Gorgeous Georgia an ideal holiday destination for South Africans
Georgia is visa-friendly. It is also affordable; scenically beautiful, safe, and offers visitors a wonderful mix of cultures, thanks to its location in the mountainous crossroads of Europe and Asia. The food is fabulous and the wine, too. Oh, and did I mention rugby? In short, Georgia is an ideal holiday destination for South Africans. […]
Wealth in digging up the past in Qatar
In digging up its past, Qatar confirms its status as a wealthy country. While today’s affluence is built on the country’s vast oil and gas reserves, the Qatar of yesteryear had pearls and international trading to thank for its success. This all comes to light at the Al Zubarah archaelogical site. Situated on the north […]
Know more about Qatar’s pearls, glorious pearls …
Think Qatar today and the likely image is that of oil, gas, modern luxury, desert scenes and successful hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This picture is a far cry from the Qatar of yesteryear when pearls, glorious pearls, were the country’s main source of income. So think Qatar, and you can think pearls. […]
A Qatar desert experience with a difference
A dune-bashing, camel-riding sojourn, inclusive of a night spent under the stars, complete with Arabic hospitality and good food in the desert, is high on the list of every visitor to Qatar. It had been high on mine. I’d seen the alluring sun-soaked, deserted desert photographs, read the enthusiastic feedback of visitors and researched the […]
A year of here – 10 Qatar takeouts
This month is my Qatarversary – the first year of living in Doha, Qatar, in the Middle East, after moving from South Africa in February 2022, to join the H who is working here. If I was to leave the Gulf tomorrow, I would be forever grateful for the experience, the knowledge gained and the […]
Eclectic Arabic heritage museum treat
A thousand Arabian oryx, 700 handwoven carpets, 600 classic cars, hundreds of pieces of furniture, a dozen or so dhows, dinosaur teeth and toes … etcetera, all amassed over five decades by one wealthy, passionate collector. And, it’s all available for us to view at the Sheik Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, about 30km […]
Doha, dry? Don’t believe a word of it …
Doha, Qatar, is in a desert, but there’s water everywhere. It is also a conservative Muslim country, but there’s alcohol too. It’s just not everywhere. Questions about water and access to one’s favourite tipple in this tiny peninsula county abound. And, with the FIFA 2022 World Cup around the corner, the thirst for such information […]
Game, set and match – sport in Doha
The Qatari end goal is clear. As sport is a key cog in their ambitious 2030 National Vision to become a global leader, the country is ploughing endless energy, time and money into making Doha an international sporting hub. Their vision is our good fortune. In recognising the value of sport as a unifier and […]
Doing the Doha drift – driving in Qatar
Driving in Doha is not for the faint-hearted, as you adapt to right-hand driving, four-to-six lane highways, new traffic rules, foreign signage, endless detours, heavy volumes of traffic … oh, and the ubiquitous Doha drifters … Perhaps if I’d previously lived in a big city like Johannesburg or even Cape Town, I’d be less inclined […]
FIFA 2022 World Cup matches – what to expect
Clean, air-conditioned stadiums, Arabic headdresses and a dent in your wallet are among the many things you can expect if you’re attending the FIFA 2022 World Cup matches to be hosted in Qatar from mid-November. Having been privileged to attend three recent international matches here in Doha to decide the final spots for the world’s […]