BootsnAll Travel Community

This is a new thread of Middle East warnings. It is to be used for Middle East specific warnings only. Warnings include instances of robbery in a certain part of a city, bad hostel experiences, etc. As a content-rich thread, we do not want any back-and-forth or questions. Please direct all questions via Private Messages (Click on "Go" in the left hand corner, select "My Space" and then "Private Messages") to the poster. You can also issue a PM by clicker on the poster's name and selecting "Private Message". Any post that does not contribute relevant information will be deleted. Examples include: responses to previous posts in the thread and questions. The information can be on any city, region or country in Middle East. When reading these experiences, please remember that there are two sides to every story and warnings should be issued sparingly.

i know that there is a page for middle east warnings. If the moderator wants to move it then so be it. I was recently on birthright, and for those of you that don't know it is a free trip to israel but a huge umbrella organization that sends over 10,000 jewish kids a year to Israel for 10 days.

This warning is for anyone traveling to Jerusalem. Over a two week span including the 2 nights my group spent at this hotel the cleaning people were found going through a girls purse. Some say, well it's only one account. Well it turns out that this woman along with others were going through people's things in their rooms looking for cash and other things to take easily. I was rubbed the wrong way when i got back to my room after a long day to find my roommate and my stuf ransacked. I spoke to a security guard who was actually switching jobs and he said conventiently over that two week span things seemed to be "disappearing." Coincidentally or not all the rooms of the people were American, and some from Buenos Aires. So I want to post a warning to people about this hotel, sure it may be cheap when split two ways, but is it worth getting your money stolen, passport or other things you leave in your room that is supposed to be secure:

Prima Kings Hotel
60 King George Street
Jerusalem

this is the link, so people know if its the right one.

http://www.prima-hotels-israel.com/kings/index.html

it is cheap, but not worth it. I promise you. Thanks

Don’t listen to the so called “travel warnings” from any government, they are surely politically motivated. No western government wants you to know that Iran is safe and full of pleasant and cool people. Ask someone who is in the Middle East or has been there.

Supraintendents Report on Beirut is a great example of a report from somebody on the spot which would not only confirm that citizens might be advised to take notice of Government Warnings but in this case they are not only be getting the hell out of the place, but Governments will be assisting them to do so.

Ignoring Government Warnings is to do so at your own risk.

I have also been following Superintendent's updates, including the latest post from Syria, where he sounds fine. But a travel agent in Turkey just advised me to drop plans to go to Aleppo late September. US travel advisories concerning Syria include adoption warnings but I don't see anything advising Americans not to make plans to travel there at all. I don't want to be naive but I am in fact inexperienced with this sort of situation and would appreciate advice. I am inclined to get travel insurance but to go ahead with plans. Thoughts?

It is hot as hell in September in Aleppo. Just sayin'.

It may be hot, but if this decade's weather patterns are any predicate, it will be a good deal cooler at the end of September than in June, July or August. At any rate, heatstroke isn't my main concern in considering plans for Syria. As I rose to your bait following my initial post about travelling with Intrepid and am now putting together my own itin., would particularly appreciate your counsel (and that of anyone else) vis a vis the emerging political situation.

Don't worry even for a minute. Go and have a good time.

Do not stay in the Alaska Camp if you go to Dahab, Egypt. It seemed cheap at first so we went there (we thought we wouldn't find anything else because we had no reservations) and we stayed for 5 days where the staff were being extra horrible to all of us and simply did not make us feel safe. Then we went to this other camp that looked much more like what we wanted (bungalows) and less like a prison (what Alaska looked like) and we didn't need any advance bookings and it cost us the same as Alaska, except our bathroom actually had a door. Basically, you don't need advance bookings in Dahab and when you get off and go to the area with all the camps, just avoid Alaska and always bargain for prices, it always works.

I have been living in Amman, Jordan for the last year and a half and I love Jordanians. Amman is not my favorite city but I love hiking in this country, seeing the historical sights, speaking Arabic, and forming bonds with people who are in reality quite different from us Westerners in some important ways. I frequently read posts on this site written by people who say that Jordan /the Middle East is safe and anyone who tells you any differently is an ignorant closed-minded Westerner (gharbi). So I thought I should post some information that is more balanced. In general, Jordan is safe and the people are kind. HOWEVER, if you are a western woman, there are some men who are going to think you will have sex with anyone and that raping you (a non-muslim) is not a crime/sin. You need to be careful as a Western woman. If you are a Western woman, hitching is not a good idea. Staying at a stranger's house is not a good idea. I attached a story below about 2 British girls who were raped in Jordan in October 2007. Their lives will never be the same after their short trip to Jordan. By all means, come to Jordan and experience these very kind and wonderful people and see the sights but know that this IS a different culture especially as it pertains to women.

http://jordantimes.com/?news=2925

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7047588.stm