Welcome back!

As you may have noticed, we made the decision to temporarily close Thorn Tree over the holiday period – a move we felt was necessary in order to put in place some additional moderation systems. We recognise it wasn’t the best time of year to do so and we’re sorry for any inconvenience.

The good news is that we’re now up and running in a limited state, and we’re going to be scaling back up from here. This branch is one of those back in operation, so you can post and answer questions as usual and read a limited archive of content. We’ll be adding to this over time.

We’ve made some changes to how we ask travellers to use Thorn Tree. Strong language of any kind won’t be acceptable, and you’ll find filters are in place to prevent this. Attempts to get around this with creative sailor-speak will be deleted, so please avoid doing this. Off-topic posts of any kind have no place on Th... more »

Middle East FAQ thread

The countries covered by this FAQ are: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel & the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Please read this thread first if this is your first visit to the Middle East. There is some travel information about the [Middle East in Lonely Planet's Destination|http://www.lonely... more »

VISA ADVICE FOR TRAVELLERS GOING TO IRAN

Several Thorn Tree members have had trouble in the past securing a visa to travel to Iran.

Our expert on Iran Andrew Burke has written an article with the most up to date information on how to get a visa to travel to Iran, please check it out before posting a question on Thorn Tree:

How to get an Iranian visa

We strongly advise travellers to do some research and consider carefully which agent they choose to go with and to allow enough time between the application and the time of the trip to avoid any risks.

Eilat to Petra, best way?

Howdy!
I am a 19 year old girl from the US and I really want to make it to Petra. I am planning on spending a few days in Eilat, Israel to do some diving and relax a bit at the end of August. Can anyone give me some advice on the best way to make the trip to Petra from Eilat and how many days you think is good to spend there? I am incredibly flexible at this point but was thinking three nights four days (two travel/ relaxing, two at petra). At this point I am travelling alone (travel buddies welcome). Is this route safe, is it alright if I do go by myself? Are there any special considerations that I should be aware of because I am a women? And what is the cheapest way to do all this? I dont want to take a taxi to petra from the border, but dont know where to find a bus from Aqaba. I also dont speak arabic...
Thank you all for your help!

Cycling from Iran to Pakistan

Hi all. I wish to cycle from Iran to India starting March 2014. How do Iranians feel about cyclists? Are there settlements all along the south coast that have fresh water?
Any advice would be most welcome!

Tiger

Phone Service while in Israel

Hello Everyone,

I will be arriving in Israel on the 21st for 10 days. I am curious if anyone can give me advice on the best phone plan to use. I have an unlocked iPhone 4, so I am looking for a service where I can just plug in a sim card. Data is very important to me so I would want something with at least 1-2 GBs.

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Cooking classes and other fun things to do

Salam,

I am going to Beirut next week and was wondering whether anyone had an idea where to (possibly) take a/some cooking classes? I would love to learn how to do some of the dishes :P

Also; if anyone has another idea of something fun and nice to do, please throw it in :)

Thanks a lot!

Kerak Castle or Shobak

I probably only have time to visit one of these castles.
From the pictures, Kerak seems amazing, but I have heard the less travelled Shobak has better views and feels more authentic.

Any rec's?

thanks
Niraj

Kandovan accommodation?

Hi,

I have started planning my first trip to Iran and am considering whether to go up north to Tabriz, Urumieh Lake and Kandovan, or to drop it for the sake of the region south of Yazd (Bam).

Is there any alternative accommodation in Kandovan save the wonderful (but expensive) Laleh Rock Hotel? Not a trace of Kandovan recommendations on this forum, and even fewer results to my internet search. The LP book states prices of approx. $ 340-440 for Laleh, which is prohibitive, and the only alternative would be unfurnished rooms where I would have to carry my sleeping bag. As that is not an option on this trip, I wonder whether I stand a chance at Kandovan at all. I dislike being shuttled on day trips, so I would prefer to stay the night.

Finally, how does Kandovan compare to Cappadoccia with respect to the sights and transport?

I appreciate help on this, thank you. more »

Obtaining an India Tourist Visa in Saudi Arabia - Advice Wanted

I live in Jizan, Saudi Arabia, and want to know how to obtain an India visa before Ramadan. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations for agents or brokers? I am a British passport holder and want a one month tourist visa.

Thanks

What do you think: Greece -> Turkey -> Lebanon -> Israel

I would like to start in Greece for a few weeks, fly to Istanbul then explore Turkey for a few weeks, fly to Beirut and only explore that city, unless there are other safe regions to go, then fly to Amman, see a little of Jordan, then take the bus to the border and get another bus into Jerusalem.

I'm a 38 year old male traveling alone, mostly for adventure and photography. I travel pretty light and like to meet people. I have traveled in some dangerous areas and it hasn't bothered me before. I hope to not have any troubles, but I'm curious about Beirut right now and the influx of Syrians and how chaotic the refugee situation is. I like to photograph and document changes happening in countries and I sympathize with that greatly. I'm not sure if any of these places are particularly dangerous for American outsiders.

Anyhow, are there any problems you foresee with this trip? more »