Truthfully, I had never heard about a Desert Safari before our trip to Qatar. To me, Safaris were the kind you would find in South Africa or Namibia. But when my sister-in-law mentioned this, we were definitely curious!
I think my Husband was the most excited of all. We let my sister-in-law’s colleague take care of the details. A car was going to pick us up at our accommodation and we had to register at the Sealine Beach Resort.
While waiting for our safari tour to start, we decided to go camel-riding. What an experience!
This was the area where tourists could go wait for their car to be ready for the adventure.
The car preparation includes refueling the car and removing air from the tires.
We waited for about 30-40 minutes and then off we went. We had no idea what we were in for!
At first, everything was fine. Of course, we were driving on flat desert sand. But then when we started going up and down the dunes –waaaahhhh!!That’s the shouting and screaming started. Lol.
At some point, after the shouting and screaming, we stopped and got out of the car to admire the view. Wow – the pictures do not do justice to its beauty. I’m from the Philippines and I’m used to the tropical setting, so this was new to me but equally beautiful!
I was told that that was Saudi Arabia on the other side of the water.
The sand felt like silk in our hands and feet.
« Time is like a handful of sand, the tighter you grasp it, the faster it runs through your fingers. » -Anonymous
On the second half of the safari, we made a pit stop. We were able to sit down, have a cold drink, and chill. It was amazing being by the sea, in a traditional tent.
We booked the half-day tour, so we were only able to have chilled drinks. I believe that if you book the full-day tour, you can have lunch (bbq-style) as well.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. So did our Desert Safari. On our way out, we were obliged to make a stop to put air in the tires before driving on regular road again.
On the next day, we decided to go on a road trip, outside of the city to the countryside.
First things first, the Marina.
After an hour of driving, we found ourselves in a small village. Out was modernity and in was the traditional. Sadly, the village was abandoned. I was told that the inhabitants had moved to the city for better wages. It’s understandable, knowing that the only way to make money in the countryside is agriculture.
A couple of meters away, it seemed that not all the inhabitants had left. I was born in Jordan and I remember seeing these traditional tent houses here.
Admittedly, we didn’t see anyone, but we saw lots of animals. Goats, Sheep, Pigeons, Hens, Camels ….
I didn’t know what these were. Turns out it was just flat plateau.
If ever you plan to visit Qatar, these are two of the things I would definitely advise you to do. Take a day to go on the desert safari. Prepare to feel strong emotions and scream your lungs out. And take another day to go on a road trip to see the countryside. Be adventurous and on both days, come prepared for the dust. That means – long-sleeve shirts, long pants, socks, sneakers, scarf, and a hat!