"Ehlan wa Sehlen fii Souriya!" Syria by maykal

Syria Travel Guide: 4,888 reviews and 10,118 photos

During nine months spent studying in Damascus, I managed to visit nearly every corner of Syria - some places really worth visiting, others not so much...It is a fascinating country, but one that is well on the way to being discovered by tourists. Still, it is fairly easy to escape the crowds, and even in the tourist hotspots of Palmyra and Bosra, the crowds are nothing compared to European attractions. Many travellers set aside a week to "do" Syria, sticking to a general route between Turkey and Jordan...they end up seeing little of the country, which is a shame as Syria has a lot to offer.

There used to be many travelogues on this page...they have now been moved to their proper homes on their own separate pages, and I am trying to rearrange them all...please take a look, but be warned that some are in the process of being updated ;@P

Damascus has its own page, and there you'll also find some general comments relevant to the whole of Syria....click on the link below:
==><a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/.133814/1589/?s=B">TO DAMASCUS!</a><==

Aleppo (Halab) also has a small page, although I have to confess to never falling in love with that city...maybe I was biased towards Damascus, maybe I didn't spend long enough there, maybe the weather was just too bad...whatever the reason, it is nothing personal against that city, and hopefully I can revisit it one day to change my opinions!

If you're interested in learning Arabic, please see my <a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/.133814/7/?s=Q">Middle East</a> page for details.

For those with weak hearts, bladders and stomachs, I do offer an alternative journey, to the website of the <a href="http://www.syriatourism.org/">Syrian Ministry of Tourism</a>, a carefree world where crime doesn't happen, and beggars are air-brushed out...political oppression? What's that?!

When I mention going to Syria, there are usually some comments about safety, especially because of recent events in the Middle East and the world. Well, Syria is a safe country to travel in...compared with Europe or the Americas, there is very little crime (it does exist, but not noticeably so) and people are generally very welcoming to foreigners taking an interest in their country. There have been a few demonstrations against Israel and America, but these have happened in London too! Stay away from them, and nothing will happen to you.... Syria, and the whole Middle East in general, has suffered a drop in tourism since September 11th, and judging by the number of questions about safety on discussion boards such a VT and LPTT, there seem to be many people unsure about visiting. Well, friends there at the moment tell me all is well, that it is pretty much as calm as it was before, and that they don't feel threatened at all. So, put any doubts to the back of your mind and don't cancel a trip for fear of terrorism.

Maybe you'd like to read more of my comments on Syria? Try this link to my <a href="http://www.epinions.com/content_43533176452">epinions review of Syria</a>.

A note about this page

This was one of my first attempts at writing a VT page...it is also my largest. Unfortunately, since the new VT came into being last year, I have not had time to rearrange it, so of course the layout is a bit haphazard nowadays. The photos in the travelogues are all out of order, and need to be sorted out...I am moving them to other pages, but it is painfully slow ;@P One day it will be done...bukra inshallah...

Last visit to Syria: Sep 2000
Intro Updated Feb 9, 2006
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Reviews (21)

Afamia and Qala'at Mudeeq Off The Beaten Path (9)

Afamia (Apamea in 'foreign talk') is Palmyra's poor sister. It is equally (if not more) impressive, but as there is no... more travel advice

Ma'aloula Things to Do (7)

Ma'aloula is a small Christian village in the mountains north of Damascus. People here supposedly speak Aramaic,... more travel advice

Ras al-Basseet Off The Beaten Path (9)

Ras al-Basseet has the nicest beaches in Syria, although there aren't really any other nice beaches in Syria. It has... more travel advice

Kassab Off The Beaten Path (9)

Kassab is a small mountain village next to the Turkish border in the north-west of Syria. It is a mainly Armenian... more travel advice

Tourist Traps (1)
Arwad Island
Transportation (1)
By plane is the most common...
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Comments (98)

Arkeolog Sep 22, 2010 at 3:20 AM Report Abuse

Hi Michael, you have a great page here as usual. In Nov 2010 I'll visit Syria. your pages are helpfull to me...
jumpingnorman Aug 2, 2009 at 3:28 PM Report Abuse

Would love to go to Qala'at Semaan during an early morning walk...awesome pages on Syria! and amazing village with many churces at Ma'alolula...You're so lucky you've visited...Norman :)
Lilasel Dec 24, 2004 at 11:32 PM Report Abuse

Thank You for all this information and related pictures! And this virtual trip thanks to you page...hope to see this place one day...all the best
eagle-eye Aug 31, 2004 at 6:52 AM Report Abuse

Syria sounds great, one of the less visited parts of the Middle East but now I'm tempted to go
jayhawk2000 Mar 14, 2004 at 2:48 PM Report Abuse

I'm intrigued by your introduction and will have to delve into your other pages!
shelnlin Nov 27, 2003 at 6:08 AM Report Abuse

Get me there quick before I burst!!! Thank you for sharing this information with me, I am currently in Saudi and have made so many friends from this place. You have inspired me to go there one day. All the best :+)
marinas Nov 24, 2003 at 5:03 PM Report Abuse

Great work! Very good info with the best photos!
marenloo Oct 8, 2003 at 11:55 PM Report Abuse

Well done! I'm going to syria next spring, in shaa allah!
thelittlevoice Sep 11, 2003 at 9:52 AM Report Abuse

what a wonderful page! great pix!
shivan Sep 3, 2003 at 6:16 AM Report Abuse

great page!!!!