Syria; spectacular from start to finish

I was recently very lucky to be offered a place on a travel agency educational trip to Syria with tour operator Cox & Kings. Of course, I jumped at the chance, having wanted to visit Syria for a long time and to find out more about the country and the tour operator too. Our journey began with a flight out to Damascus where we stayed for the first two nights, visiting the atmospheric Damascus Souk, the beautiful Omayyad Mosque, the Church of St. Ananias, the Azem Palace and the National Museum as well as getting a panoramic city-wide view from Mount Qassioun. Damascus is a great city, absolutely jam-packed with energy and life and here we got our first taste of how hospitable the Syrian people are. After two packed days, we set north-east in the direction of Palmyra, stopping on the way at the Greek Orthodox village of Maaloula where we visited the Church of St.Sergius and the Convent of St.Thecla. The shrine in the convent was well worth the climb up over 100 steps to see and was carved out of a solid rock-face. After a lunch stop we continued our journey towards Palmyra, arriving in the desert oasis town just before sunset where we witnessed the last rays of sun disappearing behind the mountains – it was a lovely sight to see and very moving as simultaneously we began to hear the various Muezzin calling people to prayer at the mosques of the town below. Next morning we began our tour of the spectacular ruins of Palmyra, beginning with the Temple of Bel and the Tower of Elhabel. It's a little hard to take in when you are there as the scale of the site is mind blowing and when you think how difficult it must have been to move stone and build back in the 2nd century it fills you with a real sense of awe. Escaping the midday intense 40 degree celsius heat we retreated indoors before continuing with the rest of the site later that afternoon exploring the Great Colonnade, the Theatre & Diocletian’s Baths and remaining there until after sunset. Next day we set off again on a long coach journey from Palmyra heading westwards via the city of Homs to the Crusader fortress, Crac des Chevaliers. The fortress was built in the 12th century by Knight Hospitaller and we spent a few hours exploring, all the time as throughout our entire trip accompanied by our wonderful guide Mahmoud who was the fountain of all knowledge and a real gem. From there we continued to the Mediterranean coastal city of Lattakia. I am a real sea lover so being able to see the Med after spending 4 nights inland was a tonic. While there we visited Ugarit, a site of archaeological excavations dating back to 2000BC and the Lattakia Museum which houses artifacts found on the site. After Lattakia our next destination was Syria’s 2nd city, Aleppo but not before we stopped on the way at Salah ad-Din’s castle, a Crusader castle built in a spectacular location between two ravines. Aleppo was a real highlight for me. It has a real buzz as a city and you really get a good idea of real-life urban Syria there. The Souk in Aleppo is out of this world and the sights and sounds are all pervading like the man selling tea from a huge pot slung over his back, making his presence known to potential customers by tapping out a regular rhythm with two metal bowls, stall holders vying with each other to see who can entice you in to their shop first and smells of spices like cinnamon all around. It really was an unforgettable experience and I hope that one day I can return to Aleppo to explore the Souk further. At the end of this wonderful trip, I’ve come away with an impression of Syria that is 100% positive. The scenery is astounding from barren desert in the east to lush mountains and valleys in the North West, the cities are alive and kicking with noise and life and the people are among the kindest I’ve ever met and went a long way to making the trip for me, especially our guide Mahmoud. I would definitely recommend a trip to Syria for a holiday to remember, especially if you have already been to say Egypt or Jordan. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.