Joanna James
Qatar is a top tourist destination; one of the biggest allures is the shopping. Villaggio shopping mall, for example, located in Doha was listed as one of the world's best malls by Forbes. The malls are open 10 am to 10 pm and provide a variety of entertainment too, check out the following.
Villaggio, as the name suggests is a Venetian themed shopping precinct, packed full of entertainment and fun; the shopping is of course utterly fabulous. Villaggio is a kind of fantasy mall where you shop under a dome of white fluffy clouds, enjoy a gondola ride along with the indoor replica of the Grand Canal and savour a pizza at Paul. The shops are a marvellous collection of the latest designer brands across clothing, accessories, homeware and more. Guests at Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara will find this super mall just 34 minutes away, the perfect venue to go for a day of family fun.
This mall boasts 350 shops and is a very popular gathering centre for expatriates hankering for a taste of home and locals eagerly sloshing down glasses of juice while savouring the delicious cuisine. The mall, easy to reach from luxury hotels in Doha, is a beautiful complex boasting glass-fronted elevators, marble flooring, and intricate architecture. The place apart for its shopping allures is home to a bowling alley, ice skating rink, climbing walls and a basement play area for kids.
This is both a shopaholic and foodie's type of mall. The place offers mid-range shopping treats and is loved for its enormous food court, where the bites are varied and cheap. The mall is home to a Marks and Spencer Department store as well as, Costa, Virgin mega store, Zara Home and a number of other chain stores related to international brands. Best of all, the mall offers free WIFI to its patrons.
This is the first shopping mall of Doha; the place is not as flashy as the larger more popular malls, offering a collection of local outlet stores and midrange high street brands. One of the most popular stores there is 'Bradran' noted for its collection of rugs and carpets made from pure Iranian wool. Let out the creative side in you by visiting the Café Ceramique where you are encouraged to design your own pottery. Oh, and maybe catch a flick at the old-fashioned Cineplex there.
Located in a corner of Souq Waqif, the spices and sweet souq is a fragrant quarter you will love exploring. To get to the sweet section you need to pass the boundary created by the spice merchants, large sacks of colourful exotic spices line the stone corridor permeating the air with sweet heady fragrances, which are nothing short of an aromatic spa treatment. As you can guess, reaching the sweets section via this route has you ready to savour just about every treat in store.
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