When you think desert you think sandy, hot and inhospitable – perhaps not the first place you think of going with children. But Purple Island Qatar is a perfect desert experience for the whole family. Whenever we have visitors in town, especially visitors with children, we always head out to Purple Island Qatar
How to get to Purple Island Qatar
To get to Purple Island you need to drive to Al Khor. Purple Island is approximately 5km further on from Al Khor Town centre. Though you have to go down a dirt path to get there, the drive is relatively flat to Purple Island.
Reasons why you should visit Purple Island Qatar
There’s no dune bashing
Purple Island is really safe as there is a limited amount of Land Cruisers and other dune bashing vehicles. There are even trenches dug into the Island to prevent cars getting into the main area meaning it is a really safe option as it is a pedestrian area.
Walk on the wild side!
Purple Island Qatar
Purple Island is a great place for wildlife spotting. The Island itself gets its’ name from the small snails, which when the shells are crushed create a purple dye. A story I have been told, it that the Qatar flag actually gets its colour from these snails.Other than snails. There are amble birds to spot including flamingos during the Winter months. We took our nieces and nephews when they visited, even though they were more interested in crabbing in the rock pools!
Get some exercise
Apart from walking and crabbing, there are plenty of other outdoor activities. One of the most popular is kayaking with Entalek. We haven’t been yet, but it is definitely on our bucket list!
There are plenty of ‘dunes’
There are plenty of small dunes and rocky sections which provide a great climbing area for kids to explore in safety.
Wandermust Daddy at Purple Island, Qatar
You’re Not that Remote at Purple Island, Qatar!
Though you feel remote and like you are in the middle of the desert, you are only about five minutes away from civilisation including an Al Meera supermarket and Al Khor hospital meaning it is a really safe location for children. Have you been to Purple Island? What did you think? What are your experiences of the desert with children?
Have you visited Purple Island Qatar? What do you like about it?
Further Reading on Qatar:
Preparing For Your Trip:
Ultimate Guide of Where to Stay in Doha
What to Wear in Doha
What to do with Kids in Qatar
Qatar’s Most Beautiful Places
Hidden Gems in Qatar Public Beaches in Qatar
It sounds like a lot of fun! I went into the desert once in Dubai – dune bashing as you say – but I would love to have a more authentic experience next time.
Author
It is really lovely to get into wildlife. Though dune bashing is great fun, it is nice to have a different and more sedate desert experience.
Really great that you have a safe desert day out that the whole family can enjoy and have civilisation near in case you get bored but equally if you assistance. Here the desert is not as friendly and far too remote and definitely not as nice!
Author
It’s a great place – we have remote desert too but not so great with a baby
The name alone is enough to make me want to visit! I’d love to visit Doha and then the desert, thanks for inspiring me with this post. I’ll have to add this to my never ending list of places to go!
Author
Qatar has a lot of varied desert from dunes to rocky to mangrove. It’s def worth a visit
Wow, sounds intriguing, I’ve never been to a real desert! Is it really an island? #MyExpatFamily
Author
There is a tiny stretch of land that links it to qatar but sometimes it’s flooded – so depends on the day. The thing that surprised me was how many different types of deserts there are from dunes to rocks etc