Far from the crowds, residents rediscover Qatar’s natural heritage

A road trip to various places across Qatar, even during the summer season, is becoming a popular activity among residents, it is learnt.

The recent Eid al-Adha holidays had seen many families and groups of friends visiting some of Qatar’s beaches, historical sites, museums, and public parks, among others, to try new adventures or make unique retreats from a busy city.
Many residents also want to explore the country’s “hidden natural heritage,” spending their time and resources under searing temperatures other than just staying in the malls.
“We find this kind of road trip as a unique experience than staying in a cool place. Apart from the adventure and fun, we learned and discovered a lot of things about Qatar,” long-time Filipino expatriate John Taneza told Gulf Times.
Taneza and his friends started their trip at 10.30am from Doha to Al Ghariya beach, a popular place for jetskiing. It is learnt that porta cabins can be rented in the area, especially for those who want to stay overnight or longer.



A fishing boat serves as a monument in Al Ruwais. PICTURE: John Taneza




Water rides a popular activity at Al Ghariya beach.

While part of their plan was to take a dip in the beach, he said the strong currents in the area prompted them to consider Dukhan instead.
“After having our lunch break we headed towards Al Ruwais, the country’s northernmost part with around 4,000 residents,” Taneza added. “We met many fishermen, it is a popular place for fishing and they even built a fishing boat monument there.”
From Al Ruwais, the group passed by Qatar’s Unesco Heritage site, Al Zubarah Fort, and went to Dukhan for their final stop before going back to Doha.
According to Taneza, dozens of families and groups were also spending their Eid holidays at the Dukhan beach, taking a dip in the afternoon and having some barbeque in the evening.
“It was a long ride, very tiring, but all worth it with friends and peers,” he stressed, as he urged other residents to try it.
A number of residents also posted pictures and similar experiences on social media saying that they enjoyed the road trips and visits to places such as Al Zubarah Fort, Zekreet, Al Thakira (a popular place to kayak), Al Khor Park, Purple Island and Fuwayrit beach.
Like Taneza and other residents, one Sayed Farooq documented their road trip going to Al Zubarah Fort, posting a couple of pictures of the archaeological site on September 4 and 5 on his Facebook account.
He also took a picture of an inscription confirming “Al Zubarah’s ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ as an urban trading and pearl diving town, a tradition that sustained major coastal settlements of the region from the early Islamic time to the early modern period.”
A long time Indian expatriate who did a similar road trip a few years ago said such endeavour is “like giving myself a great treat”.
“The first time I went to ‘Film City’ with Indian family and friends, it was really a wonderful experience,” he added. “I love to visit historic places.”