Sunday November 8, 2009
Plenty to tempt shoppers
Doha offers a unique shopping experience with a mix of the old and spanking new.
What’s really interesting is that you’ll find an array of quaint knick knacks, antiques, costume jewellery, home decorations, hand woven carpets and textiles in most places, but the majority of these items are not locally made.
The Villaggio is touted to be the best mall in Doha. Our friendly and very knowledgeable Nepalese guide, Budi, estimates that only 25% of the city’s 1.5 million residents are Qatari; as a result, the merchandise sold is mainly from other Middle Eastern countries, while many branded items come from Europe and the United Kingdom. There is also heaps of costume jewellery – all apparently from China!
While major shopping complexes – like the City Centre, Landmark Plaza and Villagio – have the usual high-street brands as well as top designer labels, it’s the traditional Arabian markets that will keep you going back for more.
These places, like the camel market in the Souq Waqif, offer a very different sort of shopping experience.
Budi says the locals usually visit the camel market just before a wedding feast.
“The have black, white and brown one-hump camels here. People used to buy camels for transportation but now they are mainly sought for their meat,’’ he says.
“For a wedding, an entire camel will be boiled in a huge pot and guests and relatives will sit around and eat. Normally, the young camels are selected. The bigger the hump, the better, because that’s where the juicy fat is.
Souvenirs inspired by Russian Babushka dolls. “People also buy camels for their milk which has four times more protein than cow’s milk,” he adds.
Tourists be warned though – the camel sellers will try to get into your pictures and then charge you for it!
While photo-taking in Qatar is generally a hassle-free experience (you can snap pictures everywhere including in the museum and shops but if you want a picture with the local men and women, you need to ask first), the sellers at the camel market charge a “modelling fee”.
Budi says there is even a special market to buy racing camels – a popular sport in Doha, it seems.
“About 45km from here, you’ll find the racing camel market where the cost of the animal can go up to more than US$20,000 (RM67,600).
“Some rich owners even use robots to ride the camels because the robots weigh 5kg. Previously they hired children but safety concerns prompted the use of modern technology,” my guide explains.
In desperate need to spend some money, I ask him for some real shopping and Budi takes me to the Villagio – all 110,000sq meters of world-class shopping!
With a 150m-long Venetian canal (complete with mini-gondolas!), Doha’s latest mall is inspired by Italian architecture and boasts an Olympic-size ice skating rink and rows of fashion boutiques.
Next up was the Souq Waqif with its dazzling collection of perfumes, bottles of every shape and size, leather items, pottery, incense, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, beads and shimmering fabric. Don’t forget though – like at all local markets, you have to bargain. And don’t worry, the shop owners are quite pleasant and most speak English.
Navigating the meandering narrow pathways of the Souq Waqif is an adventure in itself. Its architecture is unique, and if you can’t lug around your treasures while enjoying the view, you can pay men with wheelbarrows who will be more than happy to help.
The shops open in the morning and close at noon. They resume business at about 4pm right up till 9pm. The evening session is the best time to visit the Souq Waqif because that’s when the locals usually come out to shop.
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