Harbour This Holiday

Dwalat Qatar as the locals call it is that thumb that sticks out into the Arabian Gulf and the Doha Bay cradles its capital off a fine, protected harbour.

That lucrative trading post was also an invitation to invaders 8212; the Portuguese, the Ottoman Turks, and the British. Till the 1930s, the Qataris scooped out excellent pearls off its coast but then the Japanese cultured pearls took over. Then came the Great Depression. Those were tough times, but luck stayed. Drilling of oil started in 1938 and it flowed in 1940. That started the riches rolling in. When gas was drilled out in 1991, it was the beginning of a newer, brighter, richer era still.

That was when ambition germinated, sometime near when the Indian economy also opened up. That8217;s when modern Qatar really started taking shape. The current ruler, the Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, is the seventh descendent of a powerful Bedouin tribe that saw the development of the nation through its freedom. Like Bangladesh, Qatar got its freedom in 1971 through pretty bloodless methods unlike our neighbour and like Bangladesh, is floating on gas. How the nations have been able to utilise their blessings is clear to see.

If you want a different perspective, visit the 130-ft high dunes and stunning wind-carved limestone outcrops. You can do this comfortably on a 4215;4 SUV 8212; before you rush back to five-star comfort at the seaside. Qatar is slightly smaller than Connecticut, 200 km north-south and 100 km east-west and easily covered, thanks to its excellent roads.

Taxis aren8217;t frequent, neither are buses. So, it8217;s best to hire a car and read a map. Travelling The Corniche, or the beautiful road that skirts the Doha Bay, I asked the taxi driver to take me to old Doha. Ravi, from Andhra Pradesh, barely six months into his job here, points to a series of freshly painted bungalows by the quay. 8220;That8217;s it,8221; he says.

Get off the roads, then get to the sea. The blue is refreshing and rocky outcrops allow you to wet your toes in warm brine. There isn8217;t much restriction to swimming in the sea though women are advised to keep to the dress code of this Islamic nation when off the water. In the water, though, swimsuits, even bikinis, are okay for tourists. Liquor is available at five-star resorts and hotels, so is a modicum of nightlife. With the government pledging 15 billion for tourism development, the desire for worldwide acceptance is very real, though.

If there is an invitation to go see Nineteenth Century Al Thugb Fort, you can pass by a fishermen8217;s village and watch the centuries-old tradition, take a ride in a dhow or spend a lazy morning with the seesha water pipes. You might hear some Malayali call when the catch comes in; a third of the 8.5-lakh population of the country comprises expatriate Indians, especially from Kerala.

If you are desperate for West Asia, go to a souq or local market. That8217;s where they sell those knitted robes and those carpets mostly imported from Iran or Saudi Arabia. The fun is as much in buying, as in haggling which you are expected to do, politely. Souq Wakif can give you a feel of the old Bedouin traditions, in its maze of alleyways.

The culture-raider should visit LM Pei8217;s Museum of Islamic Arts, an imposing 60m structure by the sea, housing priceless Islamic artefacts collected by the ruling Al-Thanis, in particular by the Emir8217;s cousin, Sheikh Aau Al-Thani. You could then wind up for the day at any of the eateries open into the midnight.

Mostly, though, and this is from the heart, go there for the sea and the sun and a lazy, lazy holiday.

How to get there

Doha international airport is the biggest in Qatar; local carrier Qatar Airways operates about 45 flights a week from Mumbai, Delhi,

Hyderabad, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Air Arabia also has flights with a break at Sharjah