Travel a few hours from the shining city of Doha to experience a world apart, a landscape of desert and water that has been a fascination for millennia.
Visit Qatar’s Khor al Adaid Natural Reserve, a land of natural wonder, with a large briny lagoon and a serene desert. Arrange travel into this fascinating uninhabited space to appreciate the beauty of its unusual geography, vegetation and wildlife.
Khor al Adaid is also known as the Inland Sea. Here tall sand dunes surround a large tidal bay with a tropical environment, a phenomenon not seen elsewhere in the world. After gazing in awe at the impressive setting, have fun sliding down the dunes or swimming in the warm water. Divers here are likely to see large turtles, walrus-like dugongs and colorful clownfish. Birdlife includes flamingoes and osprey. Gaze across the sand to see camels and sand gazelles.
One of the most popular ways of visiting the region is on a dunebashing safari. Enjoy the thrills of racing over dunes in a four-wheel drive vehicle. Combine that fun with a break along the ocean for beach relaxation or even a camel ride. Stop along the channel to the Arabian Gulf, from where you can view Saudi Arabia across the water.
Part of the beauty and mystery of the reserve is its constant change. Dunes shift, the embankment system varies with the tide, plants flourish and fade away and wild animals move across the land and waterways. Look for unusual geologic formations such as sabkhas or salt flats.
Stay overnight in the peaceful area to watch a brilliant sunset, glittering stars and quiet sunrise and marvel at the spiritual stillness of the region. Note that the reserve is on the UNESCO tentative list of world heritage sites.
The Khor al Adaid Natural Reserve is located at the southeastern part of Qatar, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Doha. There are no paved roads here, but experienced drivers use four-wheel drive vehicles to travel across the dunes to reach the water.
Join a half-day, full-day or longer guided tour or safari to get a true appreciation of this regional treasure. Pick-up locations can be arranged in many spots in Doha.
