Middle East - Anthony Ham [442]
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PRACTICALITIES
As well as the three state-run Arabic daily newspapers, there’s one English-language daily, the Syria Times (S£5). This is published under direct government control and is big on propaganda and short on news.
You can pick up the BBC World Service on a range of radio frequencies, including AM 1323 in Damascus and the Europe short-wave schedule in Aleppo. See www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice for details.
CNN, BBC World and a handful of European satellite channels can be accessed in many hotel rooms.
The country’s electrical current is 220V AC, 50Hz. Wall sockets are the round, two-pin European type.
Syria uses the metric system.
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Prices cited are for rooms in the high season and include taxes and breakfast unless stated otherwise. We have defined budget hotels as any that charge up to US$25 for a double room; midrange as any that charge from US$20 to US$90; and top end as those that charge US$90 plus. In the low season (December to March) you should be able to get significant discounts at most hotels. Conversely, during July and August it can be extremely difficult to get a room in Damascus, Hama or Lattakia.
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BEST…
Budget Hotels
Al-Rabie Hotel (Damascus; Click here)
Ghazal Hotel (Damascus; Click here)
Al-Haramain Hotel (Damascus; Click here)
Riad Hotel (Hama; Click here)
Cairo Hotel (Hama; Click here)
Hanadi Hotel (Aleppo; Click here)
Tourist Hotel (Aleppo; Click here)
Safwan Hotel & Hostel (Lattakia; Click here)
Al-Nakheel Hotel (Palmyra; Click here)
Boutique Hotels
Dar al-Yasmin Hotel (Damascus; Click here)
Beit al-Mamlouka (Damascus; Click here)
Old Damascus Hotel (Damascus; Click here)
Orient House Hotel (Hama; Click here)
Dar Halabia (Aleppo; Click here)
Tourath House (Aleppo; Click here)
Beit Wakil (Aleppo; Click here)
Mandaloun Hotel (Aleppo; Click here)
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Although some will accept Syrian pounds, midrange and top-end hotels invariably require payment in US dollars or, increasingly, euros. Some also accept credit-card payments (often with a surcharge), but don’t take this for granted.
Student Accommodation
Although you’ll find flyers advertising shared student accommodation all over the Old City in Damascus, one place we recommend is House of Damascus (Click here).
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BUSINESS HOURS
The official weekend is Friday and Saturday. Most museums and sites are closed on Tuesday.
Banks Generally follow the government office hours but there are exceptions. Some branches keep their doors open for only three hours from 9am, while some exchange booths are open as late as 7pm.
Government offices 8am to 2pm daily except Friday and holidays. Post offices are open later in the large cities.
Restaurants Between noon and midnight daily. Cafés tend to open earlier and close later.
Shops 9am to 1.30pm and 4pm to 9pm summer, 9am to 1.30pm and 4pm to 8pm winter. Usually closed on Fridays and holidays. In Damascus souq, shops usually don’t close at lunchtime and some stay open on Fridays. Aleppo souq shuts down on Friday, but doesn’t close for lunch on other days.
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CHILDREN
On the one hand, travelling in Syria with children can be a delight, as Syrians are extraordinarily welcoming to children; having children with you will quickly break down the barriers with locals and add a whole new dimension to your trip. Formula is readily available in pharmacies, and disposable nappies are stocked in supermarkets. Restaurants usually have highchairs and restaurants are extremely welcoming to families.
At the same time, very few Syrian hotels have child-friendly facilities and child-friendly sights are next to nonexistent (castles like Crac des Chevaliers and Qala’at Saladin may be exceptions for kids of a certain age). Few towns have easily accessible public gardens with playground equipment or shopping malls with amusement centres. As a result, you’d do well to come prepared with your