Doha Off the Beaten Path Tips by frankcanfly

This is a nice litte suburban town on the water, just a few miles south of Doha. They are known as having the best Dhow fishing fleet around. We stopped by to have a look.

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There is a fascinating natural phenomenon called the Singing Sand Dunes about 40km from Doha. In the desert, you'll hear some strange low-pitched sounds; a result of friction from a thin layer of sand flowing down the leeward side of a sand dune, fed from the top by the wind. The crescent shape of the barchan dunes amplifies the sound, and can be heard up to 10 km away! Even footsteps can trigger the humming.

We explored for awhile before finding them. We were amazed when we got to them, they towered nearly 100 metres above us!

See more photos in the Travelogue.

Located at coordinates: N25.02.446 E051.24.540

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We came across this tent area while we were exploring a portion of the desert. It looks like one of those places that you can rent for parties and have a catered meal in the middle of the desert.

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If you drive on some of the remote roads, and on the desert tracks, you're bound to encounter some Camels along the way.

Just know that if you strike one with your vehicle during daylight hours, you are liable to repay the owner. Costs can go up to $30,000 US!!

In my experience, the camels haven't had the trademarked 'hostile' personalities. The camel in this photo came right up to our vehicle. At first, we positioned ourselves to keep the truck between us, but she just waited for us to come up and pet her. She turned away and continued her exploration when she was done with us. I think she was looking for food from us.

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We spent an afternoon at the Camel Racetrack out in Shahhaniya. I absolutely recommend this experience! Even when there is no racing going on, you can stand next to the track and watch the Camels race past.

Even better and more intimate, wait between the Camel 'village' and the track. This is where they slowly walk past, waving and exchanging friendly gestures with the handlers. Some will offer you to pet and interact with the camels. The camels are actually very curious animals, some of them are quite cute.

To get to the track, take the Dukhan road out of Doha to the town of Shahhaniya. At the only circle in town, turn to the right, then turn left at the next circle. Just park the car and wander around the on the right, and the camel village on the left. If there is no racing going on, you can drive out and circle the track. You can see the Camel owners in the SUVs driving along and observing.

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I'm not sure who lives here, maybe the Emir?

This private island is off the East coast of Qatar, north of Doha. It looks quite elaborate.

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