Some have described Doha as the most boring place to be stuck in. I disagree. Not only is Doha the capital of Janet Jackson's ex-husband's native land, but Doha is also a beautiful blend of diversity in a way that you won't find in the US or most of the western hemisphere. Considering my love of skylines, Doha did not disappoint.  There is 1 building that does show up blurry in every day-time shot but at night lights up in an amazing way!

Qatar has a mix of modern and traditional culture AND is the richest country on earth. That's right- the small landmass of Qatar is sitting on an oil mine so big with a relatively small population, therefore Qatar has the highest per capita ($124,930) in the world. That means most of the residents of this country enjoy a very luxurious lifestyle, more so than any other country.

Janet [Miss] Jackson [if you're nasty]'s ex-husband, Wassim Al Mana told entrepreneur.com:

"I think there a lot of misconceptions about this part of the world, stemming from hatred toward Arabs and Muslims. I think that a lot of Westerners who come to this part of the world are pleasantly surprised. We're seeing more and more candidates from the West wanting to join our organization, wanting to work in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar. There are a lot of opportunities especially for entrepreneurs; they can benefit from the favorable factors like no taxes and so on."

While I find that to be true, the other truth is there are not many tourist attractions, and you can see almost all of the tourist sites in Doha on the Qatar Airways free city tour in about 3 hours. But of course, I didn't do that. Here's the inside scoop:

Visa for Free Option

If flying in with Qatar Airways, make sure you apply for your transit visa more than 7 days in advance. They'll process it for FREE! If you're reading this with less than a week to go, don't worry. Just pay the small visa fee on your way through customs. No additional lines (see, still winning). I paid ~$28 in April 2017.

Qatar Airways offers (at least in 2017) a free hotel stay if you fly with them and have a 1-2 night layover. This is their way to entice you to stop by and see their country!! If your hotel was booked by Qatar Airways, the hotel can also assist with a free Transit Visa. Transit Visas are valid for 5-96 hours! I am not sure if this is the case when you book your own hotel room but you can always ask.

Getting Around Town

Uber is available as well as metered taxis, and like every city, there are taxi hustlers. I don't recommend renting a car because the construction here may change the roads a lot faster than GPS software can keep up with.  A friend of mine found out her commute to work changed while driving through a tunnel that didn't exist the day before.

What to do

There is a hotel near the airport called Sharq Village, which has a beautiful spa if you want to relax.  All of their restaurants are Mediterranean and pretty good too. This is a good place to start your day.

Sightseeing is not far from Sharq Village. Make MIA (Museum of Islamic Art) your next stop to escape the morning heat. On the short ride over, you'll pass the Qatar National Museum on your left. This building is beautiful but was still being worked on during my visit. It has since opened on April 22, 2017.  The MIA opens at 10:30 am. They have a coffee shop with an amazing view and a nice cafe in the lobby area. The view of the skyline from the floor to ceiling windows is best seen in person as the sun comes right at you making pictures near impossible.

Behind the MIA(downstairs, and a about 12 -15 min walk along a stone path) is another cafe with nice views. I do not remember the name of it, sorry. You can access the Souq across the street from this cafe by taking the stairs near the pearl (an actual figure of a shell with a pearl in it) which leads down to a garage. At the Souq, there are restaurants, camels, falcons, Arabian horses, a pet shop area, an art gallery, and shops. There is a Persian restaurant Parisa, which is pretty good and a Lebanese/Syrian restaurant called al Bandar.

The Women of Doha

Muslim women are people with their own thoughts and expressions. Seem like a novel concept? With the media's portrayal of Muslim women, I figured someone should say it.

There are many women, young and old who use hajibs (veils). Most that I've come across do so by choice, even when not required.  Some wear Burkas that cover their face and body. Some cover the face, neck, and hair so you can only see their face and makeup.  Some display a peek-a-boo section of hair purposefully. Others are not covered at all.   There were even many Muslim women wearing tank tops. The theory here in Doha is that Qatarian women wear Burkahs, other women wear veils and many Egyptian women go without.  But that's just the theory of the woman I met at lunch:

Stay fly tips

1- The Souq doesn't open up until 4 pm, so peruse the museums and enjoy the skyline.

2- Many layovers are much longer than 3 hours with some being overnight. If flying on Qatar Airways, contact them and request a hotel room for free during your extended layover.  Check at least 1 week in advance.

3- Be clear that there this city is developing and changing like many metropolitan cities. You may be here to explore, eat or start a business. Be open and keep checking givernment and airline sites for up to date information.

Note:  All information is accurate as of May 2017 and may change.  Be sure to confirm your plans and intentions before making any purchases!