Syria next May/June

P

Purple

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I am thinking of going to Syria for a week next year. It would just be Mrs Purple and me, no kids. Has anyone been?
 
A very good girl friend of mine and some of her female friends went last year and RAVED about it and the people. I remember her telling me about Damacus and ? the Blue Mosque.

The locals were soooo welcoming and delighted to have tourists in the region.

Of course there are risks attached to going. but the rewards are great.
If I were you I would get Mrs Purple to wear a head scarf...so any head bangers (a tiny minority) assume you are muslim tourists.

Look up the thorn tree forum on http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=18&keywordid=81 , they'll have lots of relevant info for you...Good Luck.
 

Thanks for that.
Flights from London start at £290 return; happy days!
 
Well done on deciding to go somewhere a bit different, so much history in Syria.

No need for the lady to wear a head scarf she'll be grand.

Be careful you don't get ripped off, for example insist the taxi driver turns the meter on.

Enjoy it.
 
Thanks for the tip, I wanted to go somewhere nice before the big trip to Botswana in 2011.
 
stephen1381 said:
No need for the lady to wear a head scarf she'll be grand.
Click to expand...

Agreed, once ladies dress appropriately there is no real issue. By appropriately I mean no plunging necklines / string tops /short skirts / general skimpy cloths! common sense really.

Would highly recommend Syria, Damascus is one of the culturally richest cites in the world. Its absolutely beautiful and they locals are wonderful. Be prepared to bargain in the souk though!
 
I worked in Syria for 2 years & as a woman would suggest that in certain areaa women need to wear very conservative clothes, no flesh showing, as in long sleeve teeshirts with high necks & trousers.

Wore trousers & a shirt with elbow length sleeves & was shouted at, shoved & pushed in the street in Damas. Obviously the sight of my very erotic wrists!! Very interesting place though.
 
My ex went on hols there recently. PM me if you would like to have a chat to him about it in more detail, but he absolutely loved it.
 
Hi,
sorry to hijack thread, but I'm going to Syria in a couple of weeks, and since I'm going alone, does anyone know any websites where you could hook up with other travellers, or websites which suggest things-to-do in different places?
Thanks
 
Sounds like a great place to go, Purple. Would love to immerse myself in the history and culture of Syria for a few weeks.

And it looks like Syria is about to become America's newest best friend!!! I saw President Assad's wife, Asma Akhras, being interviewed on Sky lately. A very impressive and confident young woman and capable of holding her own with anyone on the world stage, both intellectually and charmingly.



I wouldn't trust her husband as far as I'd throw him, though!!!!!!!!!
 
Hi Purple,
I'm just back from a couple of weeks in Syria, and definitely recommend it.
The people are so nice and friendly - every day walking down the street many pedestrians said "Welcome" as I passed. There were no issues atall about dress - I usually wore 3/4 length trousers and a t-shirt and received no negative comments or hisses.
In Damascus, the Umayyad mosque is very nice to visit. When I was there, many kids and women came up for a chat. I only have about 50 words of Arabic, but we managed to chat for about an hour! They were really interested to see photos on my camera of my life back home - e.g. house, nieces and nephews etc, so it's a good idea to have some photos on your camera. The Iranian mosque is also spectacular and a must-see.
Other places worth going to are Aleppo for the mosque, souk and citadel; another town called Hama has a nice atmosphere and has famous water-wheels which feed the aquaduct; Krak de Chevaliers and the Dead Cities are also interesting, but my favourite place was Palmyra. The ruins are 2000 years old and just amazingly preserved.
Overall it was great, and felt very safe. It is a huge help to speak some arabic, so its a good idea to learn some useful phrases, though most people involved in the tourist industry will speak basic english. Its easy to get around too, and the roads are better than the roads at home!
If there are any specifics I could help with, drop me a PM.
Shiraz.
 
Purple, I wonder if it would be worth considering doing an open jaw in to Damascus and out of Amman that way you'd also get to see Petra.
 
Spursman, "why wud you go there?" What an extraordinary question!
People, reputedly the friendliest in the world. History, which dates back to the beginning of civilisation. Culture, art and architecture, which testify to man's past achievements. Oh and, Damascus, just the oldest inhabited city on earth.
It has been said that "every learned man has two homes - his own, and Syria". Why wud you not go there?
 
hi shiraz,
just saw your post #16 re trip to Syria. I have similar planned for April this year (2010), what you describe is exactly what I am expecting and looking forward to, based on what I know about the country. Reading your description, it is almost like being there already.
Wonder have you (or any one else out there ?) any help with the issue of getting a visa? I am having some trouble with the application form (especially now that the Irish passport has been seriously compromised by that awful Israeli/Mossad business and the fake Irish passports) and I am anxious not to scupper my chances by making a wrong answer. Feel I may be in line for more questions than usual, as (a) I am going alone, (b) I have no "letter from current employer". Interested if you can help with this, and/or other advice/warnings based on your own experience. Ditto questions for Lebanon if you can help there either.

thx even if you can't help tho,
kb
 
I spent 8 weeks there last year working, and would definitely recommend it for a visit, there didn't seem to be many Irish tourists, though I did see a few ex-pats, and there's a decent number of UK tourists in large-ish groups (and a few backpackers too).
Definitely agree on the people being very friendly, and it's a very interesting place to visit that not many other people from Ireland are likely to see.

I didn't see very much outside Damascus though, as I was working most of the time, but I'd love to visit Palmyra someday. Damascus is also within easy travelling time of both Jordan and Lebanon if you want to visit those too, though I'm not sure about the visa situation
 
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