School’s out and so is the sun! It’s summertime and everybody’s traveling! But are you planning to stay in Doha this summer? Worried about how you’re going to while away your time in the scorching heat? Looking up ways to keep your family entertained during the long summer months? Look no further, because ILQ brings you the top 5 ways you can spend your staycation in Qatar if you’re not planning to travel!

1. Get fit! The summer is a great time to get into that new fitness regime your friend was telling you about, or to finally start eating clean like you’ve been planning to for the past few months! You’ll finally have some time on your hands to meal prep for a whole week and squeeze in a workout or two every week. Start slow, and go from there! And perhaps you could encourage your partner or parents or even your kids to join you. There’s nothing like a gym partner to motivate you. You could also consider joining a gym to keep yourself consistent. So get to it and give your lifestyle the makeover it so deserves!

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2. Book a hotel stay! If you’re upset because you couldn’t travel this summer, maybe because of conflicting vacation dates, high ticket prices or perhaps just the lack of a travel companion, why not spend a relaxing summer right here in Qatar? Book a stay at a hotel, either by yourself or with your family and enjoy some first class relaxation. You can also avail of some exciting offers! The InterContinental Doha is offering 50% off on a one-month membership at The Bay Club until the end of August! They will also be offering some great packages to de-stress and pamper yourself with at their spa!

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The W has a really exciting offer where you get two nights free at the W Istanbul if you book a four-night stay at the W Doha! You can redeem the free nights until the end of the year, so if your travel plans have been postponed to after the summer, you can enjoy both a staycation now and a vacation later! The offer is on until the end of September.

3. Take a class! We all know that no one wants to study during the summer, but taking a fun class to hone a new skill would be a great way to pass the time! It could be a yoga class, a cooking class, an art class or a music class! Learn to play that instrument you’ve always wanted to be able to play, or fill up the walls in your house with paintings signed by yourself! If you have kids, you could enroll them in classes too. IAID offers dance, music, art and fitness classes all through the summer! Hotels like the Ritz Carlton offer cooking classes for adults and kids alike and several fitness studios have yoga and spinning classes!

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4. Explore the city! So what if you’ve spent most or all of your life in Qatar? Be a tourist in your own city! Explore the beaches, the malls, the traditional souqs, the mosques and the museums! Buy antique items, appreciate the art, culture and heritage of Qatar and eat some delicious food! You’ll probably end up learning more in a day out in the city than you have in all these years. It’s a great way to pass the time and to learn more about your home!

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5. Go for a desert safari! Who says you can’t be one with nature in the desert? Book a desert safari and enjoy a day of thrilling rides in the sand dunes, be it in cars or on dune buggies, and then enjoy a wonderful barbecue underneath the stars! You really can see every star up in the sky in the peaceful desert. Some desert safari packages even offer overnight stays, so you can have the whole desert camping experience!

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Not traveling during the summer doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. It can be quite fun, you just have to know what to do! And there’s plenty to do in Qatar, so don’t let the summer go to waste when you can have a fun, relaxing staycation.

How do you plan to spend the summer months? Are you going to have a staycation or a vacation? Let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to give us a like and a share—it keeps us going!

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Rumana Shaikh

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