Turn right at the northern end of Al Khor Corniche towards Al Thakhira. At the next roundabout, turn right; take the first left and pass through the gap in the houses. Heading left away from the village, pass the car park and jetty, onto a track across the salt marsh, leading eventually to a small wadi (desert ditch) and then the beach.

Park near the wadi unless you are in a four-wheel-drive. Rich in mangroves and popular with ornithologists, this stretch of coast is mainly sabkha (salt flats) and treacherous to cross.

When wet, the sabkha are like quicksand; vehicles settle down in the sticky ‘mud’ and can become impossible to move. Keep to dry, well-defined tracks.

 

Represents almost all the quarter north-west of Qatar, where oryx and Arabian gazelles can be spotted.

 

Designated as a nature reserve and protected area at the time of the 15th Asian Games in 2006, Umm Tais has small islets and sand bars with mangrove forests, beaches, geological structures, a varied habitat teeming with marine and bird life, and an important turtle-nesting beach. The ruins of the ancient village of Al Mafjar are nearby on the mainland. The Qatar Museums Authority plans to reconstruct the existing houses and mosque, as well as develop parts of the area into a visitor centre, ranger station and research area. For further information and directions, please contact one of the local tour companies.

 

Ras Abrouq or Bir Zekreet, a favourite spot for weekend campers, is at the very tip of a peninsula northeast of Dukhan (four-wheel-drive is required). Follow the main Doha-Dukhan road, and several kilometres past the turnoff for Al Jumailiya (about 5 km before the flyover) is a fork where the old Dukhan road veers off to the right – look out for this as there is only one sign, in Arabic. After 1.5 km, turn right onto the road that heads up the northeastern side of the Ras Abrouq peninsula, follow for about 21 km and then branch off to the left, heading up and onto the top of the jebel (hills). The track passes the wild deer reserve set up by the Ministry of Environment and through an area that looks like a deserted village but was actually built as a film set. Notice the trees: the lower branches are ‘cropped’ in a straight line where the camels have eaten them!

After almost 9 km, an abandoned police post can be seen on top of a jebel. Go around the base and head out over the causeway on the left, leading to the tip of the peninsula. The area is full of interesting coves and bays, but the best is at the far end: a sweeping half-moon bay flanked at both ends by rocky outcrops.

 

Khor Al Adaid (80 km south from Doha)

Also known as the Inland Sea, this breathtakingly beautiful area, surrounded by crescent-shaped sand dunes, is one of Qatar’s finest treasures and a prime tourism asset. A shallow tidal lake with a narrow outlet to the sea, the many-lobed Khor Al Adaid lies between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and has shores in each country.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles are necessary and only experienced drivers should attempt the journey. Alternatively, local tour operators organise day trips and overnight camps, providing exhilarating drives along the dunes, with barbecues, entertainment and the opportunity to ride camels or sand ski.