Al Khor Park, Part I

I have been to Al-Khor Park a couple of times, and am still surprised at how under-the-radar it remains. Therefore I decided to blog about this beautiful place to spread the word about the amazing new works and renovations that have gone into the place since it first opened in 1983. It's really amazing the attention to detail and how family-friendly it has become that a family can easily spend an entire day there as it's got all the amenities one could need.
Directions can be found here. Note that Tuesdays and Thursdays are days reserved for the entry of women and children only. If the head of the family wants to come too, you would need to go on any other day as a family.

At 5 Qatari riyals entry fee for anyone over the age of nine, the park is open from 8am to 10pm, and is all yours in the morning when very few, if any at all, people will be there (except on the weekends of course).

I have been to other parks where a barbecue grill is drilled into the ground for visitors who want to bring their own meats and coal for a fine outdoor grilling picnic, but this park is not one of them. Do not attempt to grill, bring your pets to soil the beautiful grass, or your kids' bikes either. Other than that, you're all set for a great day ahead.

Just outside the gates is a plant and flower arrangement welcoming you to the park, and today's date neumerated in flowers. After you pay your entry fee and walk past the gates, a giant multi-tier fountain greets you with decorative jetting water pumps doming over it.

From there, you have the choice to go straight, left, right, or diagonal. The paths are all enticing and eagerly explored.

This place is one of the greenest I have found in Qatar. The vegetation is cared for and you can easily find at least twenty shades of green

There's is a battery operated train carrying up to 36 passengers that goes around the park for a more thorough view, including through Aladdin's the genie, but each time we go it was not operational on that day.

Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), there is no wifi available. This could be a big advantage as it just may force you to live in the moment and enjoy the park, versus remaining oblivious of your surroundings on your phone. Otherwise you will find very clean and spacious restrooms in little huts, a telephone charging station, potable water fountains dotted throughout, a mosque so no prayer could be missed, and even a cafeteria selling replenishments for those who did not bring a picnic along.

Since this post already probably took forever to load from the amount of pictures, I have more to share of the park in the upcoming post insha Allah where we will be taking animals and food. Stay tuned.