Greece-Turkey-Syria-Lebanon (or Iran)...whaddya think? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!



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Middle East See the Promised Land, the Red Sea, magnificient ruins and mosques, oil-rich metropoles. When you're done with that, go skiing and rock climbing !

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Old 02-07-2007, 01:04 PM   #1
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Default Greece-Turkey-Syria-Lebanon (or Iran)...whaddya think?

Hey everyone,

Haven't been on for a while... didn't do much travelling this past year, but hopefully that will change! I have a 3 week vacation this summer, and my plan is to explore the Middle East...

how does this sound: Greece, Turkey, Syria, and THEN Lebanon (or depending on how the situation is, everyone think they're gearing up for another summer war), Iran (which also depends on if the US decides to bomb them).

What do you think about that schedule? For cities, I was thinking Athens, Ankara, Damascus, Beirut or Tehran?

Any suggestions about places to go and stuff like that? While I read and write a lot about politics of the region, i have no idea about the sites to see.
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Old 02-07-2007, 01:50 PM   #2
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Looks good, but I'd avoid Lebanon and Iran at the moment, each for slightly different reasons. You could spend a lot of time in the other countries you've listed and not miss either of those. And right now it's difficult to get visas for Iran, FYI. Why not head to Egypt? That would be a fantastic alternative.
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Old 02-07-2007, 03:32 PM   #3
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Haven't been to the Mid East but I REALLY want to go. I envy you.

How bout a stop in Jordan instead? Check out Petra too...Although three weeks isn't *that* much time, unless you're just checking out a few major sites. Lots of ground to cover in Turkey! (I was thinking of doing Turkey-Cyprus-Greece over a month).
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Old 02-07-2007, 04:33 PM   #4
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That is the trip of a life time!! You'll absolutely looooove it. I'm so jealous!! Hehe. Yes, deffinitely try Jordan as you work your way south. And regarding what to see:

Syria: Damascus, Craq des Chevaliers, Palmyra, Ugarit (where the world's first Alphabet was conceived) and close to that is Lathaqiyah (a Mediterranean Arab summer spot) and the Arab castle of Salah-al-diin. Homs is another important city (though I dont remember much about it, just the main citadel). Near the Jordan border there's Bosra (a ROman city with it's anphiteatre and everything else).

Jordan: Amman... really interesting city. Very modern, compared to the rest of the Middle East. And Petra... you just can't go to Jordan and not visit Petra.... before you go, rent Indiana jones and the Last Cruade. You'll love it once you get there!! In between Amman and Petra you have the Dead Sea... I haven't been on Jordan's side (only on Israel) but it's absolutely fantastic!! 60 miles south of Peta there's Aqaba, where you can scuba dive in the Red Sea.

Turkey: I've only been to Itambul... but that was such a fantasic city!!! One of my faveroites was teh Topkapi Palace... unbelievable place, you cant miss it!! Then there was Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

Little tip: i don't kow if it's still the same, but when I lived there you couldn't go into Syria if you had an Israeli stamp on your passport... we had to have two passports.

I'll try to remember a bit more!! Have a blast planning!!
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Old 02-08-2007, 08:52 AM   #5
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Well I just applied for an Iranian tourist visa last week so will let you know the outcome. I have heard that it can be harder to get one as a Canadian than as a Brit though, and Americans can't get one at all unless they go on a tour. Having done ridiculous amounts of research on the country I'm going to be very annoyed if I don't get there, it sounds completely out of this world.

Also remember that if you go to Lebanon, you will either need a double entry Syrian visa (more difficult to obtain than single entry) or you'll have to fly out of the country.
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Old 02-23-2007, 12:20 PM   #6
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Awesome... thank you all for the info.

This is my plan: I'm going to apply for grad skool in Cairo, and if I get in, I won't be going. But if I end up staying in Canada for grad skoool, the ME summer trip is on!

Yeah, Spacevirgin... Lebanon not so much of a good idea. I hear they are gearing up for a summer war. Iran... well, let's hope for the guys in Iraq that the Bush Admin is not that stupid...

But yeah... i will probably change my plans to include Cairo and maybe change my trip directions quite a bit. I'll keep ya posted!
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Vincent: "So what you gonna do?"
Jules: "Well, basically, I'm just gonna walk the earth."
Vincent: "What you mean 'walk the earth'?"
Jules: "You know, like Kane in 'Kung Fu'...go places...meet people...get in adventures."

Trips (only counting recreational travel):
FIRST TRIP (2005): FIRST EUROTRIP EVER! UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Holland
SECOND TRIP (2007): First Solo Trip! Greece, Turkey, Syria, Spain
2008: China (Beijing, Shanghai, Yangshuo) ...right before the Olympics!
2009: Japan & HK, Southern Spain
[size=1]2010: All over Lebanon, Ibiza (Spain), Oktoberfest (Germany), Thailand.
2011: India (Goa), Jordan, Jerusalem, San Sebastian (Spain), Amsterdam (again), London, Driving from Vancouver to L.A. (stopping in Portland, Seattle, San Fran and all the little stops), Montpellier (France), Geneva and Lausanne (Switzerland)

"Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it."
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