Qatar National Day Holiday 18 December 2011

Just so that you know there is a public holiday on this day each year and you will get the day off from work.

Maybe they will have some fireworks at the Corniche as well?

A lie in!!!

The spa at the Four Seasons Hotel

We have been to quite a few spas in Dubai, Doha and other countries. However one afternoon we had a tour round the Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel. It looked to me to be the best I have seen. The staff were very nice and showed us around nicely.

The decor and lighting were sumptous and there was a full range of treatments and massage. You can also use the fitness centre and the private beach too. They recommend that you book to ensure that there is space for you.

It is a tad on the expensive side but would be great for a birthday treat!!!!

Four Seasons Website.

Ice Skating in Doha

Doha hasn't built a ski slope like Dubai yet but it does have a couple of ice skating rinks if that is what takes your fancy. I usually end up sitting on the ice or clinging on to the rail so I am just an observer!

One of the rinks is in City Centre Mall that is out in West Bay. This to me generally seems just for the public to use and you can hire skates there and skate to your heart's content.

The other rink is in the Food Court of Villaggio Mall. When I have been here (to the Food Court!) it often seems to be used by ice hockey teams so you will need to check out with them there if you want to go individual or family skating. However, it is nice to watch from the sidelines while you have a coffee.

Middle East Hub about ice skating

Expedia.com Website for your holidays

I have found that Expedia.com is the best website that I have found for your holiday travel needs. You can select either just the flights, or hotels, or car hire and it gives you choices that you can refine until you get just what you want.

The website is really easy to use and helpful in that it gives you plenty of options that you can chop and change. If you do have any questions then I have found the people really friendly and easy to deal with.

Expedia also have a UK website that I tend not to use from Qatar as most of the deals seem to be from the UK. The .com version (based in the USA) seems easier to use for holidays originating from Doha.

Nando's Portuguese Restaurants in Doha

Nando's is a Portuguese chain of restaurants focusing on chicken with piri piri sauce. As my wife is Brazilian she likes this sort of thing and I am OK with visiting Nando's too.

There are three branches that I know of in Doha. One is in City Centre Mall, another in the Hyatt Plaza Mall (at the entrance to Giant Supermarket) and there is another down the Salwa Road.

Ideal for children as well as adults and if you need your chicken fix then get to Nando's.

Some Trip Advisor Reviews

The Gourmet House Shop in the Kempinski Hotel

The Kempinski Hotel is a fairly new hotel to Doha (writing now in 2011) and to your left as you go through the door is the Gourmet House shop that has fancy cakes, biscuits, coffees etc. From my own experience it has very expensive olive oil too!!!

It is a nice little shop for having a wander round and talking to the staff there. You can also choose a cake or two and pop into the cafe next door and eat it there.

Kempinski Hotel Website

Using Yahoo Messenger to keep in contact

I am much happier sending emails or phoning someone but some people like to use Yahoo Messenger (or similar applications in MSN or Facebook) for staying in contact.

I have only used Yahoo a couple of times for this and it is not really for me. Basically you just go on line on the site and look for your friends who are also on line then click on their name/symbol and type a message. The software will tell you when the other person is typing when they reply.

Fuddruckers Restaurant

I have not personally been in this restaurant but have been in branches of Fuddruckers in Dubai so I expect that the food would be similar.

The branch in Doha (is this the only one?) is just up from the Oryx Roundabout. Take the turning up the hill towards TV Roundabout and take the first slip road on the right and there is a big car park and Fuddruckers is on your right hand side.

It does burger type food with chips and the usual accompaniments. I have generally enjoyed myself in Fuddruckers and I have no doubt that you will too.

Here are some details at Dining In Doha

Talking Matters Toastmasters Club Meeting on Monday 24 October 2011

The next meeting of the fantastic Talking Matters Toastmasters Club is being held next Monday, the details are:

Date: Monday 24 October 2011

Time: 7pm to 9.30pm

Venue: Oryx Rotana Hotel (near the Airport)

Come along as a guest and hear the wonderful prepared speeches from the P1 Ice Breaker to the more advanced speakers. Understand how the speeches are positively evaluated. Maybe you will get the chance to participate in the lively Table Topics session too?

As a guest you get in free, get a nice drink at the interval with biccie as well as getting the opportunity to network and make new friends.

Come along and join us!!!

Arabian Oud perfume shops

These are perfume shops that sell Arabic perfumes that for me tend to be a lot heavier in smell than western ones. The bottles are usually very interesting and the people in the shops are helpful and attentive. They also can do two for one sales at time so it is worth keeping your eye out for these. My wife likes to shop there and enjoys the attention as well as buying presents for her family who like the perfume.

The shops that I know of are situated in City Centre (on the first floor opposite Carrefour) and in the Sharq Village.

Check out the Arabian Oud website.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways is the state airline and it tends to have the monopoly on flights to and from Doha. They fly to more places than the other airlines. Check out their website.

They do offers and you can sign up to be sent details of these by email. Qatar Airways also have many shops around Doha and you can pop in there to book if you prefer although in my experience it is cheaper to book on line.

Be aware of booking on the website, the first price that you are quoted does not include taxes and by the time you get to later screens it is added and it can add considerably to your costs.

Qatar Airways also have a loyalty scheme called the Privelage Club where you can get air miles etc.

Juice Zone in the Hyatt Plaza shopping mall

The Hyatt Plaza Mall is the one with the huge shopping trolley in the car park next to Villaggio. As you look at the Mall from the ample car park towards your left is the entrance to the food court.

If you go into the Food Court and keep to your right you will find the Juice Zone that sells fresh juices that are really nice. However my favourite is the frozen yoghurt where you can choose your fruits to have on top of this. You can sit at any of the tables in the Food Court and eat there.

There is a great review of the Juice Bar in Time Out

Talking Matters Toastmasters Club Meeting on 24 October 2011 at 7pm

The next meeting of the fantastic Talking Matters Toastmasters Club is being held next Monday, the details are:

Date: Monday 24 October 2011

Time: 7pm to 9.30pm

Venue: Oryx Rotana Hotel (near the Airport)

Come along as a guest and hear the wonderful prepared speeches from the P1 Ice Breaker to the more advanced speakers. Understand how the speeches are positively evaluated. Maybe you will get the chance to participate in the lively Table Topics session too?

As a guest you get in free, get a nice drink at the interval with biccie as well as getting the opportunity to network and make new friends.

Come along and join us!!!

Weekend Away to Dubai

Sometimes you need to get away from Doha and visit other places around the area. Dubai is less than one hour's flight away from Doha, and it does have more choice to shop and spend.

We lived in Dubai for two years and there are many places to visit (the souks, the Creek, Burj al Arab and other hotels) and hotels to stay in. They have a choice for all pockets with accommodation.

Getting around is easy as the taxis are plentiful, you can hire a car and there is also the Metro too.

Shopping is bigger and more varied than Doha so you can top up a bit there. The best malls for me are Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, although the latter has no where to sit!!!

Eating out too can be for people on a budget or top class restaurants. There are food courts in most of the shopping malls and some swanky restaurants in most hotels.

Qatar Tennis Federation

The main tennis stadium is called the Khalifa International Tennis Complex and is just as you are entering West Bay. It is run by the Qatar Tennis Federation.

I do not play tennis but it looks a nice place and they have tournaments where the best players in the world come and play for money. The women's tournament the Qatar Ladies Open will be in February 2012 between 12 and 18th I believe (please follow the website link above). This year (the 2012 tournament) we will go and see. February is a nice time of year in Doha and not too hot.

If you like or play tennis then this is the place to head to. Also all around the stadium there are places to eat, cafes and banks etc.

Teagschwendner Tea Shop in Hyatt Plaza

This is a speciality tea shop in the shopping mall at Hyatt Plaza. I am not much of a tea drinker but my wife likes to go there and get her brew. The two guys in there are always informative about tea and they weigh it out for you or you can buy the packets ready made.

They also sell nice tea pots and mugs that look nice. The tea is a bit on the expensive side but if that is what floats your boat then this is the place to visit.

It is in the Hyatt Plaza shopping mall that has the big shopping trolley in the car park and is next to Villaggio Mall. The Teagschwender shop is sort of opposite the Giant Supermarket although a bit to the left. 

Teagschwendner Website

Wahm Bar at the W Hotel in West Bay

The W Hotel is two blocks up from the front of City Centre Mall. At present this area (August 2011) is a bit of a building site but in the evening it is easy to park in the streets around. The Wahm Bar is on one of the upper floors.

I have been there for a couple of company drinks evenings. The bar is a bit dark but the beer is cold and the service is pretty good. The music sometimes gets to you a bit (I am old!) and the food is OK too (they seem to generally serve snacks). Not sure of the prices as I have never paid for a drink there as it has been a company do! They allow smoking that is very disappointing but thankfully at the times we have been there it has not been too bad.

Link to W Hotel Wahm Bar Website

Tribeca Film Festival in Doha October 25 to 29 in 2011

We saw this advertised last year but unfortunately the films we wanted to see had already been shown or were too late for me. I need my beauty sleep.

The website for the Tribeca Film Festival is here. The Festival this year is on between 25 and 29 October 2011 and is held at most of the Doha cinemas. You need to check the website or cinemas for the times of the films and what is on.

This year I will be making an effort to go and be in plenty of time for this event this year. At the time of writing (August 2011) it does not seem to have any films on the website yet!

Comfort Website: Fantastic Fiction

Fantastic Fiction lists all the novels written by authors so that if, like me, you want to read all the novels by an author you can check them out here. For each author there is a little biography and a list of their books in date/series order together with a picture of the cover.

If you click on the cover you can read more about the book. Once you have clicked on the book cover the site gives you details of where you can buy the book. For recent novels this is the Amazon site but for out of print novels etc it will direct you to sellers who have second hand copies for sale. As it is a UK based website the links are generally to UK sellers.

I find the website very helpful to ensure that I read all the books by a particular author or just for surfing around on.

Fantastic Fiction Website

Police Stations in Doha

I have had to visit the police stations a few times due to car accidents, three times for accidents when my car was parked and once when my car was stopped at a junction.

The two police stations I have been to are at Al Maamourai Traffic Police which is near the Fish Market off the Salwa Road, the other is at the Traffic Department just off the Al Gharrafa interchange off the C Ring Road. The latter has the offices where you get your driving licence.

In my experience it is better if you go with someone who speaks Arabic as some of the policemen's English is not great and my Arabic is non existent. For women, go with a man to the police station for support.

Note that the procedures are generally in Arabic too (the forms etc) and you will have to pay some money sometime during your visit. Your ID card and/or passport are essential and for a traffic accident/violation your insurance and car registration will be required. The police accept all credit cards for fines etc.

Orion Bar in the Ramada Plaza Hotel

This bar is on one of the upper floors of the Ramada Plaza Hotel, the left hand part as you look from the car park. We have been to a few company drinks evenings at this bar.

It is a bit dark inside and the decor seems a bit mixed but the atmosphere is nice. You have to remember to take your ID card with you to gain entrance. The bar and serving staff are attentive and I have always had a good time the three times that I have been there.

On one of the evenings they laid on some food for us and there was plenty of it and it was nice to eat too.

They have live music on whenever I go, not sure of the prices as the company pays but it is a nice bar to visit to unwind and have a few beers.

Dining In Doha Reviews

La Mer Restaurant in the Ritz Carlton

We went here for our Wedding Anniversary celebration, we did want to go during Ramadan but it was shut for the month. Therefore our anticipation was high.

This restaurant is on the 23rd floor of the hotel next door to Bar 23. The setting is splendid with lovely views, the restaurant is quiet, nice pleasant music and attentive serving staff. Unfortunately that is where the enjoyment ended.

The AC is turned up so high that I was freezing cold. We ordered our main course, no starters and had to wait nearly an hour for this to turn up. When it did, I had a small piece of beef that was good but no vegetables to speak of. I was hungry when it turned up and hungry when I had finished eating. Where were the vegetables? I do not want to look at food for long, I want to feel satisfied, and I was far from that.

My wife had fish that was OK but she left half of it and there was not much to start with. My wife's dessert was a chocolate fondant that she said was good, I had to order cheese as I was so hungry. This was so-so.

A bill of 555 Riyals was too much for so little enjoyed by so few. We won't go back.

Talking Matters Toastmasters Meeting on Monday 10 October 2010 at 7pm

Come along to our next meeting of Talking Matters Toastmasters Club:

Venue: The Oryx Rotana Hotel, Doha (near the airport)

Time: 7pm to 9.30pm

Date: Monday 10 October 2011

Listen and be entertained by the prepared speeches, hear them being kindly and positively evaluated. Watch the people playing the various roles for the meeting and be enthralled by the lively and entertaining table topics session.

As a guest you can get in for free, have some nice snacks and a coffee at the interval as well as making some new friends. Come along and join us!!!

Hediard Cafe on the Salwa Road

This branch of Hediard's is along the Salwa Road from Ramada Junction before the flyover on one of the run off shopping parades.

It is three stories tall and the layout is based on the Saudi style. That is on the ground floor it is for all where they sell cakes, sweets etc. The first floor is men only and the second floor is for families.

My wife and I went there during the World Cup and it was nice to wander around the ground floor looking at the goodies. We went to the family area on the second floor but this was a bit out of the comfort zone. Screens up around the edges so that it was mainly private areas to drink coffee for families. The coffee was OK but the atmosphere was lacking. We watched football on the TV but for me it was much too quiet and the screens meant that we could not really see out of the windows or interract with others.

Hamad Hospital

Hamad Hospital is a public hospital and is situated in Doha in Hamad Medical City. We usually go to Al Ahli Hospital that is like a hotel, wheras Hamad Hospital is like a hospital! We went the other Friday as the Al Ahli is closed on a Friday.

Hamad Hospital is a maze of corridors but there is good parking but it takes some time to find emergency, as it is not called this (it seems to be called See and Treat but the sign posts are not very clear). My wife wanted some medicine for conjunctivitis on a Friday so we had to go here.

Once we found See and Treat for women we checked my wife in, you basically need your ID card. However once this was completed it became women only and I had to sit outside in a corridor. My wife was seen very quickly and we got some medicine for 2 Riyals so it is pretty cheap.

Worth knowing about the Hamad Hospital in an emergency.

GO Sports shop in Villaggio etc

The GO Sports shop is a big store that sells sports equipment and clothing etc. It is in the Villaggio Mall and is near the entrance that looks like the San Siro football stadium and next to the food court. It is worth a look round to get your sports stuff. They have plenty of helpful staff.

If by any chance you cannot get what you want there (for example size 9 white socks!!!) then you can wander along the adjacent mall (going away from the Food Court) and there are quite a few sports type shops although these are mainly sports shoes (e.g. Foot Locker).

Worth a look in this area if you are feeling energetic!

Talking Matters Toastmasters Meeting on Monday 10 October 2011 at 7pm

Come along to our next meeting of Talking Matters Toastmasters Club:

Venue: The Oryx Rotana Hotel, Doha (near the airport)

Time: 7pm to 9.30pm

Date: Monday 10 October 2011

Listen and be entertained by the prepared speeches, hear them being kindly and positively evaluated. Watch the people playing the various roles for the meeting and be enthralled by the lively and entertaining table topics session.

As a guest you can get in for free, have some nice snacks and a coffee at the interval as well as making some new friends. Come along and join us!!!

Comfort Website: Goodreads.com

If you are an avid reader like me then I am sure you are on the GoodReads Website. This has lists of books for you to record what you have read, what you intend to read as well as marking books that you have read.

You are also able to see what other people are reading or have read as well as gauging how good books are as many people have rated them. I find it very useful when I am considering reading books by a new author to find out what other people think.

I find the GoodReads website good fun and if you like books I am sure you will too.

Goodreads Website

English Afternoon Tea at the Four Seasons Hotel

The Four Seasons Hotel is on Diplomatic Street out in West Bay. The Hotel is one of the best ones in Doha, and I like going there. On the right as you walk through the lobby is the Seasons Tea Lounge.

The Lounge is a sort of English/French style and there is (thankfully) a non smoking section where you can look out over the Bay. The tea (or coffee if you prefer) is lovely, the service is good and attentive. We usually have one English tea between us and a separate coffee as one English Tea is enough for two people. You get a cakestand full of sandwiches, scones and cakes.

A lovely place to while away a couple of hours on a leisurely afternoon.

Four Seasons Website

The Belgian Cafe

The Belgian Cafe is a lively cafe that serves beer, mussels and other hearty fare. It is out in West Bay at the Interncontinental Hotel.

We have been there once but unfortunately as we had not booked we did not go in. However, it looked very nice and lively. It has dark wood and a big bar and looks like a British pub from what I could see.

The are some tips here at Dining In Doha

Aramex Shipping Services

Aramex is a shipping/delivery company that allows you to have an address in the UK, China or the USA so that you can buy things that you cannot get in Qatar and have them shipped to Qatar. If you do not have a credit card/delivery address in the UK for example and someone to forward on your goods then you cannot have them delivered directly to Qatar. Aramex gets over this problem for you.

They also do delivery of goods within the country, or overseas by land, sea or air.

Check the Aramex Website for more information.