As the Holy Month draws to a close, our thoughts turn to the Eid break. If you’re staying in the city, it’s the ideal time to extend the spirit of togetherness and look for family-friendly activities that everyone can enjoy. Read on for some of our favourites.
AL THAKIRA MANGROVES KAYAKING
Qatar might be a desert nation but, just outside the urban sprawl lies a wonderland of mangrove forests and what better way to explore this intriguing ecosystem than by kayak?
Ideal for families with older kids, it’s a great opportunity for some parent-child bonding as you adventure together into the wilds of Al Thakira, propelling yourselves along on your own watercraft and a great escape from the city over the Eid break.
Al Thakira Mangrove Forest is among Qatar’s oldest and largest forests and a real surprise with the protected ecosystem attracting migratory birds such as herons and flamingos in season, while numerous types of fish and crustaceans can be spotted all year round.
Book a tour and you’ll receive a safety briefing, an introduction to the mangroves ecosystem, a guided walking tour in mangroves along the beach and a Bedouin camp with Arabian tent experience.
Kayaking equipment and life jacket are provided. Tours cost from QR240 per adult, kids aged two to 11 pay QR120.
GO: Visit discoverqatar.qa for more information.
ASPIRE PARK
Always a central hub during national celebrations, Aspire Zone typically hosts a festive calendar with the park remaining open 24 hours.
Paddle boating and kayaking are available on Qatar’s only artificial lake and there are kids’ playgrounds and bike rental.
With wide green open spaces, this is a great place to gather with family and friends for a picnic and park games and if the youngsters get bored, you can always head to KidZania for some educational fun or the neighbouring Villaggio Mall for a gondola ride.
The park does get busy during the evenings, especially during holidays, so this might not be the most peaceful option, but it’s certainly a lot of fun.
Festive activities over Eid Al-Fitr are still to be announced.
GO: Visit @aspirezone for more information.
DESERT FALLS WATER & ADVENTURE PARK
Head to one of the biggest theme parks in the Middle East, featuring 19 attractions and 30 thrilling rides and slides. From tubes to mat races, a kids’ pool for the little ones, dune surfing and the high-adrenaline King Cobra, there’s something for the whole family. The seriously adventurous can try canyoning at the region’s first man-made canyoning facility, which includes pools, slides and 26 cliff jumps – the highest is 7.5 metres! And you can also swim in artificial caves that feel like the real thing.
You’ll find adventures around every corner with go-karting, laser tag and more and there are dining spots serving burgers and Arabic options as well as a snack kiosk, so nobody will go hungry. Advance booking is required and tickets start from QR150 for the water park with separate fees for additional activities.
GO: Visit salwabeachresort.qa for more information.
DOHA CORNICHE
The 7km-long Corniche is very much at the heart of Qatar’s Eid celebrations and it’s also the place to go if you’re on a budget. During the day, pack up the family, grab a blanket and take a picnic to enjoy the abundant green spaces, such as Al Dafna Park, and sea views or visit one of the many food trucks offering all kinds of fare at reasonable prices. In the evening, enjoy a balmy stroll with sea breezes and great light displays – and all for free.
If you want to keep up your fitness routine during the holiday, the Corniche is also the ideal spot to give your running shoes an outing, and you’ll often find group exercises on the go, or dig out your roller skates or bike for an extra workout on one of the cycle paths.
You can also take a dhow or boat ride from here to experience the city from the water.
GO: Visit visitqatar.com for more information.
HEENAT SALMA FARM
For something completely different head to this countryside spot for family fun, workshops, traditional crafts, live music and more. Heenat Salma is an eco-farm and camp in Shahaniya. A project from the Caravane Earth Foundation, it’s pioneering eco-hospitality in the country offering wellness activities, vocational and educational training, classes with master craftspeople and cultural and community-building events. Visitors can go for the day or stay on site, in one of the seriously funky lodges.
In a world where consumerism can seem like a worthy goal, this place offers a chance to show your kids the other side of the coin and have a great time doing it.
GO: Visit heenatsalma.earth for more information.
KATARA CULTURAL VILLAGE
Eid at Katara is quite an event with all sorts of family-friendly activities going on. Expect great festive decorations, live street art displays and traditional food stalls. One of the highlights is the Qatari Ardha sword dance alongside folklore performances and special shows at Al Thuraya Planetarium.
There are gifts for the kids and, for the first three days of Eid, there are usually magnificent fireworks displays each evening. Make a day of it and take the family to explore the Greek-style amphitheatre, the Golden Masjid and the famed Pigeon Towers. And make sure to bring your bathers to make the most of the beach. Details and timings for Eid events still to be confirmed. Entry to Katara Cultural Village is free but there may be a fee for activities.
GO: Visit home.katara.net for more information.
MSHEIREB MUSEUMS
Sometimes overlooked in favour of the capital’s more well-known institutions, the Eid break is the ideal time to grab the gang and take a trip into Qatar’s past with a tour of these four remarkable restored houses in the heart of Msheireb Downtown Doha.
Radwani House is a restored Qatari family house that represents traditional Qatari family life and gathers, preserves and shares memories offering an insight into how family life evolved in Qatar over the years.
The Company House was home to Qatar’s first oil company. It tells us the story of the Qatari pioneers who worked relentlessly in this field to transform Qatar into a modern society.
Mohammed Bin Jassim House was owned by the son of the founder of Modern Qatar. The house tells us stories from Qatar’s past as legacy, as well as its present development and its sustainable future.
And, most thought-provoking, Bin Jelmood House deals sensitively with the issue of slavery in the Arab and surrounding world. Visitors can travel back in time to learn how enslavement spread and the display pays tribute to the cumulative social, cultural and economic contribution of formerly enslaved people to the development of human civilisations.
GO: Visit msheirebmuseums.com for more information.
OLD DOHA PORT
This picturesque area resembles a Mediterranean village and, with its colourful buildings, striking murals and bijou shops, it’s a great place to wander at any time of year. But extended Eid activations mean a visit during the break will be extra special.
Details have still to be announced but previous years have included roaming entertainers, bubble and ice cream shows and oversized inflatable games. You can also expect traditional and modern musical performances – just perfect for a family day out. Activities are centred around Mina District and Mina Park but make sure you take a trip across to Hamad Port Visitors Centre & Aquarium where you’ll find the Maritime Museum, including a kids’ play area with swings, slides and walking tracks and the fabulous aquarium that features 17 basins of varying sizes housing 3,000 sea creatures, including 80 different species of fish.
GO: Visit opd.qa for more information.
OLI OLI
The Children’s Museum is the perfect place for a family-friendly day out where youngsters can let their imaginations run wild. Specifically designed to let families of all ages come together, bond and have fun.
Made with love and inspired by parents, there’s a water gallery, where it’s all about splashing around and learning how water behaves; the TeamLab Future Park, where kids’ art comes to life through future technology; the Fitness Gallery where families can learn about the importance of healthy living with interactive activities where youngsters can race against their favourite animal or skip a digital rope; and the Kinetic Gallery, which looks at the principles of physics allowing kids to launch a rocket or build a race car.
There’s also the WonderSphere, a one-of-a-kind rope-net playground where kids can wobble around and have great fun. You’ll need socks for the socks-only zones and a change of clothes for the Water Gallery and tickets for youngsters aged two to 16 cost QR135, with one adult going free per child.
GO: Visit olioli.qa for more information.
SOUQ WAQIF
It would be easy to spend a whole day at Souq Waqif, there’s so much to see and do. Check out traditional games at Al Dama Majlis, visit Souq Waqif Art Centre where you’ll find the work of visiting artists on display or head to the Emiri Stables to spot the stunning Arabian horses who carry the Heritage Police on their daily rounds of the souq.
The ladies can get fresh henna tattoos to mark the occasion or indulge in a spot of retail therapy to head home with traditional oil fragrances.
Check out the central courtyard where you’ll find local women selling traditional foods, from stuffed vine leaves to dumplings, or visit one of the traditional restaurants where you can eat an excellent, slow-cooked meat stew while seated on the floor.
Souq Waqif really comes into its own on occasions such as Eid with street performances and costume parades, cementing its place as the traditional heart of Doha.
GO: Visit souqwaqif.qa for more information.
