Vegetarians / Vegans / Celiac's / Gluten & Lactose intolerance - Your Tour Leaders will always do their best to cater for any dietary requirement or intolerance whenever possible. However we don't cater for fussy eaters. It must be remembered that the variety of dishes available may not be the same as available to meat eaters. If there is anything in particular you require in your diet or because of an allergy or would miss from home, it would be best to bring these with you, as these cannot be purchased with normal Local Payment funds due to the high cost of these specialised and often imported foods. Remember that when eating out in local restaurants & hotels that the vegetarianism or food allergies / intolerances, is still not widely known about or understood by many local people. i.e Vegetarians or Vegans will often be offered fish or chicken in error.  Most large towns and cities, or areas used to tourists, will often have more choice but please be aware that it will probably not be as varied as you are used to when eating out at home.

Participation
Participation is essential. A successful and smooth tour depends very much on everyone taking part in the duties that arise i.e. cooking, vehicle cleaning and food shopping. With this in mind your crew will organize groups on a rotating roster. The most successful tours are those where everyone becomes involved as much as possible. These are not luxury tours, so join in! In the end the more you put in the more you get out.

Group Size
Maximum in the Middle East is 24 passengers

Money and Budgets

From past trips and traveler feedback £100 to £120 per week should cover costs such as visas, some meals out (on average 50% per day are supplied), soft drinks and beers, email & communications, souvenirs and other general spending. Personal spending habits & budgets differ greatly from person to person. Budget on optional activities separately (see optional excursions page) & allow extra for your Local Payment contribution.

Changing money
Change your money only at banks, hotels, airports or forex bureau's.  It is illegal to change money on the street, as these people will normally be opportunistic thieves or undercover police. Your crew will advise you where & when you can change money & with what means.  It is also a good idea to have a small CASH emergency fund, to allow for the unexpected.

How to bring your currency?
Past travelers have fed back that they have felt, as a general rule it is best to bring your money as a combination of US Dollars, British Pounds & Euro's CASH. Preloaded Travel cards (see below) are also an option if you are concerned about bringing all your money in cash - BUT DEFINITELY BRING AT LEAST 50% of your money in cash. Some travelers worry about carrying so much with them, however all the Overland trucks are equipped with an on board safe for the security of  your money and passport. Old, torn, or marked notes are often refused.  For most areas do not bring US$100 notes unless they are in excellent condition and post 2000, except for Libya where good quality US$100 and US$50 notes are recommended because others may be difficult to exchange.  Scottish pounds are also not accepted.  Bring about US$100 of your budget in small denominations.

Please remember that Visa's need to be paid for in US$ CASH ONLY! (and it is advisable to have around US$100 in cash on top of the Lebanon excursion for Syria if you are planning to travel there).

Pre Paid Travel/Debit Cards - these cards are similar to normal Credit and Debit cards but they can be pre loaded with cash before you travel with a set amount allowing you to withdraw this cash using the card at normal ATM's. It is a more secure way to access cash on your trip and easier to use than travelers cheques, but again do not rely on these as your sole means of funds on a trip - (please refer to the ATM section). Most banks and forex co's in the UK and abroad now offer these for a nominal charge and most can also be reloaded and used time and again.

Travelers Cheques (TC's) - can attract 2 to 10% commission. The use of TC's overseas can be frustrating but at the same time some of our travellers find them worthwhile and reassuring as they can be replaced in an incidence of loss or theft.

Credit & Debit Cards - a combination of several types are suggested as not all types are accepted in all places. Visa & Maestro are best, MasterCard has limited access through parts of the Middle East. Over the counter cash advances can be expensive, time consuming and should not be relied upon - you will be given local currency and NOT US$ or £GB. We recommend that you inform your bank that you will be using your card abroad to avoid it being blocked. Please see the optional excursions page for activities that can be paid for using a Credit or Debit Card. Commission rates vary between 2-8%.

ATM's - www.visa.com or www.mastercard.com can give a general idea of locations of ATM's around the world - but please do not rely on this means alone to obtain local cash, please only use as a guide - things change, and ATM's don't always work! Besides memorising your PIN, it is also important to be aware of your daily withdrawal limit and bank withdrawal costs.

Tipping - is often expected and relied upon. It is often more than a reward for services well done, but, as wages are extremely low, it is an accepted means of supplementing an income. If you would like to leave a tip for any activity/individual, you could organize this as a group and give a tip at the end. A recommended amount for restaurants is usually 10% of your total bill and similar for activities.  Some countries also add an extra Government tax on restaurant bills.

Because it can be difficult to know what to tip, and because it has such importance in some areas both economically and culturally, there may be times and activities for which your crew will make it clear what level of tipping is 'customary/expected'. They may also be quite enthusiastic or assertive in encouraging you to take account of these suggestions. This is motivated by the knowledge of how important tipping can be, and the offence or confusion that can be caused when local people are tipped poorly. In the end, tipping remains at the discretion of the individual, but our crew will continue to advise on normal or average rates, and we would ask you to carefully consider the economic or personal impact of being seen as 'under tipping'. We know that many who travel with us are on a tight budget, but ask you to consider that those we work with locally may also face financial hardship, and also work very hard to try to give you unrivaled service/ experiences.

As a very rough guide, we would suggest that you budget for an amount equal to 10% of the local payment for your trip, plus 10% of the cost of any of the listed optional excursions that you wish to do. The amounts you end up tipping may vary from a rigid 10%, but hopefully this will help you budget in general.

Climate

Climatic variations are quite dramatic in the Middle East.  As a general guide, from November to March most of Turkey experiences cold winters. Cappadocia has cold nights year round so you will need warm clothes and sleeping bag. At the same time Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and parts of Syria and Jordan can get very hot. Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria and Jordan have hot days year round, but nights in the desert and on Mt Sinai can be very cold throughout the year. From May to September temperatures in southern Egypt and Libya can reach 40°C plus!  Bring clothes for all seasons but pack extra warm clothes if traveling in Turkey from October to April - you will normally camp less during these winter months.

Ramadan

Ramadan is the holy Islamic month during which Muslims fast during the day and is based on Lunar months. No food or liquid is allowed to pass a person's lips during daylight hours. Tourists are not expected to fast during this time, but are expected to show respect, by not eating on the streets or in public view etc. Be aware some shops and historical sites may adjust opening times, but this should not significantly affect our itinerary.  Hotels and western style pubs we use normally continue to sell alcohol during Ramadan, but general availability may be limited. People in the regions we pass through are generally conservative, especially about matters concerning sex and women.  Muslim countries simply are not the place to make a feminist statement.  Attitudes range from fairly liberal on the Red Sea coast, to fairly conservative in other countries & some of the small towns we pass through.  If you are not prepared to fit in with the social code of the area you may be harassed.

This tour departs from the Al Haramain Hotel.

NOTE: The Damascus to Istanbul tour officially starts at 6pm on the night before Day One of the trip from the Al Haramain Hotel. This enables you time to do the Lebanon excursion if you wish on Day One. If you are not doing the Lebanon excursion, the crew will transfer you to the campsite at 6pm on Day 1 from Al Haramain Hotel, so please have all your belongings packed and be ready to go. Please advise on which day you would like the trip to start.

Accommodation Info: The Al Haramain Hotel is situated in the 'old city' part of Damascus. This is a magical, meandering place to explore the markets, the thriving Christian quarter and the old churches and mosques. Within the immediate vicinity of the hotel, there are many small restaurants, kebab houses, juice bars, falafel shops etc.  There are also slightly more upmarket restaurants dotted around near the souk.  Accommodation costs include breakfast. Showers are shared and are outside the rooms.

The truck and tour leader will be staying at New Kaboun Camping, Autostrad Damascus - Homs, Damascus  Tel:  011 452 6235.

Airport Transfer Costs: £23.00. Transfer fees are for 1-3 people. Transfer costs are payable direct to the Al Haramain Hotel on arrival in Syrian Pounds, Euros, $US or £GB.   

Passports: Please bring 2 photocopies of your passport details to give to your Tour Leader. You will need at least 1 blank page per country in your passport, which must be valid for at least 6 to 9 months after your trip finishes (for more information check the FCO advice for each country under "entry requirements"). If you have dual nationality you can only use one passport for the entire trip.  It is your responsibility to ensure you have all the relevant Visas you require.

Visas: Any visas obtained en-route need to be paid for in US$ Dollars cash - please check with the relevant Embassy before travel.IMPORTANT: If your trip includes Syria or Libya, please note if there are any stamps in your passport linking you with an entry or visit to Israel (this could include border / immigration stamps from other countries bordering Israel indicating travel there), you will need to replace your passport before the trip. This is to avoid being denied entry to Syria.

Egypt - A single entry Egyptian visa costs US$15 or £10 for most nationalities and is obtainable on entry into Egypt, or from the Egyptian Consulate at a cost of approximately £15. On northbound trips from Cairo to Istanbul there is a departure tax of EP 50 (approx $10USD or £5) at the ferry terminal when we cross to Jordan.