How to Live Like a Local in Qatar on Your Holiday - How to Spend a Vacation in Qatar like It's Your Home Base

As one of the Middle East's most dynamic holiday hotspots, Qatar welcomes visitors from around the world. With a vast majority of its residents made up of expats, it is safe to assume that it's easy to adopt the local lifestyle when one moves to this desert nation. From hitting the best restaurants to taking part in more traditional activities, here's how holidaymakers can also enjoy their getaway like a local during their time in Qatar.

1. Shop like a Local

Interior of Doha Book & Souvenir store | Image via Unsplash

While the Doha Mall, Doha Festival City, and other high-end luxury department stores are the main retail hubs where tourists are concerned, walk off the beaten path and head to the souqs instead. Those who have never ventured inside a maze-like thoroughfare in the Middle East will find these extensive marketplaces the best venues to grab tasteful souvenirs and other products that are frankly not available in plush malls and shopping complexes. Retailing everything from solid gold and diamonds to spices, carpets and perfumes, the souqs in Qatar offer travellers a unique retail environment in which one can not only strike a bargain but also soak up the culturally rich atmosphere at the same time. Head to local favourites such as the Al Souq or Souq Waqif to get a taste of what shopping in an Arab nation is truly like.

2. Cool Off at Local Hotspots

While splashing around in the swimming pool at Al Najada Doha Hotel by Tivoli or heading indoors to one of the many air-conditioned restaurants in Doha Qatar may provide some relief from the heat, the best way to cool off is to surround oneself with greenery in one of the country's top parks. Doha, the nation's capital is also home to a breathtaking collection of public parks that are free to access including the Museum of Islamic Art Park and Aspire Park. The Al Bidda Park and the MIA Park are other lush corners of this otherwise humid holiday hub where one can grab a cone of ice cream and relax or read under the shade of a towering tree.

3. Brunch in Style

Friday brunch is a veritable rite of passage all tourists holidaying in Qatar must experience as this is when locals welcome the weekend and wine and dine to their heart's content in a charming hotel. Taking place well into the late afternoon, the top hotels in most Qatari cities will serve up their finest continental and Middle Eastern treats for guests to savour in a buffet that is as extensive as it is irresistible. Live music or entertainment is also usually part of the brunch experience on Fridays so head down to the nearest hotel and don't forget to bring along a hearty appetite.

4. Weekend Plans at The Pearl

When it comes to weekend recreational spots, none are quite as popular among families and couples living in Qatar as The Pearl. The manmade isle is a leisure Mecca for the masses and resembles Monaco with its stunning marina and the colourful yachts moored at Porto Arabia. Tourists can spend time walking along the Qanat Quartier with its pastel-coloured households or wine and dine in the cafes and eateries lining Medina Centrale or stop by the illustrious galleries and designer shopping venues scattered around the island.

5. Dig into Street Food

Locals are so used to nibbling on treats off the streets of Doha and other cities; so, one shouldn’t miss out on sampling these flavourful delicacies during a holiday in the country. To the ubiquitous Shawarmas and falafels to Luqaimat and Samboosa, there's something to tantalize every traveler's taste buds.

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