Syria

Hi all,

I will be studying in Damascus and I'm wondering if there are nice places to go jogging. I read somewhere that the crazy traffic precludes most sane people from bicycling around; does that apply to recreational running, as well?

xander

Hello,

My friend and I (both from USA) will be traveling overland from Iran, through southeastern Turkey and into Syria in April. We will be on a very quick and whirlwind trip through the Middle East, starting in Iran and ending in Egypt. It will be quick, but seeing a little is better than nothing at all!

Anyway, around April 24th, we plan to cross the border from Turkey and make our way to Homs for the night so that we can see Crac de Chevaliers the following day and then head to Damascus…

Does anybody know about festivals or events in Syria?
I'll be traveling in July/August.. I read that there was something called the "Syrian Song Festival" in Aleppo some years ago.. Does anybody know whether this still takes place or if there's something comparable?

And if I want to expierence Syrian music - traditional or mordern - where should I go? Any good adresses, concerts, spots for that?

Thanks a lot!

Apparently, there have been some changes in the issuance of visas for Americans since I applied April 2008. Back then, an American citizen paid $100.00 and got a visa good for either one or two entries. Now, it appears that the fee has jumped to $131.00 and you can get a visa good for either one, two or multiple entries. In both cases, the visa was / is valid for 3 months from date of issuance and you had / have to request what kind of visa you want.

I am posting this not only to inform, but…

and I take adderall for a sleep didsorder, narcolepsy, can I get my prescrition filled there or should I bring enough to last the duration of my stay??? I cannot find any information about the laws on prescription drugs in syria and do not wish to run afoul of the law. Adderall is a stimulant which is illegal here without a prescription but I cannot function without it and have taken it for three years and have a valid prescription. Sorry to be so long winded but I have tried the U.S embassy in…

Hi

My friend and I will be in Syria at the start of July for three full days and I would like to visit:
Day 1: Full day Damascus.
Day 2: Visit Maaloula and spend most of the day in Krak de Chevalliers and spend the night in Hama.
Day 3: Travel to and spend a good part of the day in Palmyra and spend the night in Damascus.
The next morning I will be leaving for Amman.

Is this itinerary realistic for three days?
Would it be better time wise to see Palmyra first and do this trip in reverse?
We do not…

I only have a few days in Syria...I plan to be in Damascus, Hama (to go to Crac Des Chevaliers, Aleppo, and Palmyra. I really only have about a day in each and one extra to probably make 2 in Damascus. Yes, I know that is not enough time to do justice to the place, but it's all I've got.

I have gone over bus schedules and although it seems tight, it does seem doable. My question is, would I find backpacker type of tours doing this sort of itinerary once I get to Damascus? I have read thing…

Forgive me cross posting this on the Jordan branch....

I have planned my itinerary in the Middle East, but debating how to spend 3 days of it....how would you split 3 days between Damascus and Amman? It sounds to me like Damascus has more charm and character. Agree? Disagree?

If I have one day in Amman is that enough to do a trip to Jerash and see a little bit of the city if I fly into Amman early morning? Is there a way to do this right out of the airport so as not to waste any time…

For those of you that have had the good fortune to see all three sites, how would you rate them? If I were to skip Palmyra during an upcoming trip to the region (6 weeks in Iran, Syria, Jordan), would I be making a big mistake? I'm concerned about over scheduling myself since it appears to be a 5-hour trip from either Aleppo or Damascus and would have to be done in 2 days. I'm on the fence about how much of a "must see" it is given that I'm planning to see the other two. I should also…

Dear all,

between 1 and 17 may, my wife, our 3 year old daughter and I want to visit Syria and Jordan. We´ll arrive at Damascus and depart from Damascus. We have 16 full days to visit both countries. As it is our first time there, we do not know exactly what to do. But we are experienced (also backpacking) travellers. We would love to see the culture, some nice cities and at the end of our trip, we want to spend 3 or so days at the beach, maybe in Aqaba. We mainly want to use public transport…