On my scale: quite expensive country, if you are traveling alone.

1.500 Dinar= 1€

Visa (French citizen): Free. As for everybody. You can ask your visa at the border, they won’t bother you with a full interrogatory. I have read that you don’t need to extend your 10 days visa, it is true inside Kurdistan, but I was unable to have an exit stamp at the Iranian border, they sent me bacin Erbil! There is buses from Silopi (Turkey; 15$ / 20 TL / 10€) that let you just after the border, you will need a taxi after this to get to Zakho. You can enter from Iran also. You can not go in Iran if you don’t already have a visa (you can get one very easily in Trabzon, Turkey). The visa is available for the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan only, you can not go in Arabic Irak with it. You can cross some part of the Arabic Irak by bus sometimes, this is not a problem, even if there is a lot of checkpoints where they will ask your passport.

cigarettes: 1.000 Dinar / 0.65€. It drop at 750 Dinar in Sulaymaniyah.

sandwich: 500 Dinar / 0.35€ for falafel, 1.000 dinar / 0.65€ for meat (again, 750 Dinar in Sulaymaniyah).

beer: 1.000 Dinar / 0.65€. There is liquor stores in every city. Beer in a local bar is 2.000, in a foreigner bar, 5.000.

Accommodation:

- Zakho (alternatively named Zaxo):

Shash Hotel: 20.000 Dinar / 13.30€. Triple room (but I was alone), clean private bathroom, breakfast include, AC.

Zakho Palace Hotel: 15.000 Dinar /10 €. Double room (but I was alone), clean private bathroom with western toilets, AC.

The very good blog Backpackiraq provides older information about hotels, here.

Shash Hotel (up) is situated in Reka Barzan/Baderkhan street, next to the most well known hotel of the city, the Hotel Bazaaz. For the same level of comfort, but without breakfast, you will find in this street the Jihan Hotel, the Roger Hotel (20.000 Dinar) and the Hotel Zozek (20$, 24.000 Dinar). The Emin Hotel (15.000, privatized dormitory room with shared bathroom), looks scary, but you may have a good price if you are not traveling alone.

At the West end of the street, walk a few meters on your left  (Kurdistan Street) to find half a dozen of liquor stores.

At it East end is the roman bridge, only sights of Zahko (Golan intersection, turn on your right).

North to the Roger Hotel starts the Shorash street, where you will find the Zakho Palace Hotel. Surrounding this street are the Firat Hotel (30$), and the Zana Hotel, Zeitun Hotel, and Melvan Hotel, with closed door or sleeping personnel at the time of my visit.

There is at leas four or five other hotels in Zakho.

I found five or six Internet Cafe, but there you can not use your laptop. Check three of them next to the Roger Hotel (1.000 dinar per hour).

Shops will provide you a fair change.

Shared taxi to Dohuk are 6.000 Dinar. The Garaj is at maximum 2 km of the city center. At the north end oh Shorash street, turn left, after 100m you will see it on your left.

- Dohuk:

Slevan Hotel : 15.000 Dinar/10 € Double room (but I was alone), clean private bathroom with western toilets, tiny balcony, AC, fan.

The very good blog Backpackiraq provides a map of the city center, check this link. He also get information about hotels, here.

The most well known and expensive hotel of Dohuk is the Hotel Birjin, hotels are east to it in the Kawa street and the Ayloul Street. Face to the Birjin, the Darya (or sometimes “Daria”) Hotel seems to be a good value for 15$ (single room, private bathroom). Next in the Kawa Street, the Biryaety Hotel and the Sader Hotel seems crummy and have each a double room with shared bathroom at 15.000. Finally, the Parlaman Hotel have a welcoming English-friendly staff, a double room with private bathroom, fridge, AC for only 20.000 Dinar.

In the Ayloul Street, you will find first the Ashawa Touristic Hotel, which can be a good value if you bargain (it was full when I checked it), and face to it the Slevan Hotel (up). Go east to find the Kordo Hotel, 20.000 for a nice double room with bathroom and western toilets. Then you got more expensive hotels as the Aven Hotel (25$, nice double room, private bathroom and western toilets), the Duhok Palace Hotel (25.000 Dinar), the Harem Hotel (30$) and the Abin Hotel (full).

There is also a lot of big hotels and motels outside the city center.

Dozen of liquor shopsand at leas two bars are in Nohadra Street, which is the first road between Kawa street and Ayloul street after crossing the bridge, west of the bazaar.

There is numerous Internet Cafe but most of them won’t allow the use of your own laptop, except in Tarin Net, on the west end of Ayloul street.

Shared taxis to Amadya are on Kawa road, for 8.000 Dinar.

Taxis to Lalish are 40$, way back include. You can not go by bus, and won’t find a share taxi except on Muslim holy Friday, or Yazidis holy Wednesday and Saturday, if you are lucky. You can call Dakhil, a friendly Yazidi taxi driver, who speaks a good Kurdish, Arabic and Deutsch, but also a few English and Turkish, 0750-746-0037.

- Amadya (or Amedi):

Sulav Tourist Hotel: 20.000 Dinar / 13.30€. Double room (but I was alone), shared bathroom, no heat, friendly staff.

There is no hotel in pretty Amadya. There is some in nearby Sulav, but only one is open in winter. There is a motel in Kanya Mala, a village between Sulav and Amadya, 20.000 Dinar the room.

Liquor stores are in the only street of Sulav. You wont find any Internet access.

Going to Erbil is easier from Dohuk… I took a car to Chel’Aze for 5.000 Dinar. Here a taxi for Rezan (after Barzan) at 25.000, I almost cried. An other taxi to Spilek, on the Hamilton road, 10.000, with an other passenger. Spilek to a “garaj” next to Erbil, 4.000, with more or less two others passenger. And then 3.000 to Erbil itself. 47.000 for the all trip. At this price, you will see wonderful panoramas…

- Erbil (or Irbil, and in Kurdish “Hawler”):

Ali Hotel: 20.000 Dinar / 13.30€ (Single room), 25.000 Dinar / 16.60€ (Double room), shared bathroom, AC, Izidi friendly staff with little English.

Rayan Hotel: 20.000 Dinar / 13.30€ Double room, shared bathroom with western WC, AC, staff speaks little English.

Nassim Hotel 20.000 Dinar / 13.30€ Double room, shared bathroom with western WC, AC, staff speaks little English.

The very good blog Backpackiraq provides a map of the city center, check this link, and a larger one here. He also get information about hotels, here.

Sleeping in Erbil is expensive. Front to the citadel is the Qayzari Bazaar, you will imediatly see the Kandeelh Hotel (or “Kandil”, 30.000 the single room) and the Rahand Hotel (35.000). Still on the main place is Sarsang Hotel. Take the Sheky Choly street (or 10 meter street) on your right to check the Nish’Liman Hotel and Sulaiman Hotel (30.000 both), the luxuous Kotri Salam Hotel (50$, private bathroom, breakfast and Internet include), the Kasr Sheril Hotel (80.000 the four beds room, private bathroom), the Ya Halla Hotel (30.000 the double, you can share for 15.000), the Nassim Hotel (up), Motel Karoz, Fanar Motel and Rayan Hotel (up). Take on your right to go back to the citadel: here are “group hotels” who wont accept the lonely traveler, as the Zagros Hotel, Hazhar Hotel, Zheen Hotel, Shakhan Hotel and Samira Miss Hotel (’hope they’ll find her). The Dana Hotel is 35.000 and here is also the Ali Hotel (up). Shahan Hotel on the Qalaat’ street is 30.000. East to the main place in a little street are the other Sulaiman Hotel (30.000) and the Dar es Salam Hotel. Other backpackers I have met here have been victims of a stealing staff, in Dana Hotel.

You will find one of the only ATM of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region at the Erbil International Hotel (formerly “the Sheraton”), 200m south to the main place, on your right. Visa only. Most of people thinks it don’t work, here is the tip: there is a software mistake. When you introduce your card, the first screen may ask you “choose your language”, instead of what you will directly see the screen in Arabic asking your PIN code. You can try any number on the keyboard, it will not react. In fact it is waiting for you to answer “English” (button on the left side of the screen, on the top), or Arabic (right side, top). Press English to come back to the normal procedure. Legendary, it is limited to 120.000 Dinar, I asked for 500.000, it worked.

The same tip may work with the two others ATM of the Bank of Irak, first one in the New City Mall, close to the Sheraton. The other one is in Majji Di Mall, next to the Uzgari Intersection (&  hospital). By feet, it is a one hour walk from the Sheraton. Go south to the 60 Meter Street, then left until the circle intersection, then right to Sulaymaniyah, it is on your right, outside the city, after the 100m Street.

There is also a Mastercard friendly ATM in Majji Di Mall ! (was not working when I have been…).

The liquor shop is north to the citadel. Catch the 10m Street until you see a giant-bust-statue. It’s north to it, less than 100m. There is an other one on the 60 meter Street, south east of the Sheraton, and a couple of stores face to the American Compound entrance.

There is an occidental bar face to the American Compound entrance, the T Bar. There is a nightclub / bar / swimming-pool inside the American Compound, Thursday night is THE night. You must be previously registered to get inside the American Compound, ask to the friendly guards during the day how you can get there. The American Compound is bunker-village north-west of the city center.

There is an Internet Cafe on the main square (2.500/h), two other ones on the 10m Street, the first is west to the citadel, the second  is north.

Buses to Sulaymaniyah left from the Bagdad Garaj, four kilometers south west of the city center, costs 8.000 Dinar.

There is buses to Iran at the Best Van Tur, a 20 minutes walk from the citadel. Catch the 10m Street until you see a giant-bust-statue north to the citadel. It’s north to it again, 2km, on the right side of the street.

Sulaymaniyah :

Hotel Pasha : 20.000 Dinar / 13.30€ (Single room), private bathroom, AC, Internet, friendly staff speaks English.

??!? (Arabic name) Hotel: 20.000 Dinar / 13.30€ (Double room), shared bathroom, AC, friendly staff, no English.

Bahra Hotel: 10.000 Dinar / 6.70€, at this price you sleep with the staff, shared bathroom, AC, friendly staff speaks English and German. Double room is 20.000.

The very good blog Backpackiraq provides a map of the city center, check this link. He also get information about hotels, here.

In the middle of the Bazar, there is a central intersection, from where you will see the giant Hotel Pasha (up) sign on north. Here you will find Kawa street, going south west, and at the beginning of it, Zanko (20.000, double room) and Bakar Hotel (up). Follow it till a place to see the Shieratoz Hotel, behind it in a tiny street is the Babosi Hotel, which may be the cheaper of the city (but it was always full when I went there). Take Kawa street again to find the Naz Hotel, with an other hotel face to it (name in Arabic). I don’t have the name of the next hotel for the same reasons (see up). At the circle, if you go right, is the Paris Hotel (25.000, double room), and the Chwarbakh Hotel (30.000, double room), face to the clinic. In the middle of Malawi street, on the bridge, you will see an other hotel (with an Arabic written name, 20.000).

Liquor stores almost everywhere. The one on the main bazaar intersection close early, there is an other one at the western gate of the bazaar. It is close on Sunday evening. Other ones are in Salim street, Mamostayan street, Handi street, and south east of the bazar. There is a bar in Mamostayan street and a Chinese bar in Salim street, east to the Archeological Museum.

There is an Internet Cafe in the entrance of Kawa street (2.000/h)

From Bagdad Garaj, you can go to Halabja by autobus (3.000). You have some “luxury minibus” to Erbil for 10.000. Bus may be 8.000 but I was told they leave at 8am.

Others :

The security level is good in Kurdish Irak, and risks are minimum when you quickly cross some Arabic area by bus. There is more and more tourists here. There is a short Lonely Planet chapter in the last Middle East guide book, and you can buy this chapter separately in pdf on their website.

Be aware that it will be expensive for alone travelers to travel here, it is better if you share taxis and hotel rooms. Transport is expensive.

You may be invited for the night or to eat something almost everywhere, go on.

Patrimonial and historic sites are still rare here, so enjoy people. The few things to see are free, as the Erbil citadel (jump barriers and go inside ruins to enjoy the experience), the Archeological Museum and the Red Security Headquarter in Sulaymaniyah.

Hitchhiking is not recommended, and if you do so, expect to pay for it, everybody is a taxi here…

You can stay in the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, Irak, for less than 25€ per day, alone. Less than 15€ per person in group.

This is just a feedback from my experience. If you got some useful prices information, share it in the Comments !

On my scale: expensive country.

2TL = 1€

Visa (French citizen): Free. For other European citizen, you may pay 15€.

cigarettes: 4.50TL / 2.25 €. Next to the Syrian border, prices are “suddenly” between 1.5 to 2TL!

sandwich: 3 to 5TL / 1.50 to 2.50€.

kebab dinner: around 8TL / 4€.

beer: 2.50 to 4TL / 1.25 to 2€. You can find Efes Pilsen -which is quite good- almost everywhere. You can bring back your bottles to the store for 10 to 25 cents of TL each.

More about Cappadocia especially : check this link

Accommodation:

- Istanbul:

Paris Hotel: 30TL / 15€. Triple room (but price per person), private bathroom, Internet, bar in the hotel, breakfast include. Nice place.

- Bogazkale:

Hattusas Pension: 15TL / 7.50€ Double room (but I was alone), scaring bathroom, no heat, Internet, helpful personnel. Few dolmus running for & from Sunburlu, ask for departure times.

- Trabzon:

Hotel Anil: 35TL / 17.50€ Single room, private bathroom, Internet and breakfast include. Picked up in the LP; there is more reasonable prices, but also lot of brothels, be careful.

- Konya:

“The very one” Hotel: 40TL / 20€. Indecent price (but I was beginning my trip), for a good value; an other hotel was under construction in the city. Double room, private bathroom.

- Antakya:

Seker Palas Oteli: 15TL / 7.50€. Single room, shared bathroom, scary place, you got what you paid for.

- Sanliurfa:

Istiklal Hotel: 20TL / 10€ Double room (but price per person), shared bathroom.

Hotel Ipek Palas : 20TL / 10€ Single room, shared bathroom, Internet and breakfast include.

Hotel Ugur : 15TL / 7.50€, musma63@hotmail.com, 0(414) 313 13 40, Double room (but price per person), friendly personnel. Haven’t tried, seems to be a good place to stay.

- Harran:

Geleneksel Konik Kubbeli Evi (Traditional conical dome house): 15TL / 7.50€. Dinner and breakfast include; may double the price in high season.

- Kahta:

Pension Kommagene: 25TL / 12.50€ Triple room (but I was alone), private bathroom.

- Diyarbakir:

Diyar Hotel: 15TL / 7.50€ Double room (but I was alone), shared “bathroom” (hum… old style shower), welcoming personnel… but no English spoken. Ask for room 301, wonderful view of Ulu Mosque. Situated in the old city, just front of Ulu Cami entrance.

- Hasankeyf:

Hasankeyf Motel: 20TL / 10€ Triple room (but I was alone), shared bathroom, no heat.

- For Cappadocia (Goreme and Güzelyurt), check this link again.

Others :

Everything is more expensive in Ankara, in Cappadocia, and most of all in Istanbul.

Access to touristic places is expensive in most of case, and they are numerous! As oil is expensive, transport is. Check for trains if you can, and there is a very good Istanbul-Ankara night-train. There is buses and dolmus (minibuses) everywhere; and some buses companies provides you WiFi Internet. Hitchhiking is easy and a very good way to encounter people. Turkish people usually pay for it, but they will understand you want to hitchhike for free, just check before getting in the car or don’t be chocked that some drivers ask for a few money ;)

People will invite you for food or a tea everywhere, go on!

Good nightlife in most of big cities.

You will be very unlucky if you encounter somebody trying to trick you, except in Istanbul or in Cappadocia. People in Diyabakir told me that their city was home to the best robbers, 10 minutes later, a pickpocket stole my cigarettes in my pocket ??!? Be careful.

You can not afford your Syrian visa at the border since october 2010. careful.You can not afford your Iranian visa at the border but you can ask for it in Trabzon.

You can stay in Turkey for less than 25€ per day.

This is just a feedback from my experience. If you got some useful prices information, share it in the Comments !

On my scale: cheap country.

60£SYR = 1€

Visa (French citizen): 28$. If you can, and need it, buy a multi entrance visa in your own country before coming (not affordable at the border). You really don’t need to pay the extra 15 days tax they ask you. You will pay 500£SYR to get out Syria, but expect to pay an extra-backshish. You won’t get in with an Israeli stamp in your passport, or evidence you have been to Israel ; American citizens may encounter difficulties to obtain their visa at the border.

cigarettes: 50£SYR / 0.90 €.

sandwich: 25 to 75 £SYR / 0.45 to 1.20€.

tapas dinner (3 plates, of humus, French fries, falafel, salad or foul): 40 to 150 £SYR / 0.75 to 2.70€.

beer: 50 to 75£SYR / 0.90 € to 1.20€ There is at leass one liquor store per city, ask for it.

Internet cafe (1h): from 25£SYR (Der Ez Zur) to 100££SYR (Palmyra) / 0.45 to 1.80€.

More about Damas especially : check this link

Accommodation:

- Hama:

Cairo Hotel: 250£SYR  /4.50€. Roof, without breakfast, Internet (slow) access.

Alternatively, the Riad Hotel (next door) have same prices. Roof is bigger, and more crowded, but the Wifi is better (those two hotels share it Wi-Fi in fact)

- Marmusa:

Monastery: for free, bring some food for your first day, then you can stay and work to eat twice a day, a breakfast and a bed. You can ask for laungery. Bring your cigarettes, and alcohol is forbidden. Your religion [or lack of…] does not matter. Taxis from Nebek (between Homs and Damas) are 300£SYR, you can hitchhike on those 17km but check if it’s for free before getting in a car.

- Palmyra (or Tadmor):

New Afqa Hotel: 300£SYR  /5.50€. Personnel’s dormitory (in summer, roof is 250£SYR), without breakfast, helpfull personnel, Wifi extra for 100£SYR per day.

You can have a roof at the Sun Hotel for 250 £SYR, the cleanest one (but no kitchen); same prices at the Baal Shamin Hotel, but no Internet access, and web cafes are very expensive. At the New Tourist Hotel, you can ask for a dirty single room at 300 £SYR. Almaza (33cl) here is 100£SYR !

- Deir Ez-Zur:

Al Jamia Al Arabia Hotel: 400£SYR  /7.20€. Single room (doubles at 600£SYR), without breakfast, very helpfull personnel.

Same prices for an other hotel in the same street (sharia Khaled Ibn Al-Walid), closer of the central place.

- Ath Thaura:

Hotel Al Arabie: 400£SYR  /7.20€. Triple room in low season, I was alone, without breakfast, very helpfull personnel.

Rakka seems to be a shitty spot. Ath Thaura is a modern soulless city, but people are friendly, and the place is closer of local highlights.

- For Damascus, check this link again. I forget the name of my hotel in Aleppo, but you’ll find a roof for approximately 300£SYR, without breakfast.

Others :

Everything is more expensive in Damas, and most of all in Palmyra.

You can also find easily cheap accommodation in Homs (uninteresting city), and Tarsus.

You can sleep at the Krak des Chevaliers: the restaurant on the hill next to the castle rent matelasse for 250£SYR. You can sleep in Bosra, in one of the restaurants front of the castle, but it may be an hard negotiation to have a good price.

Access to touristic places is cheap, but “unfortunately”, there is a lot to see ! Transport is cheap, buses and minibuses can bring you almost everywhere; train is even cheaper (I found an Aleppo-Damascus for 50 £SYR :) ). Hitchhiking is easy and a very good way to encounter people.

You will be invited to dinner and sleep in some local houses for free quite regularly. For what I experienced, you can trust those people.

Not a lot of bars and discos when you get out Damascus.

You can stay in Syria for less than 15€ per day, easily.

This is just a feedback from my experience. If you got some useful prices information, share it in the Comments !

Mon joli monastère !

Pour peu que vous connaissiez le bonhomme ayant l’insigne honneur d’être parcouru par vos petits yeux fébriles, vous ne pouvez ignorer que, bien que doté d’une relative tolérance, il cache aussi un bouffeur de cureton de première catégorie. C’est donc avec certaines réserves que ce dernier se préparait à gagner le monastère de Mar Musa, au nord de Damas, au sud de Homs. Mais la rumeur parlant de toit et gueuleton gratuit éveilla illico ses instincts émoussés d’auvergnat.

Le lieu se situant à vingt bornes de toute civilisation, il lui fut permis d’expérimenter toutes les joies auxquelles s’expose l’innocent auto-stoppeur nocturne, et sur lesquelles nous ferons une rapide ellipse…. On peut évoquer succinctement la ribambelle d’acteurs impliqués, à savoir, dans le désordre, quelques chiens errants, des kurdes enjoués, un routier irakien moustachu aux airs de violeur en série, un plein commissariat tatillon et d’humeur farfouilleuse, une meute de chacals colle-aux-basques, un livreur malhonnête de fallafels & chawarmas, une vingtaine de militaires nyctalopes planqués derrière un talus pour mieux vous sauter dessus, et deux rapineurs en moto décidé à vous faire les poches après vous avoir pris en amazone. Un coin de désert tout droit sorti d’un album de Goscinny où l’on ne s’attend plus qu’à tomber sur un montreur d’ours ou un défilé de majorettes au prochain buisson.

Vous le voyez, là-haut, plein centre, tout petit ??!? Une bonne petite montée !

Fort heureusement ce n’est qu’une menue volée de 200 marches et au moins autant de mètres de dénivelé qui réceptionnent le voyageur fatigué. Après avoir bredouillé vos aventures autour d’une table conviviale et éclectique, vous bénissez le Très Saint Sommier de bien vouloir vous porter vers un sommeil réparateur…

Il est 8h du matin.

Les paupières qui ne demandent qu’à tirer le rideau s’ouvrent soudain à n’en plus pouvoir : vous venez de sortir de votre chambre troglodyte et admirez pour la première fois la vue qui s’offre du nid d’aigle consacré. D’un soleil qui s’élève plein axe sur les dunes de sables d’un plateau craquelé, lignes brisées par ces deux à-pics hérissés qui enserrent le monastère, lui-même sis sur un promontoire rocheux vertigineux le long duquel serpente l’escalier susnommé et le lit d’un oued asséché qui s’étouffe dans l’erg contrebas. Renversant.

Le soir venu c’est pas mal non plus (excepté le fil du “telefrik” au premier plan…)

La vie monastique est cadencée par le cycle régulier des Frères en prière ou en méditation. Le matin, il s’agit de gagner son pain. La pitance est gratos, certes, mais la charité chrétienne est bien ordonnée. Dans cette communauté, on participe selon son bon gré aux tâches quotidiennes, cuisine, vaisselle, ménage… et on peut aussi mettre la main à la patte sur de menus travaux.

Un bon taf de est de se joindre à Bart. Il est en charge d’un petit programme de développement agronomique avec les paysans du secteur. Le surpâturage a accéléré la désertification des sommets environnants, où les troupeaux de chèvres ont dévoré les dernières touffes d’herbes des montagnes qui y survivaient, il faut raviver la zone. Ramassage de graines, écossage, maniement de la bêche et du râteau, semis…. Sergio, jardinier sous nos latitudes, et touriste de passage, dispense ses conseils aguerris.

Travaux champêtres…

Ainsi sont les résidents des lieux. Au repas du soir, on se joint à une foule chamarrée. Le Père Paolo, qui redonne son éclat au monastère depuis le début des années 80, s’esclaffe et philosophe dans une demi douzaine de langues différentes. La plupart des cinq autres Frères sont arabes, et personne ne vous cherche de poux sur la tête en matière de religion. Mar Musa se veut un lieu d’échange entre les confessions. De fait, une grande majorité des convives sont de diverses obédiences chrétiennes. Pas mal d’autres voyageurs posent ici leurs valises, de tous les coins du globe. Enfin, quelques résidents au long cours et salariés complètent cette Cène.

La lune se lève sur la gorge de Mar Musa. Le meilleur moment pour courir dans l’église brièvement abandonnée. De jour, en dehors des offices, des flots de touristes s’y engouffrent pour admirer les fresques superbes qui souffleront bientôt les bougies de leur premier millénaire. A cette heure, elles sont toutes à vous. Le petit musée concomitant complète le patrimoine monastique. Inéluctablement, votre addiction à la nicotine vous pousse à prendre l’air en franchissant le pas de la comique mini-porte d’entrée – moins d’un mètre de haut, et un coude à 90°, un moyen de défense assez commun il y a quelques siècles de cela –. Malborophile comblé, allongé sur le roc, vous pouvez déplorer votre mécréance cosmologique : en plein désert, les astres brillent de milles feux. Alors que vous laissez votre imagination inventer des constellations, le vieux chien invalide vient se coucher à vos pieds. Les chats aussi sauvages qu’une meute de poissons rouges en maraude dédaignent les criquets et les crapauds qui prennent possession des lieux…

Un détour d’une ou deux nuits s’est mine de rien mué en une semaine. Et c’est en quittant le monastère, assiégé de klaxons et hélé de toute part, que vous réalisez pleinement…

Que le temps s’écoule différemment à Mar Musa.

Une vue d'au dessus...

On my scale: expensive country.

2000LL = 1€

1500LL = 1$

Visa (Fr): free

local cigarettes: 750 LL / 0.40 €. Smokable. Marlboro’s are around 2500LL

sandwich: 2000 to 4000LL / 1 to 2€

beer : 750 to 3000LL / 0.40 to 1.50€ You will need to be lucky

Internet cafe (1h): 1000 to 3000LL / 0.50 to 1.50€

If you are in Beirut, please go at Le Chef: a restaurant with reasonable prices for a very good food and a warm Welcome! (or a few hundreds of “Welcome”, you’ll see). It’s in Gemmayzeh, the modest place is well known.

Accommodation:

- Beirut:

Talal Hotel: 8$  /12000LL / 6€. Roof, without breakfast, beers, Internet (slow) access, when the power supply is working, nice personnel. Dormitories are 10$.

Alternatively, Pension al Nazih (street face to Talal) & Hotel Shahbaa (Rue Pasteur) have durmatories for a reasonnable price.

- Saida (Sidon):

Hotel d’Orient: 13$  /20000LL / 10€. Double room, without breakfast, dirty, shitty place

- Tripoli (Trablous):

Hotel Koura: 20$  /30000LL / 15€. Dormitory, with breakfast, the personnel send you to bed at 22 o’clock ??!? If you are really stucked.

Others :

Here you’ll use both US dollars and Lebanese Livres.

Notice that most of the more expensive prices refers to Beirut city, otherwise it is cheaper, especially if you can escape from touristic places.

Looking to the price level, access to touristic places is quite reasonable. Transport inter-cities also, but some bus drivers gonna try to trick you, be vigilant.

In most of bars, the local beer is 7000LL, strong alcohol is around 12000LL. Entrance to nightclubs is between  15000 to 20000LL. Very good club in Gemmayzeh is the Lakay (check on Facebook for further information). BO18 is the most well known (and impressive) disco. The Basement, and unbelievable DJ Jade is THE  Electro place.

You can stay in Lebanon for less than 20€ per day,.. Or a lot more if you want to enjoy the nightlife.

This is just a feedback from my experience. If you got some useful prices information, share it in the Comments !

Articles: Beyrouth l’Ecartelée, My Crazy Brothers (Eng), Les Soeurs à l’Oeuvre, Baalbek et les Cités Phéniciennes

On my scale: pretty expensive country.

1JD = 1.1€

Visa (Fr): 10 JD / 11.1 €

cigarettes: 0.900 JD / 1 €. King-size only.

humus: 0.500 JD / 0.55 €

sandwich: 0.250 JD / 0.30 €

beer : 2 to 3 JD / 2.20 to 3.30 € [during Ramadan. Must be cheaper otherwise]

Internet cafe (1h) (in Amman): 3 JD / 3.30 €

Accomodation:

- Amman:

Abbasi Palace Hotel: 6 to 8 JD / 6.60 to 8.80 €. Dormitory (but most of time you are alone :) ), inc. breakfast , Internet access, lovely personnel.

Cliff Hotel: 3JD / 3.30 €. Rooftop, Internet access during half of the day, lovely personnel.

- Petra:

Valentine Inn Hotel: 4 JD / 4.4 €. Rooftop, unsane, Internet access, be careful:very cheaty people.

- Madaba:

Madaba Hotel: 7 JD / 7.7 €. Rooftop, inc. breakfast, Internet acces, helpful personnel.

- Ramtha (Jerash) :

“The very only one hotel of Ramtha”: 10 JD / 11€, maybe less. Single room, inc. breakfast, swimming pool in summer maybe?, helpful people.

Others :

Buses are quite cheap in Jordan. Everything else is expensive, especially touristic places access (Petra was 40€, and prices were about to raise; if you want to get in for free, check this link, in French). And everything is more expensive in Petra : cigarettes, sandwiches, food…

You’ll easily find an Internet connections in hotels.

A good place to eat in Amman is Hashem Restaurant, front of the Cliff Hotel. One of the best of Middle East in fact, but also cheap.

This is just a feedback from my experience. If you got some usefull tips, share it in the Comments !

Articles : Petra, The Lost Girl (Eng), Peacefull Madaba, Amman La Moderne

On my scale: cheap place !

60 £SYR = 1 €

Accommodation:
Al Saada Hotel: 350 £SYR (6 €) roof, incl breakfast,
Al Rabie Hotel: 400£SYR (6.50 €) roof, incl breakfast, nice place
Al Haramain Hotel: 400£SYR (6.50 €) roof, incl breakfast, Internet for daily extra 150£SYR (try to share the password with other travelers
To eat:
- sandwiches : 25 / 50 £ (40 cents / 1€)
- meal at the restaurant: starts at 300 £ (5 €)
beer : 75 £ (1.30€)
pack of cigarettes : 50 £ (90 cents)
One hour of Internet: 50 £ (90 cents)

Others:

Both transports and entrance to touristic sites are cheap. As usual bars are more expensive, and you will pay an extra for service, be careful. Chicha cost 100 to 200 £ (1.80 to 3.5 €). Please, try the Bekdach ice-cream, one of the best of Middle East, in Souq Al Hamidiyya.

You can stay at Damascus for less than 15 euros per day.

this is just a feedback from my experience. If you got some useful information, share it in the Comments !

On my scale: expensive place

I was just at the begining of my trip and suffer of a big lack of experience, but let see some prices I found:

2 TL = 1 €

Goreme:

Accomodation (dormatory, without breakfast, Kookaburra Pension, unpleasant place…): 15 TL (7.5 €).
To eat:
- sandwiches : 3 / 4 TL (1.5 / 2 €)
- beer : 5 TL (2.5 €)
- paquet of cigaret : 4.50 TL (2.5 €)

Guzelyurt:

Accomodation (double room for one person, with breakfast, Internet, Old Greek Pension, very good place, I was very lucky to be the only tourist of the village) : 15 TL

Everything (food, drink…) is a bit cheaper here.

Others:

Travel only by hitchicking on this area, it’s very easy and Turkish people are very helpfull. Official sites are quite expensive, but walking is free :), and there is a lot to see in the countryside, or in old town ruins. You can rent scooters, and hot-air balloon rides, if you don’t know how to spend your money (in this last case, at least, champagne is free. But I don’t know if they let you go with the bottle)

You can stay in Cappadoce for 20, 25 euros per day, depending on how many touristical places your are ready to pay for.

More about Turkey.

This is just a feedback from my experience. If you got some usefull tips, share it in the Comments !