Always for holidays, Indian expatriate Ahmad Anwar chose between flying home or staying in Qatar exploring the local tourist destinations. This Eid al-Adha holiday turned out to be special for Anwar and his family as he, along with his friend Sameer V K, opted to embark on a road trip from Doha to Amman.
A new trend where several residents opt to go for international road trips from Doha has been in the making for some years now and the Eid al-Adha holidays witnessed the trend gaining ground after a break. Several Doha residents drove to Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the past couple of weeks.
Anwar started the trip in a group of 11 individuals including five kids on June 25 in two SUVs. The group returned to Doha on July 2 after covering Saudi heritage sites in Tabuk and visiting the popular Jordan tourist sites including the ancient city of Petra, the port city of Aqaba, Dead Sea, Cave of the Seven Sleepers and the capital city Amman.
“We made all preparations while planning almost everything. The trip was amazing and quite affordable. We opted to go by road since it lends an opportunity to stop and explore every site,” Anwar told Gulf Times.
Travel experts say the trend is now getting many takers after Saudi Arabia eased entry procedures for Qatar residents. “Visa proceedings have become easy and fast. E visa and on-arrival visa are available for Qatar residents from many countries that can be reached by road. Such facilities attract residents to go for a new experience change while celebrating holidays,” said Mosafer Travel and Tourism general manager Firos Nattu.
Sadiq Chennadan, another Doha resident, along with his friends, drove to Oman where he visited the picturesque Wadi Darbat and heritage sites of Mutrah Fort along with beaches, Souqs, museums and villages across Salalah and Muscat.
“All you need is good friends and vehicles that are fit for a long drive. We enjoyed the trip while exploring every site. We had regular breaks and stays across Oman and Saudi Arabia,” Sadiq said, adding that the trip is affordable compared to air travel.
Nishaant Tharammel went to Bahrain's capital city Manama where he stayed a day and night after exploring the Saudi city of Dammam. “We had a good time both in Saudi and Bahrain. We feel great that we opted to drive to two countries,” he said, adding that the roads, outside the cities, demand care and attention.
Many residents also drove to Saudi cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and Abha where they met relatives and friends while UAE cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah received many visitors from Qatar during the Eid al-Adha holidays.
Ahmad Anwar and Sameer VK at Petra in Jordan with their families
Sadiq and friends at Wadi Darbat in Oman
