Tuesday, July 23, 2024
We spent 9 hours on layover in the Hamad International Airport. It was quite the adventure getting through security as we didn’t know we had to come into Qatar from the jetway, then go through security again to enter the actual airport.
I reeeeeally wanted a cup of coffee (I can’t stand airplane coffee; it’s just too strong) so we found a place — that had oatmilk 😊 (I can’t have dairy and I didn’t know how much of a “thing” oatmilk was in other countries so I was ecstatic!) — to grab a latte and a chocolate croissant. We then went and found a place to sit and relax in the atrium. The sounds of a (real) indoor waterfall and (recorded) birds made the whole area so pleasant! Some of us stayed and hung out in the atrium while others went exploring through the airport.
We met back up at 9:00 PM (Qatar time) to get a bite to eat before heading to the gate. We found two great restaurants: a Turkish eatery and an Asian cuisine place. I had rice noodles with chicken, broccoli, and teriyaki sauce. It was so nice to all sit down and not feel rushed as we ate together in one of the many food courts.
Once we were done, we made our way to the gate area —which was so different! It was a huge central room with rows and rows of chairs (think like a huge holding area for cattle…ha!). The gates were all around the room and, instead of going to your plane right from the gate, you get on a bus and they bring you out on the tarmac! None of us were expecting the bus ride and we all joked that, apparently, we were taking a bus to Harare!
Here are some more views of the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar:
