Syria is famous for many things however its recent history seems to overshadow many pleasant things about the country. Since the eruption of hostilities between government and the terrorists, the country has been plunged into civil war.

Traveling info

All visitors traveling to Syria are required to have a valid passport. Entry requirements often vary depending on the nationality of the visitor. Citizens of Arab nations including former Soviet republics as well as some African nations enjoy visa-free entry to Syria. Other visitors must have their visa approved before travel. Visitors who have a travel visa from Israel will not be allowed into Syria. All visitors who wish to drive in Syria must have both their national driving permit and an international driving permit. Drivers must beware that IDP does not substitute for the original document and is only a translation of it. Both documents must be with the driver at all times.

Traveling hazards

Driving in Syria may be hazardous and requires great caution. Although drivers generally follow traffic signs and signals, they often maneuver aggressively and show little regard for vehicles traveling near them. Lane markings are usually ignored. At night, it is very hard to see pedestrians, who often walk into traffic with little warning. Outside major cities, it is common to find pedestrians, animals, and vehicles without lights on the roads at night. Pedestrians must also exercise caution. Parked cars, deteriorating pavement, and guard posts obstruct sidewalks, often forcing pedestrians to walk in the street. Vehicles often do not stop for pedestrians, and regularly run red lights or jump the green light well before it changes. Because of the ongoing conflict, there has been an increase in the potential that visitors will encounter hostile activity or harassment at both official and unofficial security checkpoints on roadways throughout the country.

Environmental hazards

Apart from the rebels and militias scattered around the country which pose a life-threatening danger, there are some animals which might be potentially dangerous to people. Wolves in Syria were once much more numerous but their number fell to below 200 making them extremely rare sight in the country. Syrian Brown bears can be found throughout western and northern Syria. These bears are rather docile and do not attack people without a reason. Approaching one up close or surprising one might be dangerous, however. There was a famous Syrian brown bear which served in the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps. He took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino where he carried artillery shells and became the emblem of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. As the countries waterways run dry, more snakes move into human territories. Some of these are venomous enough to cause human death. The black desert snake and several viper species are present in Syria. Visitors should avoid all snakes as an inexperienced eye won’t be able to tell venomous and non-venomous snakes apart. Although Syria has a Mediterranean coast, there has been only a single shark attack recorded. Despite that such incidents cannot be ruled out. This especially goes to those who swim far out into the sea.
Desert predominates in Syria, where dust storms and sandstorms rank among the most common natural hazards. Apart from dust storms floods in Syria constitute the most dangerous natural hazard causing the most damage and carrying the biggest death toll.

Health hazards

There is currently an outbreak of Polio in Syria. All visitors are recommended to get vaccinated against Polio. Apart from polio, there are several other vaccines which are recommended. These are the routine vaccines aka MMR vaccines, hepatitis A and B, typhoid and rabies vaccines. Before the crisis the Syrian healthcare sector was delivering at a moderate level however after the eruption of hostilities, healthcare in the country has greatly deteriorated. The only places able to deliver healthcare were those under the stable control of Assad government forces whilst the rebel lands plunged into anarchy. Private clinics and hospitals have been very few in numbers since, in the peak of the war, medical facilities were purposely targeted by ISIS forces. Those daring enough to visit Syria nowadays should get some basic medical supplies as they may not be readily available on the spot.
In case of an emergency dial 110. (Beware that emergency services may not be available in certain parts of the country).

Crime

Crime stats are generally unavailable due to the ongoing situation in the country. Despite the fact that the Syrian government regained control of the majority of its country it is still unsafe to visitors, especially westerners. Country travel advisories generally discourage traveling to Syria or outright state that visitors should not travel to the country. The main reason for this is the targeting of westerners by Muslims terrorists like ISIS. During the still ongoing conflict, over 400 thousand have died and some 6 million have been displaced internally. Currently, Syria is a no go place for tourists.

Summary

Despite the fact that Syria is full of incredible monuments to the history of mankind with the likes of the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra which was viciously ruined by Muslims terrorists, or one of the oldest cities on earth: Damascus. Despite gems like these, Syria torn apart by war is pretty much a no go zone for tourists currently. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
http://www.syriatourism.org/en/page12712/Obtaining-an-entry-visa
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/syria