The idea of going is very fresh so I'm starting with general questions. I'd start in Egypt, then backpack through Israel, Jordan and Syria, I'd go for 2 months around March 2008 (is this a good timing when it comes to to weather? I prefer heat and scorching sun, can't stand cold). Is it ok to go alone as a white female? I've traveled by myself through Mexico, Morocco and Asia before so I have some experience although I do realise this might be completely different. Is it easy to meet backpackers around middle east? I think I'd like to join someone to travel with at one point or another while I'm there.Also what kind of budget should I have for 2 months, I'd stay in hostels, travel by buses etc. Thanks.
That's a good time of year to go. We also started our middle east trip in March. Upper Egypt was scorching hot, and it made doing anything during the day uncomfortable, but even though it was getting closer to summer, once we got to Jordan and continued to move north, the weather was tolerable.
One of the problems I see with this trip is the Israeli stamp curse. If there is any evidence that you've been to Israel, you will not be allowed into Syria. Evidence is usually passport stamps - from Israel, or Egyptian or Jordanian posts that border Israel - but I have heard that if they're suspicious and go rifling through your stuff, that even a dog-eared or highlighted Israel page in a guidebook could result in refusing you entry. There's no easy way around this. Flying in and out of Israel might work...Israeli passport control is reputed to be willing to stamp seperate sheets of paper, but you'd need a believable story as to where you went during the gap in your passport stamps.
As for safety. There are lots of women who do backpack in the middle east alone. From what I saw, Egypt would be the hardest place to do this...the men there are awful to women, but also the easiest place to hook up with another traveler. In Jordan and Syria, the sexism seemed to be more benign, from what I could tell...they were still male dominated societies, but unlike Egypt, where people were making lewd comments to my girlfriend (and one guy told me off "No baby, no husband," the attitude seemed to be more that "women need protection," which is still sexist but isn't really dangerous to travelers. Foreign women are sometimes thought of as a "third sex" where it's not totally uncouth for you to sit down at a table with men you don't know, but you're still able to be invited into the kitchen. I wouldn't recommend it as a first solo trip, but for an experienced traveler, I'm sure you'll be fine.
Lastly on budget. It depends how you like to live. I don't have my spreadsheet right in front of me that has all that info on it, but I believe we were spending about $40 per person per day in Egypt, $60 pppd in Jordan and $35 pppd in Syria. We were able to live decently in Egypt and Jordan, though nothing special, but in Syria, it was enough money to live very well...there seemed to be little middle ground there, either we lived very well, or you scrimp and eat street food for every meal, which would probably run you closer to $20-25 per day.
Neil thank you so much for your advise, really appreciated. I've heard that if you ask at the Israel border crossing they will not stamp your passport but give you a seperate piece of paper, but then again I'd have stamps from Egypt and Jordan that I've been crossing at these places, did someone do it before? What's the best way to do it? Thanks.
I've heard that if you ask at the Israel border crossing they will not stamp your passport but give you a seperate piece of paper
When you're crossing a land border, this won't work because Jordan and Egypt won't cooperate. The only land crossings I've heard of without evidence involved crossing both in and out by the King Hussein Bridge, which means passing through the West Bank. Something about Jordan not considering it an international border or something. I certainly can't guarantee that that'll work. I've never been to Israel, so maybe someone else will have more info.
As a woman, I disagree with 2wanderers that men are awful to women in Egypt. Altough it's not the first time that I hear such comments, I personally had a VERY GOOD experience there. Was it just luck? I don't know. I do know that at all times, my friend and I (2 girls) were wearing pants or long skirts. Also, we had bought, especially for that trip, large 3/4-sleeves shirts. Nothing tight or short and no t-shirts. Tank tops were out of the question. My friend had long hair at the time and she would tie them up everyday. (We wore hats anyways) Also, before my trip, I had learned several sentences in arabic. Finally, I was wearing a ring and carried around a picture of my boyfriend, saying that he was my husband. When people asked why he wasn't there, I would just say that he had to work and was coming to meet with me in a week...
Yes, some men were bluntly flirtatous (We even got a few proposals... ) but the most of them were very polite,welcoming and helpful. I would go as far as to say that most were very respectful.
On the other hand, I found the men in Jordan to be more sneaky... Less trustworthy...
And so. Was I just lucky in Egypt? I don't know. Every experience is different. But don't go there thinkin that they're awful...
If you can, perhaps plan for Israel at end? I just arrived Tel Aviv airport today and was unable to get a separate paper for visa stamp. I had a few other issues like no onward ticket, no current job, and no local contact. So, given that these all seemed to be a problem, I did not insist on the visa stamp issue because I did not want to be denied entry. After three interviews, I was allowed in, and am happy about that. All the immigration staff were very professional (and thorough), which I appreciated in my sleep-deprived state.
If anyone has been successful at this, perhaps they could give more specific advice on how to obtain the visa stamp on a separate paper. Perhaps being in a group or having a better plan upon arrival will assist.
Posts: 6 | Location: Hong Kong and US | Registered: 23 November 2004
I live in Egypt and I do have to say that there is lots of verbal sexual harrassment, it's usually harmless. It is safe though, as long as you stay smart about it.
If I were you, I'd start off with Syria, then Egypt, Jordan, and Israel (whichever order you want, as it won't matter for egypt and jordan... they'll still let you in with a stamp).
If you MUST go to Israel before Syria, try to go through the Jordan border as the officials there are nicer and if you ask nicely, you may get a stamp on a piece of paper.
Thank you so much guys, you've all been very helpfull. As Thomson started really cheap flights from Luton to Tel Aviv I'll be actually flying there in January for about a week, so in March/April I'll just do Syria, Egypt and Jordan. Can I cross from Jordan to Egypt overland route?
Yes, you can go to Egypt from Jordan overland. Through Aqaba (take a ferry from Aqaba to Nuweiba, it should be $50-60).
However, you may have a hard time being allowed into Syria if you fly into Israel in January because I'm pretty sure your passport will be stamped at the airport. Syria will not allow anyone in if they have any kind of visa (even if it is unused) or passport stamp to Israel.
do you know how long it takes to get from Aqaba to Petra?
Not long. I'd say an hour at most if you go by taxi. We did the trip in two parts (Aqaba to Wadi Rum by taxi, Wadi Rum to Wadi Musa (Petra) by minibus), and I think the combined travel time was only slightly over an hour.
Originally posted by Spanky: The stamp issue.....hmmm I don't know haw passports work in the UK, but couldn't you just renew your passport when you return from Israel?
Spanky I have this old passport that was issued for me in Chicago, they don't make those anymore, it's full of stamps and visas too which makes it very special. I wanna keep using it till it's expiry date
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