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 »

Welcome to the Middle East branch!

Find out all about Middle East here! Things to think about before posting:
• Has my question already been answered? Check out the FAQ thread and use the Search bar on the right hand side to find out.
• Seeking travel companions in Middle East? Please post on our Travel Companions branch instead.
• Please remember this is a forum about travelling in the Middle East, not a place for political discussions. Please keep all discussions relevant to travelling in Middle East or they will be removed.
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• All feedback regarding Lonely Planet guidebooks can be sent directly to Lonely Planet’s Talk2Us team [her... more »

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 »

Showering in the Abu Dhabi Airport

If everything is on schedule, I have 1 hour and 15 minutes between fights. I arrive in terminal 1 and depart from terminal 3. Is it reasonable to assume I am going to have enough time to take advantage of the free shower facilities? Any advice to optimize or not lose any time looking for terminal 3/the showers? I'm talking in and out in 5 minutes.

I was really excited to hear that there are showers there. I have 20 hours of travel time this saturday (Cairo-Abu Dhabi-Toronto) and it would be awesome to feel clean when I arrive home.

Cheap Accommodation

I am heading over to Europe in mid August and have to fly through Dubai. Having never been I have decided to spend a quick 2 days to see the sights.

I am just wondering if there are any backpackers accommodation in Dubai or is it more of a hotel focus? I am having trouble finding dormitories or equally cheap beds.

I am hoping to keep it fairly cheap, so any suggestions would be greatly welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

Any advice on the best seashelling beaches on the Israeli Mediterranean?

I am looking to book a weekend on the Mediterranean in Israel when I am in that country and I would like it to be near the best beach for sea shelling (on shore, not scuba or snorkeling) Any thoughts welcome, and if you also can recommend a place to stay that would be wonderful!
Many Thanks, Oakleafhydrangea

How safe is Beirut?

Hello everyone

I'm sorry if this is a question that has been asked many times before but I would really like to spend a few days in Beirut. I met a Lebanese man recently who told me it is now perfectly safe but the British Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel there.

From some of the posts on here it seems that people are travelling there as tourists. I would like to go there with my cousin, who lived in Beirut as a child and remembers it as a vibrant, cosmopolitan city and would love to go back there.

I would be really grateful for your views and thoughts.

Many thanks and Happy Travels!

Bev
x

Dress Code in Iran

How to look good in Iran: a rough guide to dress code in Iran

source: incredibleiran.com

Generally western travellers are advised to dress conservatively when travelling through the Middle East, however dress code is a tricky thing when it comes to Iran. That is because of people’s perception from Iran, who have usually only seen the black “Chador” on International News channels.

This couldn’t be further from truth, Iranian women are very modest in choosing their Hijab or Veil, and you can’t see its equivalent anywhere in the Middle East. A lot of our clients are shocked by the way women dress in Iran once they arrive, they see local women who are typically stylish and take great care of how they look.

Although there is nothing wrong with the “Chador” and/or a covered veil, when most of our female customers land in Iranian airports they are the most covered people around. ... more »

Iran Visa Pickup In Istanbul

Hello

We are planning to go to Iran in Oct / Nov this year and after obtaining authorization number, wish to pick up the visa in Istanbul.

Can anyone tell us how long it takes in Istanbul to obtain the visa ( eg: roughly 3 / 5 /7 working days ? ), so we can plan our flights and time in Turkey, before we leave on the Ankara train towards Tabriz.

Many thanks for any info

Iran in late August-early september

Hello everyone!

I am planning to travel to Iran at the end of August and early september this year. I am currently working on how much to budget. I am planning to spend about a month in Iran.
I carry a mexican passport so the Iranian visa for us is a piece of cake.
I plan to couchsurf mostly and taking public transportation. I have done a bit of research but I find its always better to ask closer to departure date for more accurate information :)

I know budget questions almost always annoying and hard to answer so I will give you more info about how i like to travel: I couchsurf as much as I can, take public transportation and have a couple of decent meals. Most of the time I eat at local places with the occasional splurge. I know alcohol is banned in iran so that will definitely help my budget.
Apart from that, do you think Iran will be excruciatingly hot?
I am a female an... more »

Distance between Qumran turn off and site

Hi, sorry if this has been covered before but can anybody advise the distance between the point the Egged bus from Jerusalem stops (Qumran turn off) and the Qumran site.

Thanks