Asia

From the nomadic steppes of Kazakhstan to the frenetic streets of Hanoi, Asia is a continent so full of intrigue, adventure, solace, and spirituality that it has fixated and confounded travelers for centuries.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF QATAR

Our second museum today was opened in March 2019. French architect Jean Nouvel’s sprawling desert-rose-inspired structure is spectacular (🎟️ 50 QAR). It houses 1.5km of galleries organized into three ‘chapters’: Beginnings, Life in Qatar, and Building the Nation...

MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART

It took us a few hours to explore the world’s most extensive collection of Islamic art, drawn from three continents. This fabulous museum (🎟️ 50 QAR) is so rich in treasure that it rewards short, intense visits. Rising from its purpose-built island and set in an extensive landscape...

DOHA (الدوحة)

We didn’t plan it, but it happened; we spent a week in Qatar’s capital, Doha. It is located on the east coast of the Qatar Peninsula in the Persian Gulf. More than two-fifths of Qatar’s population lives within the city’s limits. Situated on a shallow bay indented...

AL WAKRAH (الوكرة)

We made a short stop at Al Wakrah’s enormous and enchanting souq. It is a maze of alleyways and courtyards, full of renovated clay structures, traditional architecture, a mosque, and stables. Some shops sell everything from honey, spices, and dates to perfumes and souvenirs...