Lara DunstonMy harmless little blog Cool Travel Guide has been blocked in Syria for a whole 24 hours – I was confronted with the dreaded “Access Denied” sign when I tried to update it yesterday. But, there’s been a miracle, or someone came to their senses, and now I can access it. I realize my mistake … Read more about Access momentarily denied
Aleppo’s labyrinthine souqs – or rather souqs within a souq – have long been one of our favorites in the Middle East, mainly because it has remained relatively untouched by tourism up until recent years – especially compared to Istanbul’s Grand Bazzar and Cairo’s Khan el Khalili. The medieval souqs are where locals shop for … Read more about Aleppo’s labyrinthine souqs
Aleppo is Syria’s most atmospheric city after Damascus and it’s our next favorite destination after the capital, the highlights for us being the medieval souq, the labyrinthine old quarters dotted around the inner-city, and the complex cuisine, arguably the most interesting in the Middle East. The new town with its stylish cafes – currently full … Read more about Aleppo and our room with a view
One of our many reasons for coming to Syria this time was to interview Abu Shady, the last of the hakawati, or traditional storytellers. We last interviewed him almost two and half years ago when we were here to update our Lonely Planet Syria and Lebanon guidebook – that’s the ‘current’ edition every Western traveller … Read more about Abu Shady, the last of Syria’s traditional storytellers still tells his tales
Syria has long been home to some of the Middle East’s most bewitching boutique hotels (the only country that beats it in the beautiful hotel stakes is Morocco) so we’re delighting in one of our main tasks over the next two weeks – to review and photograph a handful of the country’s most characterful properties … Read more about Syria’s Bewitching Boutique Hotels