I’ve been to 50 countries — there’s only one I’ll never return to
Growing up an only child, my favourite toy was a cerulean globe that spoke to me about our vast and wondrous world.
With the touch of a button, my prized possession sprang to life and demanded I locate far-flung cities with an interactive pen, my stubby seven-year-old fingers feverishly flitting across the Earth to stab Antananarivo (Madagascar’s capital) and Mongolia’s Ulaanbataar before the timer ran out.
It cost my parents the present-day equivalent of £30, but that globe sparked a passion for travel that would enrich my life in ways money cannot buy. Before I could spell many of their names, I vowed that I would visit every country in the world.
I haven’t won the lottery in the intervening years. And so, allowing for budget constraints and having just turned 31, my tally sits at 50 of the 195 currently recognised countries. My addiction to exploration has taken me to extraordinary places, from the turquoise-domed mosques of Uzbekistan to Australia’s red centre. Along this journey, there’s only one country I have no desire to return to: Qatar.
Why I’ll never go back to Qatar
Silence was the first hint that Doha was not my kind of city. Or rather, the particular kind of silence that hangs in the air of an empty street. Running down the broad boulevards of the Gulf state’s capital are lines of luxury cars, custom Rolls Royces and cherry red Maseratis gleaming under the Arabian sun. But beside them the pavements are empty, because nobody walks on the streets of Qatar.
Except for us, that is, my 6’5 Devon-born boyfriend and I, who attracted incredulous glances through tinted car windows as we ambled along in +30°C early summer temperatures. Walking in Doha happens only in shopping malls and hotels, where I asked a waiter if anyone ever heads out for a stroll. ‘If you can drive, why walk?’ he replied.
I couldn’t help feeling that this driving-centric culture makes an aesthetically impressive metropolis seem cold and clinical, a desert sea of skyscrapers with little life around them. The only people on the streets are construction workers, their heads covered with cloth to fend off the sun.
Just as deserted as Doha’s pavements is its port, where rows of long tourist boats commissioned for the 2022 World Cup float idle. Qatar’s hosting of the tournament was controversial, with critics pointing to the country’s alleged human and LGBTQ+ rights. A lone tour guide asked if he could take us across the water, gesturing to an empty boat big enough to fit at least three dozen people.
The scene was similarly dystopian in the Souk Waqif, a traditional market ranked as one of Doha’s top attractions that I couldn’t wait to shop in. It’s said to date back to the 19th century, but its sandstone alleyways have been modernised so much, they feel like a sterile sort of Disneyland. Compared to the vibrant bazaars of Jerusalem and Marrakech, it’s just a little soulless.
Qatar’s ‘second city’
Underwhelmed by Doha, we took a taxi 20km north to Lusail, Qatar’s second-largest municipality built on reclaimed land that curls along the Persian Gulf.
The cities are so close it’s almost impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins, that is until you reach Katara Towers, an imposing building in the shape of crossed scimitars (Qatari swords) — the country’s national crest.
The 300,000 square metre structure, which took five years to build, is home to a pair of luxury hotels, the Fairmont and the Raffles. The opulence is astonishing, with squares of 18-karat gold flushed into the walls and the world’s biggest chandelier – towering 56 metres high – glimmering above you.
If you’re looking to be dazzled, this is the place. But we returned to our much less lavish accommodation wondering what life is like in Qatar behind the glamour.
An accidental visit
We found ourselves in Qatar by accident, after a missed connection left us stranded there for 24 hours. I love the Middle East more than any other region on Earth, so I was excited, eager to experience a new country without a plan. And there’s no question that some of what we saw was truly magnificent.
Doha’s crown jewel has to be its Museum of Islamic Art, a spectacular white structure that houses an extraordinary collection of gems and artefacts from across the Islamic world.
Opened in 2008, the building itself is an architectural marvel, designed by the late Chinese architect I.M. Pei who came out of retirement for the task. Many hours could be spent at the museum, but outside its four walls, Doha left me cold.
Maybe I needed more time than we had, enough to join a dune buggy tour in the desert, or dine with a Qatari family to see through the eyes of a local. Metro contacted Visit Qatar for comment about what we may have missed, but they did not respond.
The countries I’ll always go back to
The world is big, and I’m still on a mission to see it all. But some countries have so much to offer, one visit would never be enough.
Italy, from the mountains and lakes of the north to the islands and ancient history of the south, is deserving of more trips than I can afford.
Australia, Canada and New Zealand boast landscapes that could be explored for decades. Uzbekistan and the Philippines are home to some of the kindest people I’ve ever met.
Every country, of course, has unique stories and traditions. Qatar is no different, and I’m sure many others would love it. But when you have the (perhaps unlikely) ambition to visit all 195 the world has to offer, you have to draw the line at some point. Next up for me? Lithuania, which my cerulean globe tells me has a capital called Vilnius to explore.
Travelling 50 countries has taught me an invaluable lesson: there are wonderful people everywhere you go.
The world’s best, according to a traveller who’s visited 50 countries
Best beach
Impossible to choose one. Port Barton in the Philippines, Porto Katsiki on Lefkada island in Greece, and Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, Queensland, Australia.
Best sunset
Sun Siyam Vilu Reef, in the Maldives’ South Nilandhe Atoll.
Best summer city break
Berlin (for the history nerds), Athens (an underrated gem) and New York (for everything).
Best winter city break
Stockholm, Sweden. Go between Christmas and New Year and indulge in the art of fika.
Best spa
Rosa Bonheur in Marrakech, Morocco.
Best for history
Anywhere in southern Italy.
Best nightlife
Chicago, Illinois and Melbourne, Australia.
Best restaurant
Melbourne, Australia.
Best pub
Ireland, everywhere.
MORE: ‘Genius’ flight booking hack ensures you always avoid the middle seat without paying
MORE: The 17th century £21,000,000 diamond at the centre of a royal family court battle
MORE: Travel expert warns packing these everyday items could see you breaking the law
Related
Kam Air launches Kabul-Doha route, boosting connectivity
With this new route from Kabul, passengers will have access to numerous onward travel possibilities, making it easier for them to connect to other de
