Elite Traveler Summer 2022

MUST-DO

DESERT DAY OUT It’s only a short drive from the center of Doha before the skyscrapers subside and the sands take over. There’s a foreboding beauty to these dramatic desertscapes; tourists would be foolhardy to venture into these shifting sands alone, but experienced tour guides can reveal the secrets of the desert. Departing from the capital, Adventure 365’s half- and full-day tours might incorporate invigorating 4x4 dune bashing or journeys west to Qatar’s mirror- fl at Inland Sea — Saudi Arabia is clearly visible on the other side of the shallow blue-green water. In places, plains between custard-colored mounds are crusted with shimmering white — salt beds left in place after scorching heat evaporated seawater — while elsewhere the dunes dip like rollercoaster tracks directly into the sea. Occasionally emerging in the midst of all this like a mirage, desert camps and beach clubs provide respite and refreshment in the form of welcome chilled drinks and abundant spreads of freshly caught fi sh and mezze. 365adventures.me MUSEUMMASTERPIECE Formed naturally in deserts from crystalized clusters of gypsum or baryte, the curious wind-hewn discs and curves that typify prized desert roses inspired architect Jean Nouvel’s design for the National Museum of Qatar. Truly distinctive and magni fi cently beautiful from every angle, this incredible structure also stands out through immersive installations and considered, engaging content that reveals so much about the country’s heritage, personality and

This image Dunes and inland sea of the Sealine Desert

Right Pigeon Towers at the Katara Cultural Village

Museum celebrates the pinnacle of physical achievement with tributes to the world’s greatest sporting stars, Olympic-themed displays including a chamber full of replica Olympic torches, and an interactive zone where visitors of every age can try their hand at a range of sports via high-tech installations that track prowess and scores digitally. Elsewhere, Katara Village is a shaded warren of independent galleries, workshops, cultural centers and ateliers bordered by a silver amphitheater that might host sopranos or theater ensembles. Named after the building’s original function, the Fire Station houses a modern-art gallery and cafe with a distinctly youthful personality — look out for the skate ramp in its plaza and copious examples of colorful street art across its periphery. In Msheireb Downtown Doha, the heritage quarter includes traditional courtyard houses that contain intimate

history. Though such things are always subjective, it’s not at all unreasonable to claim that this is the Middle East’s most captivating cultural attraction. Inside, galleries galore reveal a succession of surprises that range from Qatar’s oldest Quran to ancient ceramics and the rare Pearl Carpet of Baroda (embedded with around 1.5 million Basra pearls), to traditional attire and a permanent collection of classic cars that includes a semi-transparent 1939 Pontiac ‘Ghost Car’ with a frame made of plexiglass. nmoq.org.qa CULTURAL QUARTERS Qatar’s other cultural attractions also deserve consideration. On its own little peninsula, the jaunty IM Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art contains one of the world’s most complete collections of Islamic artifacts, from Iranian manuscripts to Spanish ceramics. Opened this year, the family-friendly 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports

museums cataloging Qatar’s past, while Doha Design District o ff ers another cluster of galleries and eateries. mia.org.qa; 321qosm.org.qa; visitqatar.qa EAST-WEST/WEST-EAST An incongruous, otherworldly installation embedded in a natural hollow between narrow bands of rock, Richard Serra’s East-West/West-East is a succession of steel plates that soar over 45 ft high, each just a hand’s width. They’re especially captivating at sunrise and sunset, when their long shadows stretch towards the horizon and the surrounding Brouq Nature Reserve is bathed in golden light. qm.org.qa PLACE VENDOME Eight years in the making, this colossal, brand-new mall in Lusail City is unquestionably Qatar’s preeminent shopping destination. Inspired by the sophisticated grandeur of Paris, it houses an expansive luxury quarter with fl agship stores like Dior and Fendi. It’s an all-day destination, and a vast, diamond-shaped courtyard in its core incorporates a dancing fountain and a sweep of upmarket dining options with

National Museum of Qatar

indoor and outdoor seating. placevendomeqatar.com

Photos Gagliardi Photography / Shutterstock.com, Sriram Kumaran / Shutterstock.com