Women Friendly

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Middle East--Special for Women

I love traveling in the Middle East and in countries that are predominantely Muslim. Some of my favorite countries include Iran, Pakistan, Morocco and Syria. I have traveled during Ramadam on seven occasions. Take a look at my three month itinerary for fall 2005 which started in Istanbul and ended in Egypt. I love traveling in the Middle East and muslim predominant countries because as a tourist or a foreginer and as a woman I am absolutely safe at all hours of the day or night.

I am safer walking the streets of Damascus at 2am than Vancouver at 2am. As a foreigner I am invited into homes and businesses. During a recent trip from Damascus to Amman (Jordan) I had a bus booked to take me to Amman. The next morning I went to the bus station to get on the bus and the border between Syria and Jordan had been closed because of the bombing in the Five Star Hotel in Amman. The next day the border opened and I took the bus. During the bus ride many people asked me my opinion about the bombings, and everyone expressed horror and sorrow at the carnage. As I crossed the border I was interviewed by a major Jordanian television station about my opinion about the bombing. A couple from Egypt befriended me on the bus.  When we stopped for a break, the Egyptian couple bought me coffee. A man from Saudi Arabia inquired about my background and gave me his cell phone number in case anything happened to me.

Some women, especially young blonde women, say they experience a great deal of unwanted attention. This is not restricted to muslim predomoniate countries. I experienced this in India which is predominantely Hindu. In West China which is mostly Muslim I recieved no exceptional attention. Of course one of the benefits of being older and receiving respect can minimize the unwanted attention from men. However, the unwanted attention is only a small portion of the population, in spite of feeling it is everyone. Most people are very respectful and even more so as I am a older woman traveling alone. If I am harassed I will shout at the person or say "harem" which means (literally translated) not respectful or not to allah's liking. Many times the older men will take the young person aside and council him on his behavior.

If you want to find out what is really going on your best resource is tourists in that country.  You can usually find them through Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree message board.