I’d like to go to Baalbek, and see the temple of the sun. Indeed I’d like to visit Syria. But these days I tend to insist on 5* hotels!
Some weeks ago I saw Voyages Jules Verne’s Restoration Story tour. Seven days, including three in Beirut, including a trip to Palmyra and Baalbek. It sounds wonderful.
But of course the political situation is a factor. I have no desire to get involved in Near-East politics! The Lebanese election this week returned a vaguely sensible government; but I think I will wait a little and see whether it calms things down before booking.
I’m in the process of dumping my existing credit card provider; when the new one comes through, I’ll look at this again.
Postscript: or maybe not. Their September departure won’t accept any single travellers. Oh well.
Do not make the mistake in believing that a pro-Western goverment is more sensible than an anti-Western goverment. The most pro-Western goverment in Greece was the dictatorship which by all accounts was the LEAST sensible. It is very ironic but most of the countries on the State Department’s list of terrorist sponsor states are quite nice and safe to visit or at least were at the they were included. Syria and Iran were and are great and safe places to visit, so was and is Libya, no tourist had something to fear in Saddam’s Iraq (only the locals).
By all accounts Hezbollah runs a efficient and capable goverment in its zone of control. Its operations against Israel should not be a deterrent to visit them, no more than the US-sponsored terrorist operations in Khuzestan should be a detterent to visit the US.
Libya is certainly a safe place to visit, as I know from experience. Thanks for your comments on Hezbollah’s policies in its area of control — useful.