Destination Information - Doha, Qatar

Until recently, Doha did not hold much in the way of travel cachet. It was a safe and comfortable place to wait out your stopover, but as a destination for the independent traveller, it was often found lacking. For the past few years though, the city has been busy scrubbing away at the blandness, revealing a quirky charm that grows on visitors even during a short stay.

Impressive new developments are underway along the popular waterfront Corniche, which is getting a polish of its own, along with upgrades for the city's airport and roads. And with hotels being refurbished left, right and penthouse, Doha never shined so bright.

Doha boasts a number of museums and historical attractions, pre-eminent of which is the National Museum, a celebration of all things Qatari housed in a fantastic Arabian palace. Only a short hop from here, you can bake on the sands of Palm Tree Island or hire a dhow to take you around the scenic bay.

If you should tire of city life, the rest of Qatar is virtually on the doorstep, offering some splendid scenery and interesting historical attractions to those with a taste for adventure.