Qatar Courtesy

by Jean

I am just home from my second visit to Qatar -where I had a really wonderful time. I saw so many things, from camels to cakes, to the Inland Sea and stunning flights of thousands of cormorants - and in the process got very close to some sand dunes.

The one constant thing that I noticed, from the start of my flight out with Qatar Airways to my boarding my return flight some 9 days later, was the unfailing courtesy extended to me as a woman.

Shopkeepers in the souks, in Villagio, Carrefour, and the wholesale vegetable and fish markets (another amazing treat) were unfailingly polite and helpful. At one shop the cosmetic counter girl did not have the product I wanted, and went then to all the others to try and find it!

I am slightly disabled, and the airline staff seated me in an aisle seat, near the toilets, and
enquired if all was well on more than one occasion. They also ensured that as there was space on the plane I had maximum space I will definitely travel with them rather than Emirates on my already much anticipated next trip.

They were also exceedingly patient with a gentleman who wanted three seats together (one of them mine!) which apparently he felt he deserved because he had checked in first, having been at the airport 4 hours earlier..... I am sure I could not have been as polite and smiling with such an awkward customer - perhaps this is the Qatari way?

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Qatar Tourism: Not Up to the Mark?

According to a story in the Peninsula today, a majority of residents in Qatar felt that the development of tourism in Qatar is lacking. What's more, we have to agree.

While there has been a marked increase in the number of expensive hotels in Qatar, there has been no matched development in theme parks, water parks or the other amenities expected by tourists. Entertainment City should eventually arrive, but with the usual delays it will be some years before this makes a difference. There are no decent beaches in reach of Doha, and while Al Wakra has been cleaned up a bit it is certainly now what a tourist paying top whack prices would expect!

Some of Qatar's greatest assets have been underplayed. Very little is ever heard of camel racing, something which many Western visitors to the country would be interested in, and it is very difficult to find out when all but the major races are on. Nor is the desert marketed as well as it should be - although I do enjoy my trips to the singing sandunes, where there is rarely anyone else to disturb the peace!

You can see fishing in Qatar on the tourist movies on Qatar Airways, but it hard to book a professional trip - each time I have tried I have been let down. People who have been on dhow fishing trips have complained that they only caught one fish.

What has developed is shopping - but not everyone is as keen on shopping as Arabic ladies! Even to get to the admittedly impressive shopping malls, you need to get a taxi - not always an easy task any more!

Most of the musuems in the country also seem to be shut, although this situation is slowly improving. The Waqif Art Centre is now open, although it hardly matches Qatar National Museum, which has now been closed for several years. Eventually museum lovers should be cheered by the opening of the Islamic Museum in December, assuning that it is not delayed again.

Hopefully, things will improve - I have even heard rumours of a secret ski-slope in the desert to match anything the UAE can provide - now that would put Dubai's noses out of joint!

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Disabled Travels

This is a guest post by Jean Rasbridge, a disabled traveller who works for a UK Power Chair company.

I recently had a very pleasant stay with family who are working in elegant Qatar - I had been apprehensive about the journey itself, as well as travelling to a totally new country where I could not even say "Good Morning" ( I am ashamed to say). However I need not have worried, my fears about a non-disabled friendly trip and reception were unfounded.

I travelled from Terminal 3 at Heathrow, and was escorted from the check in desk by very friendly airline staff, to a quiet waiting area, and when the flight was called was accompanied again to boarding. My travel Power Chair was put into the hold after I was ensconced in a front seat, and the journey passed smoothly. On arrival my son had arranged for an amazing service! A lift brought the chair to the door of the plane, and I was then met by a member of a Visa handling service called Al Maha, and taken to a charming area where I was offered fresh juice, tea or coffee whilst the formalities were completed on my behalf without any anxiety on my part.

I was then taken through Customs, and my baggage retrieved and put onto a portered trolley whilst I sat comfotably in my little Power Chair, and then was then happily reunited with my family - a really stress free journey.

The small power chair I took with me for this journey can be taken apart easily and put into vehicles - and the dry cell batteries are safe for transport. The heaviest part is 27 Kg, so it is acceptable for carriers to transport either as a whole unit at under 50 kg, which most airlines will carry. However, it is important to check with your carrier before you book. I have often taken scooters on plane trips, but this is so much more manouevrable inside than a scooter. It has an off board charger and a range of up to 10 miles

I found Doha a really lovely place to visit (apart from the dust perhaps) - from the elegant promenade which was very wheelchair user friendly, the exciting souks with their unusual smells and scents, the beautifully embellished mosque, to the 5-star hotels which were also disabled friendly. The very modern and stylish malls were also designed for wheelchair access, though I did not see another single user! Most amazingly, in a country famed for its crazy driving, I did not see one disabled parking space that had been taken by an able driver.

While Doha was navigable, I can't say the same about the sand dunes - but then I guess that's not the government's fault.

I am looking forward to another trip, before too long...

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Qatar Travel: An Easy Ride

A combination of superb service from Gulf Air and the excellent Al-Maha service made one disabled traveller's trip an easy ride.

This was my first visit to beautiful Qatar, to visit my daughter and her family, but I was rather apprehensive about the journey and the whole transit process! I usually travel with my able bodied husband, and as I am slightly disabled and unable to walk very far, I was worried about changing planes, finding the correct departure point at the various airports and then actually managing to deal with the visa process and with finding my luggage, (and my family), at the final destination of Doha!

I need not have been concerned. From the point of checking in with the charming Gulf Air staff at Heathrow, and admiring the elegant uniform too, I was looked after so well all the way that I was amazed! I was taken to a waiting area, and then transported by wheelchair down seemingly miles of corridor and moving walkways to the boarding where I was able to walk on board and was seated in an aisle seat to make me more comfortable. After an excellent flight (good movies, good food and good staff too) we landed early at Bahrain, where I was taken by ambilift to the terminal and then escorted with wheelchair to the correct departure gate by a charming porter (although he did get lost initially!)

We took off again and shortly landed at Doha, where again the ambilift took me to the terminal, and there a member of the Al Maha staff was waiting to accompany us to their lounge area, where they took possession of my passport and processed the visa, whilst I sat in comfort with a complementary glass of orange juice! No stress here...

Then the beautiful girl from Al Maha escorted me and the pre-booked porter to baggage reclaim where they located my bag, loaded it onto a trolley and took me to the door of the building, where my daughter was waiting! The airline staff member then wheeled me out to the waiting car - and we set off to see the rest of my family! I have travelled a great deal in my life, and this was one of the easiest journeys I have undertaken - looking forward to visiting again, without any qualms now.

(Note - the Al Maha meet and greet service can be booked at any Qatar Airways outlet or at Doha airport.)

Jean Rasbridge is the owner of a disability business supplying power wheelchairs and other disabled equipment as well as the author of numerous articles on disability.

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