No respose after hours of waiting in our favourite tapas restauranr. http://www.latasca.co.uk/home/F1/Virtual__Tour.htmlTwo Week Car Drive - Where?
Please help us plan where to go.
We have a two-week holiday planned for October. ATM it would be very attractive to spend two weeks doing nothing but drink the local vino overlooking some Greek Island harbour, but that would be a wasted opportunity. We have looked at the S Pacific Islands - but I may feel trapped.
What we really enjoy is driving through non-tourist warm countries, 'back packing with a car'.
Suggestions from our guests are Eastern Australia. Baz suggested S Africa.
We have never been to the Orient and wish to do so, Vietnam and Thailand are attractive.
I wonder about two weeks south of Hamid in Morocco.
I have always wanted to go to Iran, sim. Turkey, The Lebanon, Petra (been to every other ME country)
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Ian - Nothing like what you say you want, but have you been to Charleston, SC in USA? A drive along the coastline a bit north of there for visits to gardens in that area (stop before you reach the high-tourist area of Myrtle Beach), then meander southward through Savannah, GA and on toward St Augustine FL may give you that "something different" relaxation. A mixture of USA Southern, French and Spanish foods featured in the areas.
We hired a car in Jordan. Drove from Amman over to the Dead Sea and then down the Old King's Highway to Petra. Petra really is a boy's own adventure story complete with backdrop. Stayed there five days and motored across to Wadi Rum for another couple and then back up north of Amman for a few more days for more crusader forts and tales of derring-do. Which is nice.
Warning - beer is almost impossible to find in non-Christian hotels and guest houses. Be prepared to bribe.
Iran is a fascinating country, interesting with beautiful sights and friendly people. It's bad press is ill-deserved, save for its screwball political leadership. It has good roads. With subsidised fuel selling at 6 pence a litre getting around is dirt cheap. The problem is that cheap fuel and a plentiful supply of locally-built cars (if you like the Hillman Hunter
you will love the Peykan (Farsi for 'Arrow') which is identical and ubiquitous.
Here comes the science....
All this cheapness means that car ownership is arguably the highest in Asia. The standard of driving is low and (I think I'm correct in saying) it has the highest road accident rate in the world.
I can recommend you an excellent driver/guide with car in Iran if that would help....
Syria is fascinating & just the right size to see the best in 2 weeks. Dimashq (Damascus) & Halab (Aleppo) are 2 of the world's longest inhabited cities, have wonderful architecture & the souks are unbelievably interesting & photogenic.
Hama has its norias, Palmyra & Krak de Chevaliers aren't far away.
Most importantly beer & wine are widely available, though getting pissed & loud would be severely frowned upon.
Would be a totally magic fortnight.
Ian - If one of the "we" is female, take into consideration the possibility of restrictions and required dress for her in Iran or other countries. A boys own adventure is not much fun for a female if the interesting places are all posted "no girls allowed", or if the penalty for a dress-code infraction is a beating.
Western female visitors to Iran generally don't find the wearing of a light headscarf and some kind of equivalent
to the Iranian manteau (any long shirt style garment which basically covers your shoulders, arms and rear) plus trousers or jeans too onerous.
Ahmedinejad and the Mullahs have allowed the religious police to conduct a crackdown on local women in Tehran and elsewhere. I have not heard of western women being harrassed in any way, provided they follow basic local dress codes for women.
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