Billy Flint: Camping
‘Camping in Zekreet is probably one of the better and less well known areas for a weekend camping trip in all of Qatar. Due to the size of the country, Zekreet (west coast) takes under an hour to get to from Doha, but feels like a world away. Very quiet and peaceful, Zekreet has good swimming and beautiful views of limestone rocks and cliffs. The ground is hard, so no dunes or soft sand, as in Sea Line or other spots, and at points the sea floor is fairly hard too, but Zekreet offers an “untouched” feeling to your weekend or nightly trip as well. It’s very serene. Rememeber to bring rubbish bags, though, as you won’t find bins here.
‘Also, don’t make the mistake, as I did, of trying to sleep out under the stars… You might wake up surrounded by Red Arabian Foxes, which was slightly scary. Definitely best to bring your tent.
‘A four-wheel-drive is highly recommended, since a good portion of your trip will be off road. From Doha jump on Al Rayyan road, this turns into the highway to Al Shahanaya/Dukhan. Keep an eye out for the Zekreet exit roughly 40 minutes away. Turn right (north) along the paved road to the village of Bir Zekreet, then travel slowly through the town and take a left after the old mosque, where the road will end, but there is a somewhat well defined track heading north. Drive along the water for a while, until you find your perfect spot. The further north you travel, the more beautiful it gets.’
Kimberley Porsche: Cycling
‘While Qatar may not offer the most scenic bike riding, it does boast one of the most active and diverse cycling clubs around. Qatar‘s Chain Reaction Cycling Club has nearly 200 members from around the world who enjoy biking, both on and off road, on a weekly basis. While the club organises cycling races and events all year long, you are most likely to spot its dedicated riders on Friday and Saturday along the highway to Al Khor, enjoying an early morning spin. Riders can also be found on Monday and Wednesday evenings riding a well-lit 11km circuit on the service roads around the Losail Speedway.
‘Typically there are three rides happening on the weekend: on Friday, the “Terminator” Ride (100km) is a fast-paced spin, meeting at the end of the Corniche near Sheraton park; the “Bike and Babble” Ride (70km) is a more leisurely cycle, which meets at the Doha Golf Club lower parking lot; and on Saturday the “Golf Club” Ride (70km), is a mixed-pace spin meet at the Doha Golf Club lower parking lot. Ride times vary over the course of the year, depending on the heat and sunrise. Mountain bike rides are usually organised and scheduled via the club’s email distribution list. Riders of all level and ability are welcome to join. For more information, visit www.qatarchainreaction.org.’
Stewart Hill: Diving
‘Qatar has its share of wreck dives, many of which are very good. For me, though, none are quite like the Alexion Hope wreck, about 60km east of Doha. At 9,084 gross tonnes and 148m long, with a beam of 20m, she is no small wreck. A good two-hour journey through the oil fields of Qatar, you find yourself placed between two buoys. In the early days she was easy to find, as the Sampson posts stood proud above the sea. Now, it’s slightly harder, but the superstructure is still visible six metres beneath the waves. With a maximum depth of 20 metres, the Alexion is a good exercise for the novice diver, although slack water timing is crucial, as there can be some nasty currents as the tides shift.
‘The first of my dives here was with Brian, a good friend and compulsive diver. We both rolled over the side of the boat on our first dive to the wreck. The visibility was reasonable for Qatar, at about six-seven metres, and we quickly descended on the superstructure away from the stinging tentacles of the jellyfish. The stern has been battered by age and the strong currents of the Gulf, and the prop now lies in a mess of rusty steel. Still very recognisable, it reminds you that this hulk of rust and marine life was once a ship. From there we stayed deep, swimming round the stern to the port side, and slowly made our way forward through the open cargo holds. Checking our dive time and air, we realised we had to head back up to the superstructure for our six-metre safety stop, where we spent the three minutes watching the friendly batfish eating jellyfish. With the safety stop complete, we headed up the anchor line, back to the boat for a spot of lunch and a snooze.’
