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Syria: Travel Updates Part 2

This is a continuation of the previous Syria sticky thread.

If you have any on the ground reports to add then please do so here rather than start a new thread.
Any news items posted should be a brief excerpt only, with a link to the original website. Any lengthy news cut and pastes will be deleted.

Crossing Syria from Jordan to Turkey: 20 & 21 Dec 2011 from poster bcfarley, post #272 in the previous thread (much appreciated btw), is the most recent on the ground report I noticed so for anyone not wishing to read through all the other posts...

This is an information thread on the ongoing situation in Syria as it affects travel to Syria, not a chat or political argument thread so please don't let this thread go the way of the previous.

Andreas_at_LP more »

Migrating to a new server

Hi all,

The whole of lonelyplanet.com, including Thorn Tree, is changing hosting providers in the following days. While this change takes place, Thorn Tree and the Lonely Planet website will be unavailable for a short period of time. We will communicate the exact time nearer the date. This migration will hopefully be a matter of hours but we have a lot of Thorntree content to move! We will do everything we can to cause minimal disruption to users. You will be able to chart the progress of the work while the site is down through our Twitter account.

Thanks,

Zabba

Can one legally bring a GPS device into Iran?

This was a question posed by a friend.

Thank-you

Looking for invitation letter from someone in Teheran

Hi folks,

we are currently in Istanbul and have a problem getting a visa for Iran without reference number. However, this number is difficult to obtain at the moment. We are two Germans and want to cross into Iran beginning of June and we are travelling by motorbike. One visa we have already.

Is there anyone from Teheran who could write an invitation letter for us and bring this letter to MFA in Tehran? We would send you a passport copy by email and with that done we could get our visa easily here.

Your help would really be appreciated !

You can contact me here or through www.asiabike.de (this blog is in German language).

Cheers,
Bernie

Whether Dubai transit Visa required?

Can someone guide me, if a transit visa is required at Dubai airport for the stopover?

Arrival in Dubai Terminal 3 by Emirates from Mumbai, travel to US destination by Delta Airlines from Terminal 1. (I understand that transfer from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 is possible inside the airport and takes 20-30 min). Further, airlines being different, baggage collection from terminal 3 (Emirates) and baggage check in at Terminal 1 (Delta) will be required. Stop over is less than four hours at Dubai, Indian Passport holder, ticket through online travel agency.

Please respond.Thanks

possible quick summer trip to Cairo/Egypt

Greetings.

I am a fairly well-traveled person...have been to China 3x and India 2x in the past few years. I am planning on taking a big trip to India around Christmas time, but could squeeze in a 6-10 day trip in the summer, and I am thinking of Egypt, and Cairo in particular.

My main interest is photography and street scenes and architecture and markets. I am assuming Cairo would fit this well, right? I have a few specific questions. I have not done much specific research yet, so I apologize if these are pretty basic:

1. Cairo is suitable for lots of good street photograpy right? In other words, there is lots to shoot around Islamic Cairo and Old Cairo, right?

2. I dont have a strong desire to see the pyramids, but should I? To give you a reference, when I went to India for the 1st time, I didnt have a strong desire to see the Taj, but liked it.

3. How many days ... more »

Israel Questions - Allanby bridge, Jerusalem, Masada

I'm travelling from Madaba in Jordan to Israel on a saturday next month after the end of a 7 day tour of Jordan. I'm planning to travel overland over the Allenby bridge, I've heard very mixed things about that!

I'm a 34 year old Kiwi guy travelling on a budget (hostels, backpack etc)
I'm staying at Abraham hostel in Jerusalem.

Looking for advice on the allenby crossing, especially considering it will be a saturday... A bit nervous about my luggage/passport being taken by somebody else in the confusion i hear about... is this a real risk? If i head off early (7am) from Madaba to the bridge will i still be fine for a saturday crossing?

Also wondering about getting to Masada from Jerusalem... should i take an organised tour here, or is it easy enough to get there by myself?, other places i'm considering are Jericho & Bethlehem.. maybe a trip to Hebron?

Nightlife in jerusalem... more »

96hr stopover visa

Hi there,

I'm traveling to Asia via Dubai, and have a 15hr layover, not nice. I was wondering if its at all possible to obtain a short stay visa upon arrival so I can check in to a hotel and get some sleep.

At the end of my trip I will be traveling back home again from Asia via Dubai, I assume I'll need to apply again for a 96hr visa due to another long layover that I'd rather spend sleeping in a hotel close to airport.

Must this type of visa be done prior to departure or can I just do it upon arriving in Dubai? If so, is the an info desk in arrivals for visa enquiries, etc?

Anyone, please advise if you know the correct procedure.

Thanks
Silvercharm

Mount Damavand without a guide?

It doesn't seem like it is necessary to have a guide if you go the south route in June... Am I missing something?

Is it necessary to have a guide in order to get the permit?

Do all the polour huts have food available to purchase?

How do you book huts in advance?

How much would a taxi cost to the first camp from tehran?

Thanks!

8 days in Oman self drive

Heading to Muscat for 8 nights in November as I'm in Dubai for work.

Hiring a 2wd, just wondering if anyone has advice on my planning so far.

Muscat ( 2 nights )

Muscat to Nizwa ( 2 nights )

Wahiba Sands ( 1 night )

Al Hadd ( turtles, 1 night )

Sur ( 1 night )

Back to Muscat for 1 night, via Wadi Shab

Thanks