At Katara Hills, the chilly weather draws families and residents together. Photos by Marivie Alabanza / The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: The cooler weather in Doha is great for getting people out of their homes and spending time doing outdoor activities. The Katara Hills is one of many public spaces in Qatar where they can do so.
The elevated lush greenery with well-kept grass and many trees is an ideal place for bonding with friends and family. It also has jogging trails and a 'river', which is rare in Qatar that many people were enticed to come and see.
Katara's South Hills Park and North Hills Park are rather quiet on weekdays, but come alive on weekends with families, particularly expatriates who build memories of their stays in Qatar. Here are a few of them who happily shared their weekend stories with The Peninsula.
Father-son football bond
Gopi Krishnan considers the father-son bond to be a valuable treasure. Like him, his three-year-old son Shreyas also loves outdoor activities when temperature cools down. Since the day Gopi discovered his son's interest in football, the sport has served as a means of bonding between them.
Together with his wife and mother-in-law, who is in Qatar for a short visit, they go to Katara Hills on weekends for about an hour of football fun. The vast green open field, according to Gopi, reminds him of their home in Kerala, India.
"We are morning persons and winter is the perfect time to enjoy the start of the day as the sun rises, as well as enjoy Mother Nature's beauty like what we see here in Katara Hills," said Gopi who has been living in Qatar for the past six years.
Pleasant study space
Hiba Tobaji from Syria and her son Emran enjoy studying outdoors in winter months, and what could be a better spot to do it than in Katara South Hills? Hiba feels that the environment in which one studies has an important bearing on how well one does on exams.
The mother and son, both nature lovers, agreed that the view of the green scenery and the sound of chirping birds make for a relaxing place to study school subjects. Furthermore, they build a stronger attachment to one another.
Every child should fly a kite
"What better way to spend cool Friday morning than flying a kite with my son," said Zahra Zoghlami from Tunisia. "My son loves running and flying kite. This is our weekend bonding."
Zahra feels that every child should fly a kite or experience kite-flying at some point throughout their childhood because it is a family-bonding activity that also helps children improve their coordination and communication skills.
Kite flying paired with a serene environment is mentally stimulating, which Zarah believes would be beneficial for his only child, 6-year-old Ibrahim. She chose Katara Hills after living in Qatar for over 18 years because "it's near my house plus it's a really beautiful place, very clean and safe for everyone. We go here every Friday."
Home away from home
Sri Lankan I. Lakmal has been living in Qatar for over 14 years, and recently welcomed his visiting parents. Following their tour of the city, they visited Katara Hills to "relax in a place similar to our home country."
According to I. Lakmal, he looks forward to winter since he enjoys seeing more greens and flowers blooming, especially since he grew up in a place where he had unfettered access to nature.
"My parents are having a great time exploring Katara Hills with their grandsons, my 6-year-old Rithika and 3-year-old Nithika. Katara Hills is one of the most beautiful places in Qatar in my opinion, and it resembles our home country, which is why I brought my parents here to show them that Qatar is not just tall buildings and seas."
Great spot for pre-wedding photoshoot
Alfred Contreras and his fiancée Rai are both from the Philippines, yet they picked Katara Hills as one lovely backdrop for their pre-wedding pictures.
The couple who will tie the knot soon chose Katara Hills because of its lush landscape and clear stream's likeness to popular spots in the Philippines.
"We were inspired by other couples who had their prenuptial photos taken here in Qatar. My fiancée's sister is a makeup artist, and she posts a lot of pre-wedding photos on social media, and from there we saw the beauty of Qatar and decided to have our prenuptial photos taken here, including here at Katara Hills. And winter is the best season for this photoshoot."
More photos from Katara Hills:
Naseer Nalahath with family and friends, and a view of the Al Gannas Society headquarters from Katara North Hills Park.
"This soothing sight boosts my mood instantly," said Mikola Aira from the Philippines.
A view of the Bayt El Talleh restaurant located at Katara North Hills Park.
Flowers bloom at Katara North Hills Park.
A view of the Children's Mall from Katara North Hills Park.
A row of healthy trees at Katara South Hills Park.
Running track at Katara South Hills Park.
Relaxing, right? When are you visiting Katara Hills?
