August 31, 2021

Traveling With Children: A Practical Guide to Having a Stress-Free Family Trip to Qatar

Traveling with family is an excellent way to bond. The trip becomes even more worthwhile if you’re going to family-friendly places like Doha.

Besides being the capital city of Qatar, Doha is home to many great beaches and parks – both indoor and outdoor – that will definitely help enrich your kids’ experiences here.

However, trips like this can be stressful without proper preparation. To help make your family trip stress-free, here are six tips you can apply to make your visit to Doha much more enjoyable:

1. Prepare them for the trip early.

If it’s your children’s first time traveling by plane, you can introduce the idea early on by playing pretend on how to behave at an airport. Get creative and choose activities that will show them that there’s nothing to worry about riding a plane.

You can also ensure the kids remain interested in the trip by keeping them involved in the planning and preparation process.

Let them help you with the packing, especially with their own bags. When booking your itinerary, ask them what they want to do, but don’t make it sound like they have the last say. You still need to supervise them.

The key is to plan early and keep the excitement high with updates on your upcoming trip.

2. Don’t forget the entertainment.

Some kids, particularly younger ones, get agitated and restless when seated for hours on a plane. To avoid this, remember to bring items that will keep them distracted and entertained for hours.

Some airlines provide in-flight entertainment ranging from kids’ games and channels to interactive activity packs that contain plush toys, coloring sheets, and books. But even if these are available, you should also bring your children’s favorite stuffed animal or book.

Keep a steady supply of books to entertain them and toys and other activities in case they become irritated or bored during the flight. There’s nothing worse than dealing with child tantrums thousands of miles up in the sky.

Bonus Tip: If it’s the first time your child is traveling by plane, consider packing a surprise for them for the trip. This can be a new toy or book or even an old one they haven’t used for a while to serve as a reward for good behavior.

3. Ask for a bassinet seat.

If you’re going to Doha with a child below two years of age, you should also consider requesting a bassinet seat for the flight. This can provide extra room for the family, making the flight more comfortable for everyone compared to when your child is seated on your lap.

Ideally, this should be requested upon booking of the flight, but you can also tell the crew when you arrive. Just remember to make these special requests as early as possible so the airline staff has enough time to prepare them before you board the plane.

4. Pick your itinerary well.

There are plenty of kids’ activities in Doha you can choose from, each with its own charm and brand of fun. The key is to match the items on your itinerary with the personality and age of your children.

For example, if you’re visiting Doha Festival City with teenagers and pre-teens, you may want to bring them to Virtuocity, which is the region’s dedicated gaming hub. Here, you can tap into their competitive side with a wide range of thrilling activities. You can even join in the fun.

If that’s not within the scope of your kids’ interests, Doha Festival City Mall also houses the Angry Birds World Entertainment Park, the first of its kind in all of Qatar. It houses over 20 thrilling rides, 70 arcade games, and so many more.

Once you’re done with all the fun activities in Doha Festival City, you can also visit other awesome sites in the Qatari capital, such as:

Al Khor Park

Although there are no zoos in Qatar, you and your family can still see some tame wildlife at Al Khor Park. This miniature zoo is home to a wide range of animals, including exotic birds, zebras, goats, emus, oryxes, horses, and many more.

If your family is not into wildlife, you can still head to Al Khor and tee up in their miniature golf course.

Just remember to time your trip accordingly, as the park is closed every Friday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays are also reserved for women and kids, while the rest of the week is open for families.

The Corniche

If you want a casual stroll at Doha’s waterfront with your family, you should include a visit to the Corniche during your trip to the city. This seven-kilometer-long stretch offers gorgeous vistas of the city along Doha Bay.

The Doha Corniche comprises three main areas: the street, the government zone, and the park and promenade. Make sure you visit the best area for the family – the promenade – where there is an abundance of fun activities to choose from.

5. Dress your children comfortably.

When traveling with kids, you need to pay attention even to the smallest detail to make sure they have a comfortable trip. This includes the clothes they wear.

When dressing your children for travel, make sure you choose the most comfortable clothing they have. This will increase the likelihood of them sleeping in-flight, which is equivalent to a stress-free family trip.

Dress them in breezy, soft, and loose clothes so that they can move around freely during a long flight. In this case, pajamas are an excellent choice.

6. Pack light but don’t forget the essentials.

It’s easy to go overboard when packing for a family trip. However, packing light is still the best way to go.

If you have kids who can (and are willing to) carry around a small backpack, it is a good idea to pack their essentials inside. This will not only ensure that they have their favorite items within reach but also teach them to take responsibility for their own luggage.

Some of the essential items that should be on your packing list are:

Wipes

Whatever age your children are, your life will be so much easier if you travel with baby wipes in your bag. These are particularly handy with children who tend to get messy. They also work great as a refreshing face wipe for everyone in the family, especially on a warm day in Qatar.

Clothing

Even if your trip only takes one day, you should always bring extra clothing for your kids in case of food spills, travel sickness, perspiration or the occasional wetting of the pants. Having clothes to add an extra layer of warmth can also prove helpful, especially in areas with air-conditioning you cannot control.

First aid kit

Whether or not you have members of the family who need maintenance medicine, you must always pack a first aid kit whenever you travel with kids.

Your first aid kit should include:

Pain reliever and fever medicine

Ear drops to alleviate the effects of altitude change

Some colorful band-aids

Medicine for motion sickness relief

Cough and cold medicine

Remember to pack their regular medicine – those that have worked for them in the past – to reduce any chance of adverse reactions from taking medicine they are not used to.