As if there wasn’t enough to do in Doha already, the city happens to be perfectly placed for travel. After all, which other city offers the chance to escape to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and central Asia in three to four hours? Tellingly, more than 12 million air passengers passed through Doha International Airport last year, with more slated to travel through once the new airport is finally complete. Inspired by our status as a premiere travel hub, we’ve put together a list of 12 great escapes (a destination for every month of the year), which includes adventures with giraffes, snorkling, mountain climbing, luxury holidays, and world heritage sites.

We guarantee you’ve never thought of some of them! All prices and deals were correct at the time of going to press – for more cheap flights or to tailor your journey, check out Team TODO fav holiday planning sites, www.orbitz.com, www.expedia.com or www.hipmonk.com. All you need to do now is pick a destination and get packing.

Travel time: Four to six hours by plane

1 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Addis is a hectic but safe city – a cultural and religious melting pot of political importance: it’s the headquarters for the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa. The city has plenty of history (find out more at the Ethiopian National Museum), not to mention great Italian food and coffee. Stay at the Baro Hotel, Piazza (abenet@baro.com.et) with rooms from QR27 per night.
Getting there: Fly Dubai flies Addis via Dubai for QR1,348 return.
www.flydubai.com

2 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
There’s plenty to see and do in the capital, but we suggest you head straight to Turkmenbashi’s golden statue that rotates to face the sun throughout the day. Madness. The Ak Altyn Hotel (+993 12 36 37 00), located in the centre of town, is a good bet for affordable accommodation.
Getting there: Fly Dubai flies to Ashgabat via Dubai from QR2,889 return.
www.flydubai.com