|
Home>
Guidelines for Visitors
to ICARDA> Arriving in Damascus
|
||
Arriving in Damascus The Airport Damascus International Airport is the largest and most modern airport in Syria. As in any airport, however, there are some issues which are useful to know beforehand. Disembarkation cards will be passed out before your plane lands, or will be made available in the arrival hall. Non-Syrians are required to fill out two cards, one of which will be stamped and returned to you. You must retain the stamped card and submit it to the immigration officials upon departure. The cost of an airport visa varies, depending on your country of origin, and is expected to be paid by the visitor at the airport. If one already has a visa, or if one has a pre-arranged airport visa, proceed to immigration. The baggage collection area is next. Baggage carts and porters are available, with a rental fee of 50 Syrian pounds/baggage cart. Currency The local currency is known as Syrian Pounds (SYP) or Lira. Credit cards and personal cheques are not generally accepted in Syria. It is recommended that you bring a supply of foreign currency, (USD or Euros) or travelers' cheques. These may only be exchanged at the authorized banks and hotels. Getting to Town ICARDA drivers may be easily identified by their ICARDA sign. If a driver was scheduled to meet you at the airport but does not appear, please proceed to the Transtour desk in the airport and inform them that you are a visitor to ICARDA. They will arrange for your transportation to the ICARDA guesthouse or to a hotel in Damascus. You may also call ICARDA's Damascus office (Click here to see phone numbers). Normal working hours are 8:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. If no one responds, call Ms Hana Sharif, Damascus Office Supervisor. They will arrange for your transport and accommodation. In the unlikely event that nothing works, take a taxi to the ICARDA Office-cum-Guest-House. Taxis are metered but the drivers may want to negotiate the fare. Many drivers know the location, but if yours doesn't, tell him to go to Almalki Street and ask there. The drive from the airport to Damascus is about 30 minutes, depending on traffic. The other and better option if you have not been met at the airport is to proceed to a hotel. In Damascus, the Carlton, El-Jala'a, Semiramis, and Plaza hotels (medium priced) are used by ICARDA visitors. More luxurious and expensive hotels such as the Sheraton, Cham Palace and Méridien are also available. All of these have dealt with ICARDA for many years, and can put you in touch with ICARDA personnel in Damascus and provide accommodation. In hotels, room service and telephone charges must be paid in US dollars for all non-Syrians. If you eat in their restaurants, you can pay in Syrian Pounds. Ask for the ICARDA special rates at these hotels. Where to eat in Damascus Damascus has scores of excellent restaurants. Among them are Abu Kamal, Al-Boustan, Al-Dawar, Swar Al-Sham and Le Chevalier. These restaurants are well known, and taxi drivers can take you to the exact locations. For those who are tired or have arrived late at night and don't want to embark upon a culinary odyssey, the restaurants and coffee shops of the Sheraton, Cham Palace, Plaza and Méridien hotels offer first-rate Middle Eastern and continental cuisine. If you are in the ICARDA guesthouse, the most convenient places to go for a meal are Al-Bustan, Le Chevalier or the Sheraton Hotel, just down the street. Damascus-Aleppo ICARDA Shuttle An ICARDA courtesy shuttle leaves Damascus Guesthouse daily for Aleppo at 7:30a.m. and 1:30p.m. (3:00p.m. in summer, 1 April to 30 September). The drive to Aleppo takes about four hours, and passes through the cities of Homs and Hama, Syria's third and fourth largest cities, respectively. The morning shuttle stops at Tel Hadya (ICARDA's headquarters), then proceeds to the hotels/ICARDA Guest House, in town. |
||