Fort is an original example of a traditional Arab fort. The walls overlook the ruins of a once pearl-rich town that saw fierce tribal battles as powerful empires fought for regional dominance.
Visitors to the site will find a museum with artifacts from this historical era, including cannonballs, coins and weights used by pearl divers who used to dive 14 meters to search through thousands of oysters before finding that rare gem.
Inland Seas
There are few places in the world where desert dunes meet seaside beaches. The magnificent “inland sea” or Khor Al Adaid, in southern Qatar, and those with an afternoon to spare should seriously consider visiting these seas, which are only accessible by four-wheel drive.
Visitors should time their trip for sunset or sunrise to get the best photos, and watch for turtles, Arabian oryx and flamingos before taking a dip in the warm sea waters.
Qatar has an exciting array of easily accessible tourist attractions, a wide range of fauna and flora including whale sharks and Arabian oryx, and most experiences are a unique blend of cultural authenticity and modernity.
From iconic museums to soaring restaurants, from thrilling desert adventures to world-famous events, travellers transiting through Qatar should turn one holiday into two with the world’s best stopover packages, launched by Qatar Airways and Discover Qatar and supported by Qatar Tourism.
Qatar Tourism’s mission is to establish Qatar on the global tourism map as a leading destination that blends the authenticity of the past with the modernity of the present, and is visited by people from around the world to explore its landmarks and tourist attractions in the fields of culture, sports, business and family entertainment, all of which are characterised by distinguished service.
Qatar Tourism, which is responsible for organizing, developing and growing the tourism and hospitality industry and encouraging the private sector to invest in it, is responsible for developing the national strategy for the tourism and hospitality sector, following up on its implementation and reviewing it periodically, in order to enhance the diversification of tourism offerings in the country and support the increase in tourism spending.
Qatar Tourism works to enhance Qatar’s presence on the global tourism map and enhance the tourism sector’s ability to reach the target audience directly through a network of representative offices in the most important global markets, and through advanced digital platforms.