This document provides an overview of three perfect days in Doha, Qatar. It discusses Doha's transformation from a desert backwater to a major tourism destination, highlighting cultural sites like the Museum of Islamic Art and traditional markets. The three-day itinerary includes exploring heritage, high-speed camel riding in the desert, and shopping in luxurious surroundings. In under 90 words.
1. Hemisphe
heres
JANUARY 2013
THREE PERFECT DAYS: DOHA • TRAVEL SPECIAL 2013 • THE HEMI Q&A WITH JAMES PATTERSON
THREE PERFECT DAYS
IN DOHA
25 NEW THINGS TO DO IN 2013 // HOW A NEW MEXICO ART DEALER SPARKED AN
EPIC TREASURE HUNT // WHY SUPER BOWL GAMES ARE SURPRISINGLY SO GOOD
AGAIN // THE HEMI Q&A PUTS A TAIL ON SUSPENSE WRITER JAMES PATTERSON
R1_P001_HEMUA_0113_Cover.indd 1 11/12/2012 14:44
2. YOUR
COMPLIMENTARY
COPY
62
THE HEMI Q&A
With a new bestseller-
to-be out this month,
James Patterson talks
books, Hollywood
and pet peeves
66
THE THRILL OF
THE CHASE
How a Santa Fe art
collector’s supposed
dying wish has turned
into a treasure hunt of
epic proportions
WELCOME ABOARD
CEO LETTER
A word from Jeff Smisek
12
72
OUT WITH THE OLD
VOICES 14
A message to flyers The best new things
to see in 2013, from a
CONNECTIONS 15 Dr. Seussian garden in
What’s new at United Singapore to Picasso’s
long-awaited return
to Paris
AURELIE KORADY
80 THREE PERFECT DAYS: DOHA
Cultural riches and exotic diversions await in Qatar’s booming capital city
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3. JANUARY
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THE MONTH AHEAD 39
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4. IN WITH THE NEW EDITOR IN CHIEF Joe Keohane
WHAT DO A CUTTING-EDGE Canadian planetar- EXECUTIVE EDITOR Chris Wright
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park straight out of Dr. Seuss and the world’s big- FASHION EDITOR Nino Bauti
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gest Ferris wheel have in common? Not to mention
ART DIRECTOR Christine Bower-Wright
a Parisian trove of Picasso paintings, a tank of sharks ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Jeff Quinn
in Cleveland and a whole museum dedicated to PHOTO EDITOR Julien Tomasello
ABBA in Sweden? CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jay Cheshes, Alyssa Giacobbe,
The answer: They’re all included in “Out With the Mike Guy, Michael Kaplan, Jon Marcus,
Old” (page 72), a special travel package that rounds Adam K. Raymond, Cristina Rouvalis,
Grant Stoddard
up some of the best new things to see and do in CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
2013—from Amsterdam to Beverly Hills to Rio. Christine Berrie, Peter James Field,
Alex Nabaum, Peter Oumanski,
When you’re done poring over the latest and James Provost, Steve Stankiewicz
greatest from around the world, we’ll introduce you to a man who hid a treasure chest EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
worth millions in Santa Fe, explain why Super Bowl games have suddenly go en so Michael Keating
U.S. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
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MARGIE GOLDSMITH GEOFFREY GRAY AURELIE KORADY
is a New York–based is a contributing editor is a French freelance Ink (sales), Capital Building,
255 E. Paces Ferry Rd., Ste. 400,
adventure, luxury and for New York magazine photographer based Atlanta, GA 30305
lifestyle journalist who and the author of in Qatar, where she Tel: +1 888-864-1733 Fax: +1 917-591-6247
has traveled to 120 Skyjack: The Hunt for frequently exhibits her Ink
countries and written D.B. Cooper. He’s been work. While Korady CEO Jeffrey O’Rourke
COO Hugh Godsal
about them all. Though spending a lot of time in enjoyed the adventure PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Simon Leslie
she didn’t find Forrest Spain lately, wandering of shooting “Three HEMISPHERES is produced monthly by Ink. All material is
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Fenn’s buried treasure the provinces in search Perfect Days: Doha” publication may be reproduced in whole or part without the
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5. THREE PERFECT DAYS
DOHAIn just a few years, the capital
of Qatar has gone from desert
backwater to major player in
global tourism, offering cultural
riches, top-notch cuisine and
a bo omless supply of bling
BY ALISTAIR CRIGHTON
PHOTOGRAPHS BY AURELIE KORADY
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6. 83
DAY ONE
A treasure island
of traditional art,
lingering over chai
and a shisha, an
evening of classic
American jazz
86
DAY TWO
Wandering the
ruins at Zubara,
high-velocity
camels, wild
four-wheeling
in the desert
88
DAY THREE
Shopping in a
Venetian fantasy-
land, Boléro by
the bay, a local
seafood feast
RIDING HIGH A camel tender
atop his mount at Al Shahaniya
Camel Racetrack; left, shopping
mecca Souq Waqif
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7. THREE PERFECT DAYS || DOHA
REFLECTING HERITAGE
The I.M. Pei–designed Museum
of Islamic Art; top right, an array
of mezes at Tajine; bottom right,
glitz for sale in Msheireb
QATAR HAS COME A LONG WAY in a short More recently, Qatar has been on a development
time. Having gained its independence only four binge that’s transformed it into one of the most
decades ago, this small spit of desert jutting vibrant and a ractive spots in the Gulf.
into the Persian Gulf now boasts the world’s With the soccer World Cup heading to Qatar
highest per-capita GDP, and is punching well in 2022, the capital city’s revival is being stepped
above its weight in the fields of hospi- up. A er spending years in the shadow
WANT MORE?
tality, finance and international sport. Download of nearby Dubai, Doha is emerging as
our iPad app.
It’s a far cry from the 1930s, when a a destination to be reckoned with: a
Japanese invention—cultured pearls—devas- place where travelers can immerse themselves
tated the pearl diving industry on which Qatar’s in the best of Middle East culture while knowing
economy relied. Then the discovery of fossil fuels that a hot nightspot, hip restaurant or fleet of
here in the 1940s reversed its fortunes overnight. matching Rolls-Royces is never far away.
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8. DOHA || THREE PERFECT DAYS
DOHA BY THE NUMBERS
POPULATION
796,947
ESTIMATED PERCENTAGE
OF POPULATION MADE UP
OF EXPATRIATES
85
AREA, IN SQUARE MILES
51
NATURAL GAS RESERVES IN QATAR,
IN CUBIC FEET (NO. 3 IN THE WORLD)
896 TRILLION
PER-CAPITA GDP
(NO. 1 IN THE WORLD)
$104,300
VALUE OF WORLD’S
MOST EXPENSIVE ARTWORK
(CEZANNE’S THE CARD PLAYERS,
BOUGHT BY QATAR’S ROYAL FAMILY)
$250 MILLION
NUMBER OF STADIUMS TO BE BUILT
FOR THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP
DAY ONE | The morning sun wakes you Souq Waqif is still sleeping, so you
earlier than expected, amplified as it is by catch a cab to the Museum of Islamic Art, 9
the wall-to-wall shininess of your suite. which rises like a cubist sculpture from
Al Jasra Boutique Hotel, a neo-traditional the uncannily turquoise waters of the
property in Doha’s Souq Waqif market, Persian Gulf. Set on a small artificial NUMBER OF NEW HOTEL ROOMS
is luxurious even by the Gulf ’s “seven island, the I.M. Pei–designed building pays NEEDED TO HANDLE
star” standards, an opulence literally homage to timeless Islamic architecture, THE WORLD CUP INFLUX
reflected in the mirror finish applied to but with a modernist twist. You pause to
every surface. watch dhows, traditional wooden sailboats, 10,000+
Having located and donned your sun- bobbing between the museum and the
glasses, you indulge in a bedside treat of glistening skyline, then head inside.
espresso and chocolate-dipped straw- It’s easy to lose yourself among the
LENGTH, IN MILES, OF PROPOSED
berries, then amble down to the hotel museum’s cultural riches: ancient, finely
WORLD’S-LONGEST BRIDGE
restaurant for breakfast: a hearty bowl of cra ed rugs, artworks and sundry imple- BETWEEN QATAR AND BAHRAIN
foul (cooked beans served with piquant ments, many of which date back to the
condiments) and more strong coffee. time when the Islamic world led the way 24.85
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9. THREE PERFECT DAYS || DOHA
MAD STASH
A royal’s personal museum
pushes the boundaries of taste
If the Museum of Islamic Art’s
holdings are the most famous
of Qatar’s art collections, then
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al
Thani’s personal stash is perhaps
the most infamous. Located
on the edge of the city, the
sheikh’s namesake museum
keeps irregular hours, but for
those who make it inside, a real
eye-opener awaits.
Over the years, the sheikh
has amassed a huge treasure
trove (there are tales of cargo
containers of purchases arriving
every month), and items on
display encompass everything
from U.S. muscle cars to
GREAT CATCH Above, grilled prawns at L’wzaar Seafood Market; opposite, clockwise from top left,
Islamic manuscripts, nautical
traditional pigeon towers in Katara; a selection of water pipes, called shishas; the Al Jasra Boutique equipment, rugs, stamps, coins,
Hotel’s over-the-top lobby; a sampling of Souq Waqif’s wealth of traditional crafts bowling balls and virtually any-
thing else that can be collected.
in artistic and scientific development. The A short taxi ride takes you to the Arab The museum’s centerpiece,
intricate weapons on display, meanwhile, Museum of Modern Art, also known as though, is an array of Saddam
remind you of the region’s corresponding Mathaf, which is stacked with excellent
Hussein memorabilia, which
military might. examples of Arab modernist art (you are
includes items of the Iraqi
Exiting the museum, you swing right particularly taken with the “Tea With
and stroll the palm-lined Corniche, a Nefertiti” exhibition, which showcases
dictator’s clothing. It’s a puzzling,
favorite gathering spot for Doha society Egyptian art from the age of the pharaohs even unnerving thing to behold.
in the cooler months. You stop at a café for to the Arab Spring). Another cab whisks you As one visitor was overheard to
a restorative chai—sweet, spiced tea—then through the city’s high-rise monuments to wonder: Why? Of course, that
cab it back to Souq Waqif, where you navi- wealth and on to West Bay Lagoon, home same visitor continued to gaze
gate a warren of shops hawking everything to the second hotel of your stay. upon these artifacts for a good
from gaudy fabrics to sticky sweets. Wiz- The St. Regis Doha is a paragon of Gulf while, effectively answering her
ened porters thread their barrows through bling: a fleet of Rolls-Royces and Jaguars own question.
formations of black-clad matrons, watched outside, acres of marble within.
by officers of the mounted Amiri Guard, You push through the sprays of
resplendent in their white kaffiyehs and aromatic flowers and emerge
gold-framed aviator sunglasses. into the gli ering lobby, where
For lunch, you go for adventurous: baby a female harpist who surely
camel tagine at the stylish Moroccan eatery moonlights as a supermodel
Tajine, located on Souq Waqif’s main drag. plinks melodiously. Soon you
Served with a mixture of mezes, it’s rustic are approached by a phalanx
and very tasty—think mutton rather of liveried staff, one of them
than lamb but leaner, richer and, thanks your butler, and are led to your
to hours of stewing, far more tender. gold-tinted room.
Though Doha has a reputation for being If you want a drink in Doha,
fast-paced, locals have made an art form the big hotels are pre y much
of going nowhere slowly. Accordingly, you your only option. So, after a
linger at one of the cafés lining the main sunset dip in the Olympic-
street, where you spend a sedentary hour size pool, you head for the St.
smoking a shisha, an aromatic water pipe, Regis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center GRAND BIZARRE Inside the Sheikh
and playing “guess the nationality” as a Doha, a new club launched by Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum
diverse parade of people passes by. its New York namesake, where
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10. DOHA || THREE PERFECT DAYS
PHOTO CREDIT TK - REMOVE IF EMPTY
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11. THREE PERFECT DAYS || DOHA
you spend an evening in the company of
jazz legend (and the club’s artistic direc-
tor) Wynton Marsalis. Between sets, the
musicians mingle with the audience, and
you’re joined for dinner by saxophonist
Walter Blanding, who, having watched you
demolish pla ers of succulent crab cakes
and lobster, declares his own entrée to be
“the best darn burger I’ve ever had.”
After dinner, you down a Sazerac—a
New Orleans twist on the old-fashioned—
and marvel at this cosmopolitan nightspot,
smack-dab in the middle of the Middle
East. A Sazerac or two later, the mood light-
ing seems even moodier. Time for a snooze.
DAY TWO | It’s another dazzler outside,
so you grope your way to a bathroom
bigger than many hotel suites and hit the
shower. Then you pop downstairs to one
of the St. Regis’ 10 on-site eateries, Vine, for
a perfectly prepared chili-infused omelet.
You’ll need the extra zing, you figure, for
the experience that awaits.
Driving in Doha isn’t for the faint-
hearted, but it’s a must if you want to go
beyond the city limits. So you rent a car
and hurtle north toward Al Khor. While
Qatar’s industrial second city is hardly an
obvious destination, you want to see its
wharf, which turns out to be well worth
the 45-minute trip. The hulking dhows
here were built using age-old methods
in the nearby shipyard, and they still ply
ancient trade routes. The captain of one
scruffy vessel invites you to join him on
deck for a glass of tea. You take him up on
it (much to the consternation of his crew),
and are entertained with what you hope
are salty tales of the high seas but, given
the language barrier, might be a commen-
tary on the state of cricket in his home
country of India.
A 50-minute drive northwest takes you
through an arid, relentlessly flat landscape,
the monotony occasionally broken by an
oasis or a pre y mosque. You’re heading
for a local oddity: Zubara, an abandoned
18th-century se lement that’s become a
sort of al fresco museum. Upon arriving,
you stroll among its ruined houses, then
tour the nearby Zubara Fort, an imposing
early-20th-century structure that must
have been an unhappy post in the days
before air conditioning.
Turning back toward Doha, you stop
at Al Shahaniya Camel Racetrack, about
20 miles outside the city. There’s no race
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12. DOHA || THREE PERFECT DAYS
HUMP DAY A gaggle
of camels at Al Shahaniya;
top right, the opulent
Villaggio mall; bottom
right, the St. Regis Doha
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13. THREE PERFECT DAYS || DOHA
on, but you’re lucky enough to see some a dune to watch one of the most dramatic a tab that outstrips the GDP of some small
practice runs. The surly animals achieve a sunsets you’ve ever seen. Your inner peace countries. All in all, then, a very good night.
remarkable pace, geed on by bizarre robotic abates, however, when the driver takes you
jockeys. A local breeder tells you these ani- roaring through the dunes once again. It’s DAY THREE | A lie-in and breakfast in
matronic riders are a Qatari invention, and much scarier in the dark. bed—eggs Benedict (no ham)—steel you
have replaced the child jockeys that only a Having piloted your rental car back to for your first activity of the day. At mid-
few years ago were the norm. Doha, you clear the sand from your ears morning, you’re heading to the ’burbs for
Though you get back on the road, a truly before heading to the W Hotel for dinner that most Qatari of pastimes: shopping.
arresting spectacle soon has you Doha can’t compete with the
hi ing the brakes. The sprawl of retail wonderland of Dubai, but
refineries just south of Doha is Villaggio is a step in that direction.
like a distorted reflection of the With its swank boutiques and
city’s skyline. You gawp for a canal-traversing gondolas, the
while at the flaming towers cut- Venetian-themed mall is hugely
ting through giant dunes, then popular with locals, who shop
make for your lunch destination: for brands so exclusive you’ve
Lagoon Ristorante, located at the never heard of them, with price
perfectly manicured Sealine tags you’re not likely to forget.
Beach Resort. You devour an You pop into Gondolania, the
excellent linguine al gamberi, yet in-mall theme park, and perch
you don’t tarry a erward—your beside its ice rink to take in the
driver from a local adventure unlikely spectacle of a Qatari
outfit has arrived to take you hockey game. Then it’s back to
dune bashing in a 4x4. downtown, where a different sort
NOTEWORTHY IMPORT Getting into the swing
For the next hour or so, as the driver of things at Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha of retail experience awaits.
negotiates near-vertical off-road terrain, Most of Msheireb, part of the old city
you are able to form only two thoughts: at the chic Market by Jean-Georges, where center, is in the process of being rebuilt.
“ouch” and “eek.” It’s fun, but you and your you plump for an exquisite fontina and The areas that have escaped demolition
ra ling bones are happy to disembark at black truffle pizza, washed down with a are some of the most colorful in town—a
the Inland Sea, a picturesque spot where dra Hoegaarden. Next, you beeline it to clu er of markets selling everything from
billowing dunes plunge into an inlet of the Crystal, the W’s studiously hip nightclub, fruit-and-veg to $5 “Rolexes.” You hit the
Persian Gulf. A er a quick dip, you climb and dance into the wee hours, racking up Gold Souq, where you deck yourself out in
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM THOSE IN THE KNOW ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER JAMES FIELD
Lana Shamma Nicholas Wilson Yasmine Kassem
EVENTS/PUBLICITY MANAGER MARKETING CONSULTANT MARKETING EXECUTIVE
“One of Doha’s hidden finds is “Taking in a local football match “The café at the Museum of
a kitschy antiques shop called is an experience. Qatari men are Islamic Art Park is one of the
Champs-Élysées. It’s stacked with crazy about soccer. The 2022 coolest places in the city to hang
stuff like Arabic-language Coca- World Cup should have a great out. It’s a fantastic spot
Cola signs and vintage cameras. atmosphere.” for cultured conversation in an
Don’t forget to haggle!” idyllic setting.”
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14. DOHA || THREE PERFECT DAYS
Opera House
Katara
Zubara L’wzaar Seafood Market
Onaiza St.
Al Khor
Vintage
Q ATA R Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha Remède Spa
St. Regis Doha
Al Shahaniya Doha a
Camel Racetrack 0 1 mile
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DAY ONE Souq Waqif Al Jasra Boutique Hotel
DAY TWO Al Osra Tajine
DAY THREE
Al Saad St. Msheireb
DAY ONE DAY TWO DAY THREE
Al Jasra Boutique Hotel Souq Waqif, Al Khor Villaggio Al Waab Street, Doha;
Doha; Tel. 974-4433-6666 Zubara Tel. 974-4413-5222
Museum of Islamic Art Doha Port, Al Shahaniya Camel Racetrack Msheireb
Doha; Tel. 974-4422-4444 Al Shahaniya Al Osra Omar Al Mukhtar and Al Fayhaa
Souq Waqif Off Grand Hamad Lagoon Ristorante Sealine streets, Doha; Tel. 974-4431-9941
Street, Doha Beach Resort, Mesaieed; Remède Spa St. Regis Doha, West Bay,
Tajine Souq Waqif, Doha; Tel. 974-4476-5299 Doha; Tel. 974-4446-0300
Tel. 974-4435-5554 Inland Sea Katara West Bay, Doha;
Arab Museum of Modern Art Market by Jean-Georges W Doha Tel. 974-4408-0000
Education City, off Al Luqta Street, Hotel & Residences, West Bay, Opera House Bldg. 16, Katara,
Doha; Tel. 974-4402-8855 Doha; Tel. 974-4453-5135 West Bay, Doha
St. Regis Doha West Bay, Doha; Crystal W Doha Hotel & Residences, L’wzaar Seafood Market Katara, West
Tel. 974-4446-0000 West Bay, Doha; Tel. 974-4453-5135 Bay, Doha; Tel. 974-4408-0710
Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha Vintage St. Regis Doha, West Bay,
St. Regis Doha, West Bay, Doha; Doha; Tel. 974-4446-0300
Tel. 974-4446-0000
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY 2013 • MAP BY STEVE STANKIEWICZ 89
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15. THREE PERFECT DAYS || DOHA
FOR THE BIRDS
Falconry offers a soaring
reminder of tribal traditions
In modern Qatar, falconry may
be a status symbol for the
wealthy, but the sport itself
stems from an earthier concern:
protein. The Bedouin of old
trapped falcons in the autumn
as they migrated across the
Arabian Peninsula, using baited
cages festooned with nooses to
snare the raptors’ talons. They
then trained the falcons and
subsisted on the small game
that the birds would capture.
While these old methods
are still used, most falcons in
Qatar today are imported from
AT THE OASIS Persian Gulf views Central Asia. At Doha’s Falcon
at Sealine Beach Resort
Souq, birds come with prices
ranging from $275 for a puny or
a handful of Mr. T–grade gold chains for a but tonight it’s Ravel, with the full orches- truculent male to $8,000-plus
very reasonable sum. tra pulling out all the stops for Boléro. At for a prized female saker falcon.
Msheireb also boasts some of Doha’s the intermission, you discuss the benefits There’s never a shortage of
best ethnic restaurants. You decide to go of tax-free income with expat culture customers—as Qatar’s rampant
Keralan at Al Osra, which does a mean fish vultures before you shuffle off to L’wzaar development continues, falconry
curry, served with bu ery paratha and a Seafood Market, one of the many excellent is seen as a link to a way of life
tangy mango lassi, all for less than the regional restaurants in Katara. You select that’s growing increasingly
price of a knockoff luxury timepiece. a healthy-looking hamour—a local meaty
remote. (And when birding
From here, you scurry past the insis- fish—and six giant Omani prawns. They
buffs aren’t buying these regal
tent traders and retrace your steps to the come grilled to perfection and accompa-
creatures, they’re taking pictures
St. Regis, where you’re booked for a treat- nied by an array of delectable mezes.
ment at its Remède Spa. With every muscle Finally, it’s back for a nightcap at Vintage,
of them with their cellphones.)
being expertly tended to, you’re back in the the upscale bar at the St. Regis, where the
lap of luxury, and you’d be lying if you said Czech lager is served in iced pewter tan-
it didn’t feel good. kards and the patrons look like extras from
Next, it’s a five-minute stroll to Katara, Casino Royale. The la er turns out to be apt:
a “cultural village” showcasing aspects Not only is Doha known as a diplomatic hot
of Qatar’s heritage that risk being swept spot, but the bartender here shakes a very
away by relentless modernization. You good martini. While the cheesy lounge act
decline the chauffeured golf cart and diminishes the mystique a li le, you find
wander among the mock-Arabian build- yourself nodding in time to the music as
ings, pausing now and then to look in on you se le into one of the shadowy nooks.
an art gallery. Having admired the lovely, This, you feel, bodes well for Doha’s future.
blue-tiled central mosque for a bit, you Even the bad stuff is pre y good.
move on to the Opera House, where you’ll
catch the first half of a performance by the Abu Dhabi–based freelance writer ALISTAIR
Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. CRIGHTON has very nearly recovered from his
The QPO is famed for incorporating afternoon of dune bashing.
classical Arabic music into its repertoire,
BOARDING PASS With the sparkling Persian Gulf on one side and a sprawling desert landscape on the other, Doha offers a dramatic
getaway for adventurers, history buffs, culture aficionados and hard-core shoppers alike. United can take you to Qatar’s capital city
with convenient one-stop service from Washington Dulles through Dubai. Before boarding, consider purchasing a day pass to relax in a
spacious United Club; memberships are also available. For more information or to book your flight, go to united.com.
90 JANUARY 2013 • HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
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