In this modern age of emails and social media, I never imagined postcards are still going around. Well, not until I found out about Postcrossing, a worldwide movement that exchanges postcards from all over the world. A friend of mine was into postcrossing and recently sent me one from the Philippines. After which, I started working out where to get postcards in Qatar and how to send them.
As you can imagine, postcards - like any other things that I want to get my hands on (35mm film, washi tape, etc.) - are scarce in Doha.
Where to get postcards in Qatar:
1. Hallmark Shops (branches at Villagio Mall and City Center) - This is where I got my first set of postcards that are currently travelling to random people and a dear friend in the Philippines. Postcards cost 3QR each.
2. Online - there are a bunch of postcards available online at dubizzle.com
3. Carrefour - I got some beautiful postcards from the school supplies section of Carrefour. Most of them shot from the souq so they bare some traditional buildings and wooden doors. Postcards cost 2.75QR each, by far the cheapest ones I've found.
4. Souq Waqif - there's a quiant, little souvenir/antique shop in Souq Waqif that carries some postcards named Adham Gift. The postcards cost 10QR for 3 cards.
*Ironically, postcards are nowhere to be found at the post office (where I imagined they would be sold.)
Where to get postal stamps and send your postcard:
1. Qatar Central Post Office - for regular mail, you'll need at least QR8.50 worth of stamps. while postcards are sent at QR2.50. But according to the lady at information, they don't send out postcards - "open letters" - anymore, so I had to disguise my outgoing post as letters. Envelopes are free at the post office customer service counter.
* There's also a small office that sells collectible stamps, if you're into stamp collecting - at the Central Post Office.
2. Q-Post branches - the process is similar to that of the Central Post Office's.
3. Street Post Boxes around Qatar - If you already have postal stamps, then you can just drop off your postcards at any street post boxes near you. Just make sure that the cost your stamps cover the postage, which is QR8.50 per letter. You can check Google Maps and choose the option to show Qpost street boxes to see them on the map.
It was my first attempt at sending postcards (disguised as letters) from Doha. As of writing, 3 out of 5 of those have already reached their destination, according to Postcrossing.
As you can imagine, postcards - like any other things that I want to get my hands on (35mm film, washi tape, etc.) - are scarce in Doha.
Where to get postcards in Qatar:
1. Hallmark Shops (branches at Villagio Mall and City Center) - This is where I got my first set of postcards that are currently travelling to random people and a dear friend in the Philippines. Postcards cost 3QR each.
2. Online - there are a bunch of postcards available online at dubizzle.com
3. Carrefour - I got some beautiful postcards from the school supplies section of Carrefour. Most of them shot from the souq so they bare some traditional buildings and wooden doors. Postcards cost 2.75QR each, by far the cheapest ones I've found.
4. Souq Waqif - there's a quiant, little souvenir/antique shop in Souq Waqif that carries some postcards named Adham Gift. The postcards cost 10QR for 3 cards.
*Ironically, postcards are nowhere to be found at the post office (where I imagined they would be sold.)
Where to get postal stamps and send your postcard:
1. Qatar Central Post Office - for regular mail, you'll need at least QR8.50 worth of stamps. while postcards are sent at QR2.50. But according to the lady at information, they don't send out postcards - "open letters" - anymore, so I had to disguise my outgoing post as letters. Envelopes are free at the post office customer service counter.
* There's also a small office that sells collectible stamps, if you're into stamp collecting - at the Central Post Office.
2. Q-Post branches - the process is similar to that of the Central Post Office's.
3. Street Post Boxes around Qatar - If you already have postal stamps, then you can just drop off your postcards at any street post boxes near you. Just make sure that the cost your stamps cover the postage, which is QR8.50 per letter. You can check Google Maps and choose the option to show Qpost street boxes to see them on the map.
It was my first attempt at sending postcards (disguised as letters) from Doha. As of writing, 3 out of 5 of those have already reached their destination, according to Postcrossing.
- Thursday, February 04, 2016
- 19 Comments
