Bombay Balti Indian Restaurant in the Ramada Hotel

This Indian restaurant is in the old part of the Ramada Hotel (the left side building as you look from the car park), and is situated in the basement. It shares the basement with the Asian restaurant Ruby Wu's. You can order from either menu, so that is good for us as I prefer Indian and my wife prefers Asian food.

The menu is great, I have never had a bad meal there and they do special offers on food too. My wife and I had a selection of dishes for I think it was 220 Riyals between us. My pal Dan and I also had the special offer on beer of four bottles of Kingfisher for 100 Riyals. Great stuff.

The decor is nice and also there is a spectacular sweeping double staircase into the restaurant, it is like being on a Hollywood set. The downside for me is trying to avoid the smokers - when will Doha restaurants and cafes go smoke free???

My favourite licensed Indian restaurant in Doha (Favourite unlicensed one is the Bukhara and this is also my favourite for takeaways too!)

Here is a link about Bombay Balti at Gulf Dine

Bank Charges for Transferring Money

I prefer to transfer my money on line rather than queue at a money transfer shop or in a bank.

In Qatar I bank with the HSBC and in the UK I transfer money to my Lloyds TSB account. The charge for this is in total 106 Riyals, the majority of the charge appears to be from the British end.

106 Riyals is approximately £18 or US$29 or 20 Euros

Maybe you can get better deals if you shop around but this is what it costs me each month to send money home.

PC One shop for computers etc on the Salwa Road

This shop is stocked with all things for computers including hardware and software. We have bought a printer from there and now revisit for ink! It also stocks laptops, some stationery and electrical type gadgets. It is worth a visit to pick up supplies, although for larger hardware items maybe you are better off buying in your home country.

It is situated in a rather awkward place roughly on the Salwa Road/D Ring Road junction. This is OK if you are heading down the Salwa Road towards the Ramada Junction, you just branch off before the flyover. However if you come along the D Ring Road or out of town from the Ramada junction then you will have to go up to Decoration Roundabout and go right round this and come back on yourself down the Salwa Road then branch off on the right before the flyover.

A shop for your computer needs in Doha.

Karwa Taxis in Doha

The Karwa taxis are a sort of duck egg blue colour and the telephone number to order one is 4458-8888. Generally it is quite difficult to find a taxi especially during peak times. Doha does not seem to have enough. You will be lucky to hail one in the street and are better to order one or get one from one of the shopping malls.

For more information from the Qatar Ministry of Affairs website:

There are two types of taxis. The first type is the normal taxi. The Tariff at flag fall is calculated as (4) Qrs. The running rate per km inside Doha City during the day is calculated as 1.20 Qrs. The running rate per km outside Doha City during the day is calculated as 1.80 Qrs. However, the running rate per km at night inside and outside Doha City is calculated as 1.80 Qrs.

The second type is the airport taxi (Limousine). The tariff at flag fall is calculated as 18 Qrs. The running rate per km inside Doha City during the day is calculated as 1.20 Qrs. However, the running rate per km outside Doha City at night would be calculated as 1.80 Qrs. The fees of Call Center regarding the two types is 4 Qrs. The waiting time would cost 8 Qrs per 15 minutes.

The Food Court in Villaggio Mall

The Food Court in Villaggio is pretty big, just ask anyone for directions when you are in the Mall or if they look blank ask where the ice skating rink is. The ice skating rink is in the middle of the food court.

The food court in Villaggio is basically split into two. One side is fast food joints such as McDonalds and KFC etc. There are tables and chairs around the ice skating rink that you can sit at.

On the other side of the food court are some sit down restaurants including TGI Fridays, the Butchers Shop etc.

Depending on what you want to eat either some fast food or a sit down meal you pay your money and you make your choice. You can also watch the ice hockey if there is any on too.

Closing your credit card account in Qatar - A word of caution

I met up with one of my work colleagues the other week and he was leaving the country for good. Therefore he went to his bank to cancel his bank account and also to cancel his credit card.

He said that cancelling the account did not seem to be a problem however when it came to trying to cancel his local credit card it did become a problem.

The bank explained that they needed to hold some money back in his current account for six weeks (i.e. they froze the money) until such time his credit card had no more liability. I can see some sense in this.

However, my pal was spending about 5,000 Riyals per month on his credit card and to make sure that the bank were covered they withheld 70,000 Riyals in his current account for six weeks to cover any defaulting liability.

Best to check on this matter and consider surrendering your credit cards more that 2 months before you leave Qatar.

A Gondola Ride in Villaggio

As Villaggio Mall has an Italian Venice (sort of) theme they have gondola rides that I believe are about 15 Riyals. The boats appear to be electric and go from the main entrance down to the posh shops/food court area.

I must admit that I haven't tried it yet but it is probably something for the kids amusement rather than a romantic ride for couples. Unfortunately a shopping mall does not have the same romantic appeal as Venice!

Just in case you had a craving for a gondola ride!

Talking Matters Toastmasters Meeting - Monday 25 July 2011 at 6.45pm

Talking Matters Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Monday of each month. Toastmasters is a worldwide organisation that give people the opportunity to speak in public. It is also a great place to make friends.

Talking Matters next meeting will be:

Monday 25 July 2011 at 6.45pm at

The Oryx Rotana Hotel

Please ask at reception for the appropriate meeting room.

The first half of the meeting is speeches that have been prepared by members. The second half is the evaluation of the speeches and the lively table topics session. Everyone is encouraged to take part and all feedback is positively given.

As a guest your entry is free and there will be snacks at the interval too.

Please come along for a fun filled evening, make some new friends and join up too!!!

Flower Shop opposite Carrefour in Villaggio

Right opposite the Carrefour supermarket entrance in the Villaggio Mall is a flower shop that does a good selection of flowers and ready to buy bunches of flowers.

They will also make up bunches for you as well to order. You can name a price and they will make you a bunch to order while you wait.

It is a nice shop to be in as it is cool and a nice smell too.

Just the place to get some flowers after you have finished your supermarket shopping. I believe that the shop is called Hollando?

Bank Charges - Monthly Charge

I did not do too much research into current account banking here but I went with the HSBC. In the UK I have a couple of current accounts that do not charge any fees and pay some interest too (don't get too excited it is a very small amount of money).

That is not the case here and to give you some idea of the charge per month for me it is 70 Qatari Riyals.

This is about £12 or US$19 or Euros 13.50 at todays exchange rate (June 2011)

Talking Matters Toastmasters Meeting-Monday 25 July 2011 at 6.45pm

Talking Matters Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Monday of each month. Toastmasters is a worldwide organisation that give people the opportunity to speak in public. It is also a great place to make friends.

Talking Matters next meeting will be:

Monday 25 July 2011 at 6.45pm at

The Oryx Rotana Hotel

Please ask at reception for the appropriate meeting room.

The first half of the meeting is speeches that have been prepared by members. The second half is the evaluation of the speeches and the lively table topics session. Everyone is encouraged to take part and all feedback is positively given.

As a guest your entry is free and there will be snacks at the interval too.

Please come along for a fun filled evening, make some new friends and join up too!!!

Qatar Living Website

Qatar Living is a website for all things Qatar. The website link is here

I would term this a community website and it has the following features:

• Classifieds
• Answers
• Forum
• Restaurants
• Events
• Groups
• News
• Qatar Guide

You will get more benefit from the site if you sign up and you can unlock the treasures that it contains.

I sometimes look there for information and I did use the adverts section to track down some James Patterson/Alex Cross paperbacks too.

Worth bookmarking the site for future reference. Along with Qatar Visitor and Time Out Doha as these also are packed with information about Doha and Qatar.

Lulu Supermarkets at Old Airport and Al Gharaffa

My wife likes to go to Lulu for fish, she says it is the best for that and the fruit/vegetables too. I prefer to go to Giant as we go there every week and know where everything is. However sometimes we go to Lulu instead or as well.

There are two Lulu branches as far as I know? One is down on the Old Airport Site and on the D Ring Road. The other is opposite Landmark out at Al Gharaffa.

The one at Old Airport can get very busy on Fridays and Saturdays and some evenings. You maybe need to pick your time if you do not have the patience for crowds (like me!!!). The one at Al Gharaffa is easier to park for me (or maybe we have just been at off peak times?).

The food selection is good generally, and my wife particularly recommends the fish!!!

Wet car cleaning at the Hyatt Plaza Mall car park

If you go into the Hyatt Plaza car park and looking from the front, the wet car cleaning is to the left of the shopping trolley. The shopping trolley is huge and if you can't see it then I would suggest that you need an eye test :-)

You need to leave your car in the appropriate bays (just follow the water spills) and it usually mean that you have to leave your car for an hour. Cost for outside cleaning is 20 Riyals generally (I think that prices vary a little depending on the size of car) but they use jet washers and make a nice job of things.

In the hour that it takes you can do your shopping in the Hyatt Plaza and come and collect your car later.

They also do inside valetting of your car too, that again I think is about 20 Riyals.

Marks and Spencer in Doha

I have been to two branches of Marks and Spencer. The first one for me is in Villaggio Mall. If you park out the back then you can avoid the heat by parking nearby. It is over two levels, with menswear upstairs and downstairs for womens wear.

The other branch is in Landmark Mall out at Al Gharaffa. This is on one level and can be seen from the car park too (there is also a British Home Stores/BHS next door).

The layout and feel is much the same as the UK branches however the selection is not as good for me. And also the prices are a lot higher than in the UK as well. A pair of chinos that I bought was 250 Riyals that is about £50. In the UK I believe that I would have paid £25 to £30 for these.

There is also no food like in the UK. There is a small food area but this is mainly nuts, crisps, jams etc.

Not sure if the service/returns is as great as the UK. This was one of the big plusses about M&S in the UK.

Still worth a visit to get good quality clothes and goods.

The Fish Market just off the Salwa Road

The Fish Market is situated just off the Salwa Road and is a couple of roundabouts up from the Ramada Junction heading out of town.

You need to get there early, and my wife and I went there at about 7am one Friday morning and it was OK to park but this was probably considered late.

The fish market is a fascinating place but it is not for the feint hearted. The floor is wet so wear some suitable footwear. The traders appear nice and want to show you the fish that they have for sale. A man with a box will attach themselves to you and carry your fish for you.

Once you have got all of your fish you go to the room (see picture) where they will gut your fish for you as required.

Unsurprisingly the entire place smells of fish! Next door is the fruit and vegetable market too.

If you are going to the fish market, get up early.

Yama Yoga at Garveys Club in the European Family Club

My wife and I have been here a few times and it is along the Salwa Road from Ramada Crossroads, across Decoration roundabout and the next two roundabouts. Then about 2/3 of the way along there is a Ponderosa restaurant on your right. Turn right there then first left and right at the junction. The European Family Club is the last on the left. It is not as difficult as it sounds!

They do all types of yoga for all levels and seem to have two halls for this. The people are nice and friendly. For individual classes the cost is 60 Riyals, but they do a discount if you buy in blocks.

I must confess we don't go anymore as we went in Ramadan when I finished work earlier but it was too much to get to the beginners classes after work.

They also do classes at the Ritz Carlton in West Bay.

The Yama Studios Website



Casper and Gambini's Restaurant/Cafe in Landmark Mall

This restaurant/cafe is worth seeking out, especially if you are in Landmark Mall, Doha out in al Gharaffa. It is situated about halfway down the building on the car park side (?) and near one of the entrances to The One furniture store.

We have been there a couple of times and if they had a branch in the other shopping malls we would go out of our way to go to them too.

Nice decor, very attentive service and reasonable prices.

However it is the fresh food and drinks that make it worth the visit. Been dragged around the shops to look at goods then this is the place to take a bit of a break and unwind. Head straight for this cafe/restaurant for a fill me up.

Casper and Gambini review in Dine Out Doha (You need to scroll down a way to find this but there are other restaurant reviews in amongst this)

Food Court in the Hyatt Plaza

A food court is basically where there are a number of fast food restaurants that share tables where the customers can go and eat. The one in the Hyatt Plaza shopping centre (next to Villaggio, the one with the huge shopping trolley outside) is situated to the left hand side as you look at the building.

The food court is bright and clean and you can usually find a table to eat your food quite easily. Most of the usual big chain outlets are there including McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. There is also a stall that sells frozen yoghurt that I enjoy going to too.

Next door to this food court is an indoor amusement park where your children can burn off some of their energy too.

Bice Restaurant on the Pearl Doha

The Pearl is a man made island beyond West Bay in Doha. At the present time (summer 2011) quite a bit of the Pearl is still under construction. However the BICE restaurant in the main area straight over from the bridge to the island (to your right) is open.

We went there for a very enjoyable meal one warm afternoon in the winter and were well served as well as a great view. As we were there before sunset and stayed after this, the view changed from light to dark and was pretty spectacular both times. We sat outside on the terrace but of course you can sit inside too.

The food was pretty good and was well served. The bill was a bit on the expensive side as well.

However worth a visit if you like Italian style food.

A review at Dining In Doha Website

Fancy a walk try Aspire Park

Aspire Park is an oasis of green behind Villaggio and Hyatt Shopping Malls. There is ample parking nearby. It is the place in Doha (along with the Corniche) to go for a walk or let your children off the leash for a while and hopefully burn off some excess energy.

It has a walking track, childrens play area, restaurant, cafe, as well as football fields. In the right weather it is the place to go.

Aspire Park is also a place to go to after sunset as well as some of it is illuminated.

I have only been there once and it was good to get some exercise, however the numerous security guards around and police in golf carts was not great for me but maybe others will see this as comforting.

Aspire Park also has its own Facebook Page

Talking Matters Toastmasters Meeting-Monday 11 July 2011 at 6.45pm

Talking Matters Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Monday of each month. Toastmasters is a worldwide organisation that give people the opportunity to speak in public. It is also a great place to make friends.

Talking Matters next meeting will be:

Monday 11 July 2011 at 6.45pm at

The Oryx Rotana Hotel

Please ask at reception for the appropriate meeting room.

The first half of the meeting is speeches that have been prepared by members. The second half is the evaluation of the speeches and the lively table topics session. Everyone is encouraged to take part and all feedback is positively given.

As a guest your entry is free and there will be snacks at the interval too.

Please come along for a fun filled evening, make some new friends and join up too!!!

A Long Weekend Trip to Abu Dhabi

While you are in Qatar it is nice to explore the area, and Abu Dhabi is an ideal location for a long weekend as the flight is less than an hour from Doha.

When we went we stayed at the Rotana Beach Hotel that was great, nice place with good service. Tell them it is your wedding anniversary or birthday and they will lay on special service for you (it genuinely was our wedding anniversary when we went). Attached to the hotel is a shopping mall.

Abu Dhabi is laid out in a grid and is quite easy to get around, there are also lots of taxis.

Places to visit while you are there: the big mosque on the outskirts of town (this is only open in the mornings for visitors I think); the Abu Dhabi Palace Hotel that is on the waterfront of the Corniche, as well as the Yas Marina Motor Racing Circuit (that has a Ferrarri world place attached now, it was not finished when we were there).

Rotana Beach Hotel Website

Villa or Apartment in Doha?

The issue for me is that during the summer months in Doha the villa option requires a bit of thought!

We had an apartment on the 12th floor in Dubai (out of a 25 storey building) and this was fine. However there were no apartments in the area we wanted to live in Doha so we opted for a villa, that is good too.

However there are a couple of issues you should be aware of in the summer. Firstly the water storage tanks are situated on the roof. Therefore in the summer the water from both taps is very hot. This has the advantage that you can turn off your immersion heaters (and save some cash) but the disadvantage is that the water is generally much too hot for the first couple of minutes. You have to let the water flow through before it drops to just hot from too hot! Everything reverts to normal during the winter months.

Also, as the villas are generally flat roofed the bedrooms become very hot. From our experience, what we do is turn the AC unit on about half an hour before we want to go to bed (with the door shut). Then when we go to bed we turn off the AC but we turn on a big fan (this cost us about 100 Riyals and was a great investment) in the bedroom for the duration of the night. This keeps the room bearable without the need to put the AC on again (when you will wake up an hour later freezing cold).

A couple of matters to consider/overcome about villas.

Talking Matters Toastmasters Club Meeting Monday 11 July 2011 at 6.45pm

Talking Matters Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Monday of each month. Toastmasters is a worldwide organisation that give people the opportunity to speak in public. It is also a great place to make friends.

Talking Matters next meeting will be:

Monday 11 July 2011 at 6.45pm at

The Oryx Rotana Hotel

Please ask at reception for the appropriate meeting room.

The first half of the meeting is speeches that have been prepared by members. The second half is the evaluation of the speeches and the lively table topics session. Everyone is encouraged to take part and all feedback is positively given.

As a guest your entry is free and there will be snacks at the interval too.

Please come along for a fun filled evening, make some new friends and join up too!!!

Special Sunglasses to combat the sun in Qatar - Vision 3K

I went to see Dr Alex at the Al Ahli Hospital to have my periodic eye test examination. No change required due to eye sight deterioration this time but he told me that I should wear grade 4 sunglasses as due to the make up of my eyes they were very suscpetible to the bright sunlight in Qatar during the summer. Also I needed bigger sunglasses than the model I was wearing at the time.

However, grade 4 sunglasses (the darkest tint) are not available in Qatar so I had to use Vision 3K in England via the Internet and get the sunglasses made and sent over.

The sequence was that I looked at the Vision 3K website to check what models of sunglasses were availble (they don't do all brands so better to check the website first to see what they do stock) then went around the numerous glasses shops in Doha and tried on ones that were on the Vision 3K website.

I then ordered the special sunglasses through Vision 3K over the internet, paying by credit card. The service was good and I got my new sunglasses within about 2 weeks and in plenty of time for the summer!

Vision 3k Website

Wahm Bar in the W Hotel in West Bay

I have been to the Wahm Bar a couple of times for a drinks evening with my company and it was quite a pleasant place to go to. It is in the W Hotel in the West Bay area (opposite the City Centre Mall and a block down).

The decor seems to me to be sort of Arabic/Moroccan and it is licenced as well as serving some snacks as well. There is also an outdoor area by a pool. They play music but this is usually not too obtrusive. Unfortunately smoking is allowed that can be off putting.

It is nice place to go, the service is good and you are made to feel welcome. Not sure about the prices as I have never had to pay!

The Yotel at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports

This is not strictly about Doha but we found this a very useful service at London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. A lot of people in Qatar travel home or on business and often go through Heathrow. The founder of the Yo Sushi chain (that he subsequently sold on) has a new business venture in Terminal 4 at London Heathrow Airport and the South Terminal at London Gatwick.

It is based loosely on the Japanese tube type hotel. My wife used the one at Terminal 4 Heathrow. Basically it is a small hotel room in the airport where you can freshen up, take a shower, repack or have a sleep inbetween flights. The room can be hired by the hour so you can time this for your stopover time. My wife said it was clean and a very useful place for an 8 hour flight connection.

There are also Yotels at Schipol in Amsterdam and in New York.

The Yotel Website

Zig Zag Buildings near the Pearl entrance

These are two residential blocks that are on the short road to the Hyatt Hotel and the Ritz Carlton Hotel. This is the area generally near the entrance to the Pearl man made island.

We looked at one of the apartments in 2010 but decided that there were not enough nearby shops for us, however the apartment was very nice (unfurnished). There is a pool there and parking seems OK too.

From  inside on the upper floors you get a nice view out across the waters surrounding the area.

From a distance the buildings are a great design, they look as if they are about to to tumble over and you need to take your camera to take some pictures if you are in the area.

Flower Stall in Hyatt Plaza

In the Hyatt Plaza, which is the shopping centre next to Villaggio and has also has a newly painted huge shopping trolley outside, there is a flower stall by the entrance. The entrance you need to go to is the one that goes directly into Giant, the supermarket.

The shop is squeezed in between the doors and Starbucks opposite Giant. It does a reasonable display of flowers and they will make up a bunch for you as required. This could be by price or by type of flowers. There are also some ready made bunches for sale too as well.

It has the advantage while you are waiting for your bunch to be made up that you can sit in Starbucks and have a coffee or get an ice cream from Baskin Robbins!

Cinema in Doha Villaggio Mall

I love to go to the cinema and in Doha it is a great way to escape the heat of the day too. The cinema is modern with very comfortable seats. It has the usual fast food snacks and has a good selection of films for all (including Arabic and Hindi films too).

They also publish a nice little brochure each week that has small reviews of films, with times etc that is very handy to pick up free from the counter.

Beware that the cinema does not open until about 2.30pm on a Friday, but is generally open at most times during the day and evening.

Talking Matters Toastmasters Club Special Announcement

The New Executive Committee (Ex-Com) of Talking Matters Toastmasters Club for the Year 2011-2012 has sworn-in on their Installation Night at Oryx Rotana on 27 of July 2011.

Talking Matters has celebrated their 186th meeting in a festive mood.

TVS Prasad (President), Ekata Bhatnagar (VP Education), Altaf Mian (VP Membership), Nisha Sivram (VP Public Relations), Sandra Rodwell (Treasurer), Ian Rodwell (Secretary) and Noushad KK (Sergeant-at-Arms) have been appointed as New Ex-Com.

Several Toastmasters from other Clubs, Delegates, Past Presidents and Guests were also present during the ceremony. The new Ex-Com is committed to continued excellence for Talking Matters Toastmasters Club and will lift the club to new heights during the coming year with the valued assistance of all Club Members.

New members are welcome to Talking Matters and meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Monday at the Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha at 6.45pm.

The next meeting is to be on 11 July 2011.