97%
Let’s be honest, Qatar wasn’t on most people’s radar ten years ago. Now it’s one of the most talked about destinations in our community, and for good reason. Qatar has a way of catching people off guard. You think you know what to expect, and then you get there and it’s something else entirely.
If you only have a few hours in Doha, go straight to Souq Waqif. The moment you step into those narrow alleyways, oud smoke drifting through the air, spice merchants, the sound of the bazaar, falcons sitting calmly on their perches, you feel like you’ve been pulled back a few centuries. It’s the kind of place you wander into and lose track of time.
Then look up, and there’s the skyline. That’s Qatar in a nutshell ,ancient and utterly modern, sitting right next to each other without any awkwardness.
Beyond Doha, the country opens up beautifully. World-class family resorts, a genuinely impressive arts scene, and then the desert, the sand dunes at Sealine are spectacular, For families especially, Qatar is hard to beat. It’s one of the safest countries in the world, completely halal, and set up to make travelling with kids easy.
Best time to visit is October through March, when the weather is genuinely perfect.
Japan set a new tourism record in 2024 with 36.9 million visitors, and arrivals in the first half of 2025 were up another 21 percent. For a Muslim traveller, the gap between Japan’s appeal and its halal infrastructure has been closing fast. Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto now have a solid network of halal certified restaurants, prayer rooms in airports, major train stations and shopping malls, and hotels that are increasingly aware of Muslim guest requirements. That said, it still takes planning. Menus need checking. Not all Japanese sauces and broths are pork free. What Japan offers in return is worth the preparation. The shinkansen bullet train network makes the whole country accessible. Kyoto has over 1,600 temples and shrines. Osaka’s food culture is a destination in itself. Go with a good halal restaurant list, and you will not be disappointed.
