Easter in the Middle East

Greetings from somewhere over the Indian Ocean!  I am currently flying Qatar to Indonesia and I figured I would make the most of this 10 hour flight (plus a delay, argh) and not only edit pictures from the past few days but share some with you!

I planned this long holiday from Easter to the early May bank holiday to Bali but the way the flights worked out I had an opportunity to spend a few days in Doha and I took full advantage!  I landed early Friday evening and after a quick dip in the pool enjoyed a late dinner and my first ever full moon party.   Saturday I spent relaxing by the pool and then left early afternoon for a five hour desert adventure – sand dunning, camel riding, sand boarding, and swimming in the Arabic sea.    Then on Sunday I explored central Doha including the Pearl, the Islamic Museum of Art, the Souq, and the Corniche الكورنيش.   

As I shared on Instagram, “Exploring Doha today was interesting. Interesting to see how much the city is developing, interesting to see the blend of cultures, interesting to be in a Muslim country on Easter, interesting to see the smog from the refineries, and interesting to be a solo female traveler in the Middle East. And I received what might have to be the most interesting backhanded compliment – a man in the Souk tried to sell me a burka because it would “bring out my beautiful blue eyes” (seeing as they would be the only part of me visible). See, interesting. 🇶🇦” . Take a look at some of the photos I snapped over the last few days. 

Of course all of these activities (sand duning, the Museum, and downtown Doha) will get a through deep dive and their own post in time but for now I hope you enjoyed these snapshots of my Easter in the Middle East.  And I hope that you are following along on Instagram for the new few weeks of holiday!