Thanks for all the replies guys.
I think the ultimate solution is just using an alt in a dead guild that happens to have the cultural retreat in order to get people in to duel. It's a bit wonky compared to the ease of Khemi arena, but at the moment it's the best we've got.
I agree that the less PvP experience people have, the more fun it can be. I remember duels used to be so fun when all of us dueling had no idea what we were doing. But once one person comes in who's miles better than the rest, the dueling can get really frustrating for everyone else.