This ambitious new Bradt guide aims to promote a responsible, nonintrusive kind of tourism by offering visitors more than mere descriptions of sites, hotels, and restaurants, stimulating a genuine interest and understanding of the people and their role in modern-day Syria. The country possesses some of the most impressive historical sites in the Mediterranean. Damascus and the surrounding area are covered in detail, with the Roman caravan city of Palmyra and the Crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers being just two of the featured attractions.
Features include:
*Exceptionally detailed on-the-ground descriptions of archaelogical and historical sites
*In-depth examination of Islam--never properly attempted by previous guides to Syria
*Traveling independently or part of an organized tour, with accommodations ranging from renovated Arab palaces to camping
*Language section with basic greetings and everyday phrases in Arabic
Customer Reviews:
unpractical guide, to be avoided by budget travelers August 28, 2008 We tried to use this book during the week we spent in Syria. This book seemed the better choice, since it is the most recent guide. After half a day in Damascus, we gave up and went to buy the Lonely Planet
Main flaws: -- the maps are completely unsufficient (we had to ask other travellers on the street to look at the maps in their books). Apparently the author has drawn them herself. Afterwards we visited Damascus again, with our other guide book, and we enjoyed Damascus a lot more. -- Lists of places to eat and to stay are very short, and contain very few budget places (typically 1 or 2, which is absolutely useless. Furthermore descriptions are rather brief). There is more attention to top end places.
On the pro side: ++ The book spends much attention to history and culture, some parts are nice to read as background. Strange detail: the author claims that women never work as waitress in Syria, and in our week we saw several of them.
Note: last year we use other Bradt guides (Zambia, Malawi), much to our satisfaction.
Unclear and not for the budget traveller January 6, 2008 12 out of 12 found this review helpful
As someone living in Syria for over a year, I cannot recommend this guidebook, except for someone on a package tour, using the guide only for information on tourist sites. For independent, and particularly budget travelers, the guidebook is simply too unclear. The maps are extremely simplified, which is a serious problem in the winding alleyways of the old city of Damascus, and I find it hard to follow her directions to various restaurants having lived in the country for some time. As a visitor, I think it would be nearly impossible.
The restaurant and hotel reviews are generally incredibly simplistic. For restaurants, half of each review discusses whether or not alcohol is served, while frequently ignoring both price and food quality. Hotels are described with similar brevity, and the focus is clearly on the upper end.
The descriptions of various sites, as well as the historical, cultural and political background is reasonably well done. However, I don't think that it this guide has more information or is in any way clearer than the equivalent Lonely Planet guidebook, which I would recommend over this book for any traveler.
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