Hot answers tagged middle-east
13
You can cross the Turkey-Iraq border at Silopi-Zakho and travel throughout Kurdish Iraq without any problems. In the past (before 2008), the border was a bit more difficult as the Turks and Iraqi border guards were much more suspicious of non-locals crossing, but now they don't even look twice.
You'll get a 10-day visa on arrival at the border although it ...
13
In most Muslim countries, keeping the arms and legs covered would be considered completely sufficient, especially for someone who is visibly a foreigner.
Some (e.g. Turkey, at least the bigger cities) are much more tolerant and nobody will feel offended by bare arms or legs. The strictest dress code exists in Saudi Arabia, where women are required to wear ...
11
You will need a visa for Turkey, but the other countries you have listed (Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Malta) do not require visas from American citizens. Also remember that Crete is part of Greece, although I don't see it on your map, so perhaps this isn't relevant. A Turkish visa is issued at the border to US passport holders and is good for 3 months of ...
11
Are all countries between the "near east" and the "far east" then
"middle eastern" countries?
I always thought Middle East and Near East are mostly synonyms. (For me, this is probably influenced by the fact that the Finnish word for Middle East is Lähi-itä, literally Near East.)
Even if we stick to English terms, Wikipedia tends to agree (emphasis ...
10
According to this Wikimedia image you can find cheetahs around Africa and Middle East.
Image is in public domain
One of the easiest places to see Cheetahs (I saw a lot there) is Masai Mara National Park (Kenya).
9
I entertained the idea to spend some time in Dubai as well, considering I have to change planes there anyway.
I talked to a friend last week who lived for several years in Al Ain, a city in the UAE on the Omanian border.
It seems the UAE are okay for travelling by yourself, but a city like Al Ain with a population of over 370,000 and a possible gateway ...
8
Sorry for answering my own question, but it looks like all flights currently go through larger Yemeni cities, and traveling by boat is likely to be just as dangerous due to Somali pirates. From the Australian Government's Travel Advisories for Yemen:
There is a high risk of piracy in the coastal areas of Yemen. There have been attacks by pirates against ...
7
It is possible to go to Iraq. Business people travel there regularly, although they normally travel with security.
There's a pretty good summary of the area here. Kurdistan seems to be one of the more stable areas, and the border with Iran seems to be pretty scary.
I would be afraid to travel in Iraq, but then I'm also afraid to go to Colombia, which is ...
6
Yes, There are:
Oman:
Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian nationals may obtain visit visas following the same procedures provided that they are part of tourists groups arriving to the Sultanate through a local tourist agent or a hotel or as a family. In the case of groups, the number of females must not exceed the number of males. Source: wikitravel.org
Saudi ...
6
One option you could consider is the Siwa Oasis.
It's an isolated oasis situated in the Western Desert region of Egypt, approximately 550 km west of the capital Cairo, 305 km south-west of Marsa Matruh and some 50 km from the border with Libya. Extending some 80 km in length and 20 km in width, the oasis is one of the most isolated settlements in the ...
5
If you are a foreigner then it is ok, you can show them or hide them no one will actually care. It is not something common there for middle easterners to have but people do not judge foreigners for having or showing them.
Regarding Egypt in particular, it is common for criminals and people who been prisoned to have them, so that will be the first ...
5
Just came across this question. If you fly into Qatar, it is land locked with Saudi Arabia. The only way to get into Saudi Arabia is with a transit visa. I lived in Qatar so I had a residents permit which made the transit visa easier to obtain. You do this through local agencies, I got my first one at the Saudi Arabian embassy after 7 trips but now they've ...
5
Middle East is a geographical area east of the Mediterranean sea and west of India. Sometimes the "stans" are included (Afghanistan and Pakistan) but more often they're not because when the term was originally coined they were part of British India.
As mentioned in the comments, North African countries are considered "Middle East" in some cases, because ...
3
From my first hand experience few years ago and many of friends' experiences earlier and later, Lebanon would refuse visas to unmarried women ages 17 to 30.
According to travel guides, it's theoretically possible to get that visa going through very complicated and lengthy bureaucratic process, which makes it impractical for young women tourist. It's also ...
3
Yes, You will be able to find someone. You must contact the local authorities first for permission and they will be able to help you. If you are planning for any tour or traveling somewhere you can take idea from traveling site like koshertravelers site. It will give you good deals about traveling.
2
Clothing expectations are generally cultural and legal rather than religious. The best bet is to do some research for the country (or countries) you plan to visit.
For example, in Indonesia (the world's largest Muslim country by population), it is acceptable for women to dress casually in most places, bikinis on the beach, and so on. But if you're going to ...
2
The trees look amazing!
According to Wikitravel:
Yemania Airlines offers two flights per week on Friday and Monday:
From Sana’a to Socotra Island (Friday departure time 5:00 am)
From Aden to Socotra Island (Monday departure 9:00 am)
Flight durations are almost three hours.
Felix is a new airline and has taken over all flights to Socotra,
...
2
Visas depend on your citizenship. Assuming you're a British citizen, it is unlikely that you'd need a visa to any of the countries (except for maybe Syria that you're going to skip anyway, and Lebanon - not familiar with their reqs) for a visit.
Also, you will not be able to travel directly from Tyre (Lebanon) to Nazareth or Caesaria (Israel). You'll have ...
1
I think all of the answers are great, but I will answer from a different perspective since I live in the so-called Middle East.
As some said, There is no official definition of middle east. But there are several definitions made for different purposes.
For example, As an Arab we Arabs usually use Middle East to refer to Arab Countries. Regarding Israel (we ...
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