Doha - the guide

[garynysmon]

Flying tomorrow and very excited.

Clearly everyone has their valid reasons (financial or moral) why they are or aren’t going, but a bit tired of the relentless negativity now and thrilled we’re going to the World Cup.

I do get the feeling from reading (mostly non-Welsh) online comments that some are revelling a bit too much in any negativity, such as the lack of beer sales, and want it to be a shit fan experience as they aren’t or never were planning to go but it justifies their decision a bit more.

Clearly this will be a very different Wales Away experience to most western European cities but we shall see.

[massivefloodlights]

Pretty much sums up my feelings too. Too many are happy to stick the boot in and seemingly revelling in the apparent “shit show” about to unravel.
personally can’t wait to get out there. (Tomorrow morning for us)

Always wanted to attend a World Cup with the fan culture it encourages from fans all over the world. The fact it’s with little Wales, well, who’d have thought?

[fennidragon]

I live here everyone hope this helps

Might be of use;

THE ULTIMATE QATAR DRINKING GUIDE!



So its taken me quite a while to put this together with so many places chaning their deals or announcing lots of last minute things. Here is a list of the best happy hours, drink/brunch deals around. I am 90% sure this is correct as I've either been told direclty by the bars what they are doing or they have advertised it.

I will try to keep this updated at least over the next week or so as I imagine more deals will come to light once the tournament starts. If you see or hear of any other deals I can also add them. I have all this in a word document too so if you want a copy to save on your phones just send me a DM.



BARS SHOWING FOOTBALL (With Happy Hours)

- The Red Lion (Al Mansour Suites) Happy Hour all day every day. Beers from QR 28.

3 drinks for QR 99 / 6 drinks for QR 175

Open 12pm-2am

- Shots (Hilton) Daily Happy Hour. 4pm-7pm, 30% off (Outside)

- Tahitian Village. Daily Happy Hour. 4pm-7pm (Outside)

- Claw BBQ (Hilton Double Tree Old Town) Happy Hour Sun-Thurs 12pm-4pm. Beers from QR 28

5 bottles of beer with 1 appetiser (from a selection of 3) QR 180

Entry fee QR 150 (deducted from bill)

- Hamiltons (Sedra Arjaan) 1 hour Happy Hour before each match. Beers from QR 32 (Non happy hour beers from QR 45 or 5 beers for QR 195) Open until midnight (Outside)

BARS SHOWING FOOTBALL (With Drink Deals)

- Matchbox (Al Messila Resort) QR 200 entry fee (to be given back as credit). All food and drinks QR 40 (beer, wine, spirits, cocktails) (Outside)

- O’Glacee (Al Wadi) Mon & Weds BBQ night. 6pm-midnight. QR 280 with 3 drinks. Open until 3am (Outside)

Taco Tuesday/ 6pm-midnight. QR 150 for 3 tacos, churros & 1 beer

- The Irish Bar (Best Western Plus) Beer deals. Open 12pm-2am

- The Mezze House (Centara) Beer bucket deals (Outside)

- The House (Dusit) 5 beers for QR 150

- StrEAT Culture (Hilton Double Tree Al Sadd) Burger & Beer QR 99. All day Sunday and during matches. 12pm-3am

- Hive Aussie (Intercontinental The City) Bucker of 5 beers, fries & onion rings QR 199. Top up with bucket of 5 beers QR 159.

3 hours all you can eat & drink match package QR 469

- Aviary Night Club (Magnum Hotel) 5 beers or spirits or glasses of wine QR 200. Open 12am-Late

- Satsuma Asian Bistro (Magnum Hotel) 5 beers or spirits for QR 200. Unlimited drinks for 3 hours QR 400

- Shamrock Tavern (Magnum Hotel) 4 pints or house spirits with mixers or bottle of wine or 5 beer bottles QR 200. Beers from QR39

- Shehrazad Lounge & Bar (Raddison Blu) Bucket of 6 beers QR 200. No reservations, first come first serve. Open 11pm-2am

- The Cabana Hop Garden (Raddison Blu) QR 200 entry fee (to be given back as credit). No reservations, first come first serve. Bucket of 6 cans QR 230. Bucket of 8 cans QR 300. Open 11am-1am (Outside)

- Qube (Raddison Blu) Bucket of 6 beers QR 200. Open 12pm-2am

BARS SHOWING FOOTBALL (With Brunches, all you can Eat and Drink Deals. Prices include unlimited drinks)

- The Red Lion (Al Mansour Suites) Friday Brunch. 12pm-3pm or 1pm-4pm. QR 250 (or QR 350 with premium beverages)

- O’Glacee (Al Wadi) Saturday Mediterranean Brunch. 12pm-4pm. QR 400. (Outside)

- Tahitian Village (Hilton) Friday/Saturday/Sunday Brunch. 1pm-4pm. QR 350 (Outside)

- StrEAT Culture (Hilton Double Tree Al Sadd) Friday & Saturday Liquid Brunch (with food platter) 1pm-4pm QR 299

- The House (Dusit) Elixir Late Friday Brunch. 5pm-7:30pm. QR 199

- West 48 (Dusit Suites) Saturday Roast (Starting from Nov 26). 1pm-5pm. Prices start from QR 298

- Choices (Hyatt Regency) Cosmopolitan Brunch. 1pm-4pm. QR 445

- Ipanema (Marriott Marquis) Friday Rio Carnival Brunch. 12pm-4pm. QR 525

Sabadao Saturday Brunch. 12pm-4pm. QR 395 (Prices subject to change on Brazil match days)

- Bubbalicious (Westin) Friday Brunch. 12:30pm-4pm. QR 480. 20% off for Marriott Bonvoy members (Outside)

BARS SHOWING FOOTBALL (No Deals, but no entrance fees or minimum spend)

- C.Mondo (Centro Capital) 5pm-2am. Beers from QR 40

- The Hangout Pub (Grand Regal)

- The Den (JW Marriott Marquis) 6pm-3am

- Public House (Marsa Malaz Kempinski) (Outside)

- Football Terrace (Pullman) (Outside)

- The Score (Pullman) Open until 3am

- Irish Harp (Sheraton) 5pm-2am. Beers from QR 45

- Wham (W Hotel) 12pm-3am (Outside)

BARS SHOWING FOOTBALL (Awaiting info on any deals, packages, entrance fees etc)

- Krossroads (Best Western Plus)

- Dunes Bar (Grand Hyatt)

- Monkey Tale, Beachsideb football viewing (Grand Hyatt) (Outside)

- Balia (Horizon Manor)

- The Belgium Café (Intercontinental) (Outside)

- The GOAT (Le Meridien)

- Aqua View Sports Lounge (Saraya Corniche)

- Krossroads Wakra (Time Rako)

BARS NOT SHOWING FOOTBALL (With Happy Hours / Drink Deals)

- Trader Vics (Hilton Salwa) Daily Happy Hour. 4pm-6pm. Free shuttle bus from city to resort. (Outside)

- The Red Bar (New Blue Rose Hotel) Daily Happy Hour 5pm-9pm

- Bubbles on Two (Raddison Blu) Bucket of 6 beers QR 200

- Orion (Raddison Blu) Bucket of 6 beers QR 200

- Rock City (Strato Hotel) Daily Happy Hour 5pm-8pm

- Tavern Lounge (Strato Hoel) Daily Happy Hour 12pm-8pm

- The Flame (The Avenue, a Murwab Hotel). Daily Happy Hour 5pm-9pm

BARS NOT SHOWING FOOTBALL (With Brunches, all you can Eat and Drink Deals. Prices include unlimited drinks)

- Dalchini (Centara) Friday Brunch. 12pm-4:30pm. QR 249

- Thai Kitchen (Centara) Thursday night buffet. 6:30pm-10:30pm. QR 179 including 2 hours of unlimited wine.

Burger & Beer. Friday-Wednesday, 12pm-11pm. QR 99

- Broadway Brasserie (Double Tree Al Sadd) Friday Brunch. 1pm-5pm. QR 399

- BBQ & Hooch by the Pool (Dusit) Thursday & Fridays. 7pm-11pm. QR 399. (Outside)

- SoCal BBQ (Grand Hyatt) Thursdays. 6pm-10pm. QR 320. (Outside)

- Trader Vics (Hilton Salwa) Friday & Saturday Brunch. 1pm-4pm. QR 355. Free beach access and shuttle bus from city to resort. (Outside)

- Cucina (Marriott Marquis) Friday Brunch. 12pm-4pm. QR 400

- Bubbalicious (Westin) Friday Brunch. 12:30pm-4pm. QR 480. 20% off for Marriott Bonvoy members (Outside)

- Sabai Thai (Westin) Friday Royal Thai Brunch / Saturday Asian Brunch. 12:30pm-4pm. QR 375. 20% off for Marriott Bonvoy members

FAN ZONES (Official & Unofficial) STADIUMS, BEACHES, MUSIC FESTIVALS

- FIFA Fan Fest (Al Bidda Park) Beer available 6:30pm-1am. QR 50 for 500ml can of Budweiser

- Stadiums. Beer available 3 hours before KO and 1 hour after final whistle. QR 50 for 500ml can of Budweiser

- 900 Park (Next to Intercontinental). Open daily midday to midnight. QR 100 entry fee

- Fanzone by Inca (Westin) 12pm-2am. QR 220 entry fee (with 2 drinks)

- Qetai-Fan Beach Fest. 10am-4am. Tickets from QR 235

- The Backyard (Doha Sports Park) 12pm-Late. QR 150 entrance with 1 drink. QR 260 entrance with access to Sports Park to watch matches. Includes 1 drink & 1 BBQ voucher

- Monkey Tale (Grand Hyatt) Beachside football viewing. Entry fee QR 120 (Redeemable in F&B)

- B12 Beach (West Bay). Free entry for Hayaa card holders. Beer available

- Arcadia (Tickets required)

- Daydream / World Stage (Doha Golf Club)

[manulike]

I'm really not sure that I'll be able to hold my rag without getting into a full blown fight soon ... drivers, mobile shop staff, Oman Air, hotel staff - they all blatantly lie to your face, give you wrong directions, make promises with no intention to keep them - and NEVER accept that they were wrong or at fault. 4/6 bus rides, the driver forgot to tell me when to get off - one of those rides, he insisted on me paying him extra, because I didn't get off 2 miles earlier! Oman Air keep on telling me "inshallah, don't worry" about my flight to Qatar tomorrow - booking disappeared, then re-appeared and now it says "no seats available" when trying to check in online...

A word of advice. Try not to ask yes/no questions. The answer will ALWAYS be yes.Try never to ask leading questions. They will never admit to not knowing... "does this bus go to..." will get a "yes sir" ... stick with "what number bus goes to" "where is the ... "

[bluetone]

Nov 20, 2022 6:50:52 GMT manulike said:

I'm really not sure that I'll be able to hold my rag without getting into a full blown fight soon ... drivers, mobile shop staff, Oman Air, hotel staff - they all blatantly lie to your face, give you wrong directions, make promises with no intention to keep them - and NEVER accept that they were wrong or at fault. 4/6 bus rides, the driver forgot to tell me when to get off - one of those rides, he insisted on me paying him extra, because I didn't get off 2 miles earlier! Oman Air keep on telling me "inshallah, don't worry" about my flight to Qatar tomorrow - booking disappeared, then re-appeared and now it says "no seats available" when trying to check in online...

A word of advice. Try not to ask yes/no questions. The answer will ALWAYS be yes.Try never to ask leading questions. They will never admit to not knowing... "does this bus go to..." will get a "yes sir" ... stick with "what number bus goes to" "where is the ... "

Hi Phil
Apart from that all is fine 🤣

[underwood]

Are there more Welsh than English in Doha?

Yesterday morning at Heathrow was a comfortable Red Wall majority, although we do wear our colours more than they do, but even so you can spot an England fan a mile off & there really weren’t that many.

I expect there will be an influx from Dubai of the odious expat types (possibly a less tolerable bunch than the chair-chuckers), but just wondering what it’s like on the ground?

[hc16040]

Nov 20, 2022 7:39:55 GMT underwood said:

Are there more Welsh than English in Doha?

Yesterday morning at Heathrow was a comfortable Red Wall majority, although we do wear our colours more than they do, but even so you can spot an England fan a mile off & there really weren’t that many.

I expect there will be an influx from Dubai of the odious expat types (possibly a less tolerable bunch than the chair-chuckers), but just wondering what it’s like on the ground?

Flew out of Gatwick and we were defo the biggest fan group on the plane. Walking around the Souk today there were a lot more Wales shirts than England. I think its worth noting though that there will be a lot more English expats here and in Dubai.

[cymro]

Nov 20, 2022 7:39:55 GMT underwood said:

Are there more Welsh than English in Doha?

Yesterday morning at Heathrow was a comfortable Red Wall majority, although we do wear our colours more than they do, but even so you can spot an England fan a mile off & there really weren’t that many.

I expect there will be an influx from Dubai of the odious expat types (possibly a less tolerable bunch than the chair-chuckers), but just wondering what it’s like on the ground?

On the MSC World Europa. Lots of Welsh on board 👍

[manulike]

BARAHAT AL JANOUB OFFICIAL ACCOMMODATION
Just a heads up to those of you cheap money saving experts that opted for the O/P/N/M blocks for $84/$104 a night.
Well... It's a good 20 minutes bus ride away from the end of the red AL WAKRA station (bus 824) - depending on the driver's local knowledge... as the first drive took 45 minutes...These buses run every 7 minutes till 3am. The shuttles to the NEW Hamad int airport go 24/7 but that ride takes closer to an hour in the daytime.

The cheapest blocks HAVE ALMOST NO FURNITURE. Just two beds and two small hanging wardrobes. That's it. No table / chair / bedside cabinet / shelves / soap etc. Just empty floor space...

[jimbo82]

One observation from my visit yesterday: I saw/met/chatted to fans from probably 15 different countries, maybe more - in one day. Not sure that would happen in a big tournament spread across multiple cities/countries. Really good tournament atmosphere - not as good as France 2016, but I really felt I was part of something special.

[gwernybwch]

Nov 22, 2022 10:57:34 GMT jimbo82 said:

One observation from my visit yesterday: I saw/met/chatted to fans from probably 15 different countries, maybe more - in one day. Not sure that would happen in a big tournament spread across multiple cities/countries. Really good tournament atmosphere - not as good as France 2016, but I really felt I was part of something special.

Totally agree. I went for a wander around the old town before the game yesterday and it really felt that we were at a World Cup. Football fans from all across the globe mixing together, having an authentic good time. Coming across people talking football; anything from in-depth discussion to a "Bale Number 1" in broken-English. Best of all when people asked where I was from, they now know that Wales is an country in its own right.

[CrackityJones]

Latin American and North African fans are superb, great noise and colour everywhere. Atmosphere walking round Doha is fantastic with everyone complimentary about our fans and curious about our flag and all the retro kits on display. The Saudi win has really grabbed the attention of the locals, the Souq area was buzzing all night. Can’t wait to see what today unfolds.

[rhys]

Anyone managed to get tickets outside the grounds? I didn’t bother with Brazil v Serbia as I thought it would’ve too tight with my arrival. Wondering if it’s worth heading there to try and get in.

[aberbeeg]

What’s been the general feeling regarding getting a decent beer at a decent price? What’s it’s like in the evenings etc? What have people been doing outside of watching matches?
Obviously I read about the shambles at the intercontinental hotel regarding running out of beer etc. just wondering what it’s been like generally. I know a lot of fans are in Dubai but I’m wondering how it’s been outside of watching our matches

[CrackityJones]

I haven’t bothered trying to get a beer yet. Been too busy going to matches or watching in restaurants in the Souq or at our apartment.

I know others have found decent bars where pints are £8 in downtown Doha. May go there if we get a result against Iran

It was obvious the intercontinental was going to be a sham unfortunately. Glad I avoided, too much to enjoy elsewhere

[zakbaby]

I was at the intercontinental and it was a great day. No problems getting a drink and the curry was great. I don't know where all the negativity is coming from.

[aberbeeg]

Well the pre match party tomorrow won’t be so good cos they have banned any alcohol being served at that hotel before 12 midday. Pretty pathetic really

[stevej]

Got back yesterday after 4 nights at barwa barahat Al janoub and it's 30 foot high perimeter wall.... I had the 104 dollar a night room to myself, no chair, no kettle (shared one in the 'pantry').. made the comment earlier that Scandinavian prisoners enjoy better facilities than we've had the last few days, bit it served it's purpose and I wouldn't have missed it for the world...

The logistical challenge of driving to Al wakra, the metro and the time getting and out of the stadiums meant I didn't see much of Doha in a sightseeing sense, corniche waterfront and skyline on Sunday night was the only real occasion I had to do that...

Found a great little cafeteria around the corner from exit 2 of mshreib metro station... We had 3 meals with (soft) drinks for 80 rials (inc tip) on Tuesday night... Like I said I wouldn't have missed it for the world but it wasn't without it's challenges.. 😀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏐

[flutterdinho]

Nov 23, 2022 15:49:13 GMT zakbaby said:

I was at the intercontinental and it was a great day. No problems getting a drink and the curry was great. I don't know where all the negativity is coming from.

It's probably from people like me who couldn't get in. Paid £110 for the premium package but, as the hive and curry house were full, we had to stay in the French restaurant where there was no draught beer. So we paid £110 for five bottles of heineken. Tbh, have been ripped off before and since so have relaxed since then but it wasnt the best introduction to qatar.

[30yearwait]

Have had quite a few meals in the Souq
Service and menu choices slightly shambolic, but with an atmosphere, lots of fans from other countries interacting, paid around £10-£15 a head for a huge meat curry, bread rice and soft drink. Just make an effort and eat where the locals eat, forget fancy hotels or rip off fan zones.

[toshfan]

Nov 22, 2022 10:48:56 GMT manulike said:

BARAHAT AL JANOUB OFFICIAL ACCOMMODATION
Just a heads up to those of you cheap money saving experts that opted for the O/P/N/M blocks for $84/$104 a night.
Well... It's a good 20 minutes bus ride away from the end of the red AL WAKRA station (bus 824) - depending on the driver's local knowledge... as the first drive took 45 minutes...These buses run every 7 minutes till 3am. The shuttles to the NEW Hamad int airport go 24/7 but that ride takes closer to an hour in the daytime.

The cheapest blocks HAVE ALMOST NO FURNITURE. Just two beds and two small hanging wardrobes. That's it. No table / chair / bedside cabinet / shelves / soap etc. Just empty floor space...

I stayed here and it more than did the job. Hand soap and shower gel plus towels were provided. I stayed 5 nights and housekeeping came half way through.

[toshfan]

This post is not to challenge the consensus that the WC should never have been awarded to Qatar or to add anything to the current football discussions on where we go from here. But I had a decent experience and wanted to share it and see if others had similar. I stayed for 5 nights and watched our 1st 2 games.

On the positive side:

1. I stayed here at the Barahat Al Janoub, the scale of which is enormous: www.barwa.com.qa/en/Investments/projectdetails?ProjectName=Barahat+Al+Janoub&AlbumName=/Barahat+Al+Janoub/
a. The rooms were very basic but comfortable. 2 single beds in each room. The mattress was comfortable. Housekeeping changed the sheets and provided fresh towels half way through the stay.
b. The room provided AC and WiFi both of which were very reliable.
c. The shower and bathroom was fine. I had to run the tap sometimes for a few seconds to flush out less clean water but other than that totally fine. I brushed my teeth using bottled water.
d. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
e. The cost of food was dirt cheap and arguably the cheapest of Wales Away experiences when it comes to decent food. Here is an example:

f. There was plenty of other amenity e.g. supermarkets, barber and launderette.
g. There was never a shortage of buses to get us to and from Al Wakra. Very reliable, clean and comfortable. Free WiFi too.

h. I met so many fantastic people from all over the world. Interestingly was how Europeans were a minority of those staying there. Mexicans were the single highest group.

2. Taking up the offer of a free SIM helped as to get free wifi, it asked for a local number.

3. The Metro is world class. Very efficient. The scale of expansion looks very exciting. What is shaded in brown is the network today. What is not in the brown shaded area is the future:

4. I loved sitting in the Metro front seats.

5. As per 1g above, there was never a shortage of buses when required.

6. There was a lot of local culture to take in. I went to National Museum which was very interesting.

7. There were some lovely places to go for a stroll e.g. Corniche, Lusail, The Pearl.

8. I realise that these are not unique to Qatar but:
a. The local and ex-pat population loved having the world arrive.
b. Being part of a global tournament and having people ask questions about Wales was wonderful.

9. One of the strengths of Doha was the connectivity to it. The international airport is very impressive.

10. Being based in Qatar avoided the issues others had with the Hayaa card. I am so glad I had a physical copy and lanyard. It made going through the Metro stations very seamless.

For anyone who asks, would I recommend a visit, 5-7 days will be sufficient unless you are in the money and are at a lovely hotel and wish to relax by a pool for longer.

[aberbeeg]

Any downsides ?

[garynysmon]

Nov 30, 2022 11:31:31 GMT aberbeeg said:

Any downsides ?

The cost of a pint!

In all seriousness though, I think in hindsight there was way too much negativity surrounding the Qatari preparation. As I said before flying out there, there were definitely some who wanted the WC to be a disaster and as shit a fan experience as possible. I don't think that materialised whatsover.

That's not the same as the justifiable opposition to the Qatari regime/laws btw.

[toshfan]

Nov 30, 2022 11:31:31 GMT aberbeeg said:

Any downsides ?

1. It was around a 30 minute bus ride from Al Wakra to where I was staying but I could live with that because of WiFi availability.

2. I did not get back to my apartment until 5am after the USA game. I was one of the last to leave the stadium and I stayed to watch some dancing and singing but there was a huge backlog to get onto the metros but I think a lot of that is to be expected.

3. When the Metro is busy, there can be pushing to get on.

4. Negatives covered already in terms of the award to the country e.g. human rights, LGBT rights, H&S for migrant workers.

[bale-droed]

Toshfan I genuinely think this is one of the best new threads in a long time. Very interesting. Glad you enjoyed and had the opportunity to meet fellow fans.

[aberbeeg]

I know you mentioned food prices but what about other prices ?

[toshfan]

Beer was the main one but I was happy to mostly give that a miss. I was at the pre-match party at Inter Continental where I purchased the package.

Transport was free so nothing there. The entry into museums was reasonable. Eating in the tourist parts was obviously more expensive but I mostly avoided that. I am struggling to think of examples of where prices were a major problem.

[daearegwr]

Prices in shops were much higher than back home (usually nearly double the price) but I assume that's mainly an exchange rate issue.  For example a few places were selling the Wales replicate shirt but worked out around £95 for the shirt in Doha.  Ditto memorabilia in the fan zones - but to be honest I wasn't there to shop!

[massivefloodlights]

The bar at the Premier inn near the airport was knocking out pints at around £4.50
Heineken, Stella, etc was around £8.60 in the Sherhazrad sports bar at the Radisson blu.

The overall experience for our group was fantastic. Fans from all over the globe mixing in a relatively small city. The corniche, the souk, the pearl, all hives of activity. The nightly fireworks display over West Bay was incredible. (I’ll try an upload a vid.