Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Mystical Qatar- yours to discover…

“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before” – Dalai Lama

The Middle East is a grand epic, a cradle of Civilizations & a beautiful, complicated land that is home to some of the Planet's most hospitable people. The Middle East is quite simply extraordinary, one of the world's most fascinating & rewarding travel destinations. It was here that some of the most significant Civilizations of antiquity rose & fell and where the 3 great monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity & Islam - were born. Left behind is an astonishing open-air Museum of ancient cities & historic buildings, the stones of which still resonate with the sounds of the faithful.  

And Qatar is a land that understands a traveler can never be a stranger, just a friend not yet met. A rich cultural tapestry & a newfound sense of personal freedom, the hallmarks of any truly great journey. Come as an explorer, seek out adventure, cut your own trail. Challenge yourself & you may develop an appreciation for this desert Emirate.

In the Middle East, history is not something you read about in books. Here, it is a story written on the stones that litter the region, from the flagstones of old Roman roads to the building blocks of ancient Egypt, & the delicately carved Tombs & Temples from Petra to Persepolis. This is where humankind first built cities & learned to write, and it was from here that Judaism, Christianity & Islam all arose. Wherever you find yourself, the past is always present because here, perhaps more than anywhere else on earth, history is the heart & soul of the land.

The Middle East’s cities read like a roll-call of historical heavyweights, some of the world's most significant cities - Jerusalem, Beirut, Cairo, İstanbul, Damascus, Teheran, Baghdad & Isfahan... Aside from ranking among the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, these ancient-modern Metropolises are places to take the pulse of a region.

The ruins of the once similarly epic cities of history also mark the passage of centuries in a region where the ancient world lives & breathes. The landscapes of the region are equally spellbinding, from the unrivalled seas of sand dunes & palm-fringed lakes in Libya’s Sahara Desert to the stunning mountains of the north & the underwater world of the Egypt’s Red Sea.

It is in the Middle East's cities, too, that you find the stirring, aspirational architecture that so distinguishes the 3 great monotheistic faiths, where they sit alongside the more secular charms of Bazaars & Cafes that seem to embody all the mystery & storytelling magic of a land that gave us “The Thousand & One Nights”.

Beyond city limits, the Middle East is a land of mighty Rivers (the Nile, Euphrates), even mightier Deserts (the Sahara, the Empty Quarter & peerless Wadi Rum) & green landscapes of exceptional beauty. Exploring these wilderness areas - from snow-capped summits in Turkey, Iran & Lebanon to the kaleidoscopic waters of the Red Sea - lies at the heart of the region's appeal. The message is simple: forget the cliches that masquerade as Middle Eastern truth - a visit here is one of the most varied & soulful travel experiences on earth.

Above all else, however, your most enduring memory of the Middle East is likely to be its people. Their gracious welcome, many kindnesses and boundless hospitality speak of an altogether more civilised age. At some point on your visit to the Middle East, you will be sitting in a Coffeehouse or looking lost in a labyrinth of narrow lanes when someone will strike up a conversation and, within minutes, invite you home to meet their family & share a meal. Or someone will simply approach and say with unmistakable warmth, ‘Welcome’. These spontaneous, disarming & utterly genuine words of welcome can occur anywhere across the region. And when they do, they can suddenly (& forever) change the way you see the Middle East (or as the western Media will have you believe).

From the gravitas of the Sahara to the blue tiles of Isfahan, this is a region for discerning travellers, for those looking for the story behind the headline, and where the bridges between ancient & modern civilisations are everywhere evident. If you believe what the partisan media tells you & decide not to research, you would be missing out on the journey of a lifetime.

And now, let us talk about the magic of Qatar that casts a spell on many who visit this charming yet confounding Kingdom. Located in the heart of the Arabian Gulf, Qatar is a dynamic, modernizing, rapidly developing country that is among the wealthiest in the world.

Qatar is “a land that understands a traveler can never be a stranger, just a friend not yet met.” This destination offers a warm welcome to those visiting. It is a place of ancient cultures & authentic traditions, yet there is a contemporary vision of the future.

Qataris are descendants of tribes who dived for pearls in the summer & moved to the desert during winter. Qatar is a constitutional monarchy governed by the ruling Al Thani family in consultation with a Council of Ministers, an appointed Advisory Council & an elected Municipal Council. Islamic beliefs and tribal traditions provide the foundation of the country’s Customs, Laws & practices.

When looking at modern Qatar, it is easy to imagine the great Oriental scholar, Edward Said, turning in his grave. 19^th century Western travellers to the Middle East went in search of an imagined Arabia. When they couldn’t find it, they described an Orient they thought their readers would prefer to the reality. Even today, it is tempting to go searching for such stereotypes & Qatar has its share: there are rock carvings to testify human endurance pitched against adversities of nature; Forts to hint at the ruins of Empire; & occasional goat-hair Bedouin tents to suggest the ‘noble savage’ nature of life in the desert.

Qatar has spent its energies (& considerable fortunes) in eschewing this stereotype, however & showing that these ‘Orientalist’ flights of fancy are more a product of feverish Western imaginations than anything related to the Middle East. To this end, vast vertical ‘pleasure domes’ of the post-modern variety have been erected in Doha - a world-class city in the making - as if to demonstrate that the country is as international as any other.

Forget the 20^th century stereotype of a rich Arab Gulf state, of hastily thrown up Tower blocks, chaotic streets & bafflingly tacky urban sculpture: Qatar - or at least Doha - has metamorphosed into a self-confident, elegant entrepot that gives the neighboring UAE a run for its money.

Occupying a flat peninsula jutting into the oil-rich waters of the Gulf, Qatar’s terrain comprises of arid desert & a long Persian Gulf shoreline of beaches & dunes. In steeped-in-tradition Qatar, you can learn about the ancient pursuit of Falconry, watch Camels race across the desert & admire traditional Dhows (wooden cargo boats) bobbing on the water.

Qatar is the richest per capita country in the world - a wealth exhibited in high-profile projects in Doha, known for its spectacular modern skyline, futuristic Skyscrapers & other ultra-modern architecture inspired by ancient Islamic design, such as the peerless limestone Museum of Islamic Art built to house the largest such Collection in the world, a fine & expansive traditional Al-Waqif Souq & its ’ancient’  passageways & stalls offering traditional weaving & jewelry and a burgeoning Arts & Culinary scene.

At least, that was until recently. Suddenly, wind-towered developments like Al-Sharq Village Resort & Spa proclaim to be ‘genuinely Arabic’; tented accommodation in Khor al-Adaid comes with air-conditioning. On any given day you could sample a portfolio of sophisticated restaurants & then watch the sun set over sand dunes that seem to spring from a fairy tale.

Qatar, in other words, appears to be reinventing itself in the image of Western ‘otherness’ fantasies. For the visitor, it is wonderful: everything one imagined of Arabia is there in all its sanitized glory. For those who knew the Qatar of hawk Souqs & dust storms, however, there is the suspicion that this country is turning Disney, with burgeoning Art & Culinary scenes. Doha’s other sites include the Aspire Zone, a Sports Complex with running tracks & playing fields that hosts Soccer games & other events. With 50% of Qatar's population living in the Capital, the country is a virtual city state.

Beyond the Capital, Arabian Horses & Camels race at tracks in small towns such as Al Shahaniya. There are public beaches along most of the coast, including at the oil towns of Dukhan & Fuwayrit, as well as at the Inland Sea, a protected lagoon surrounded by massive Dunes.

Qatar offers a rich cultural tapestry & a newfound sense of personal freedom, the hallmarks of any truly great journey. Come as an explorer, seek out adventure, cut your own trail. Challenge yourself & you may develop an appreciation for this desert Emirate. And if you are not content with jogging around Doha's fine Corniche, a string of Beaches beckon for rest & recuperation & the magnificent Dunes of Khor al-Adaid help even up the odds between God & Mammon.

Where a meal is not a meal unless it is shared. A land rooted in ancient cultures, authentic soul, where past learning informs contemporary vision. Progressive spirit ignites new futures. A land offering enlightenment, invigoration & inspiration through its warmth of soul & spirit of vision.

Travelers will enjoy the warmth of the people while creating their own memories. Spend a day visiting Museums & interesting historic sites or choose to explore the natural wonders of the area such as the deserts, mangroves or the sea. There are spas, golfing areas, watersports and more.

Take the plunge now & yep….. a unique experience is just the beginning……. a warm welcome, historical secrets awaits you in this enchanting Emirate & The Journeys is ready to take you on well, a journey (or journeys) of discovery.

Come…be inspired & discover the World...

We are in the process of updating our Offerings of experiential journeys to Qatar. Please contact us in the interim if you want to explore options & we will be happy to offer suggestions based on your personal preferences…