Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mesaieed
POP 14,800
Mesaieed is an industrialised town about 45km south of Doha, but although it's not partic-
ularly attractive in itself, the nearby
beaches
with deep water make for some of the best
swimming in Qatar.
Sleeping
Sealine Beach Resort$$
RESORT
( 44 765 299;
www.qnhc.com
; r QR750 Sun-Wed, QR900 Thu-Sat; )
Sealine is a lovely, un-
derstated, low-rise resort built on a beach just south of Mesaieed. It's far enough away
from the industrial area to be unaffected by the heavy industry, and the ring of glorious
amber sand dunes doubles the resort's entertainment opportunities. The beach shelves
quite steeply, allowing for good swimming, and desert quad bikes can be hired from the
resort to explore the local dunes, known as the 'singing sands'. The latter are particularly
beautiful at sunset, although purists may be disappointed by myriad bike tracks that spoil
the dunes' pristine curves. Day visitors are welcome to use the hotel facilities, including
pools and the beach; camel and horse rides are available; and there is a clown to entertain
the children, as well as activities like face painting. Admission costs QR25 for children
and QR50 for adults from Sunday to Wednesday and QR75 and QR125 respectively from
Thursday to Saturday.
To reach Mesaieed from Doha, follow the road past the airport and through Al-Wakrah.
A taxi to the resort from Doha costs around QR200.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Khor Al-Adaid
Without a doubt, the major natural attraction in Qatar is the beautiful 'inland sea' of Khor
al-Adaid, near the border with Saudi Arabia. Often described as a sea or a lake, the
khor
is
in fact neither: rather it is a creek surrounded by silvery crescents of sand (known as
barchan
). All sand dunes look wonderful in the late afternoon sun, but those of Khor al-
Adaid take on an almost mystical quality under a full moon when the
sabkha
(salt flats)
sparkle in the gaps between the sand.
While a night under the stars on a camping expedition is a special experience in the
right company, not everyone goes to the area to enjoy the tranquillity. Sand skiing, quad-
