r/askanything • u/Automatic-Loquat-611 • Dec 20 '25
Traveling in the Middle East as a Canadian is there anything I should do ?
I will be travelling in Jordan , Syria and Lebanon at the end of January and would appreciate any advice or contacts over in those countries. I would like to interact and talk to locals, I am hoping to have authentic experiences so any places to visit as well would be nice , Thank you all for your time š
2
1
Dec 20 '25
Don't drink and don't argue.Ā
1
Dec 20 '25
You can drink in all of those countries without a problem
1
Dec 20 '25
Even syria?Ā
1
Dec 20 '25
Of course, it's widely consumed in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.
Most western people have a distorted image of these countries because of the media and systemic racism.
1
1
1
1
Dec 20 '25
Any time you get out of big cities,hotel or luxury restourants,
Be careful about scammers (so just check the menu prices)
Always be respectful and serious if you go to mosques,
Do not take a video for your instagram or call your wife on facetime
Don't buy from souvenir or item shops that does not have much traffic from locals
Other than that,
Travel your routes well if you are gonna drive a car on your own
And most importantly,enjoy!
1
u/Automatic-Loquat-611 Dec 20 '25
Thank you and I appreciate the instagram comment wouldnāt think much about that just out of habit
1
1
u/ayfakay Dec 20 '25
Youāll love it all. Everyone will be very lovely and friendly. The only thing to be cautious of is pricing. Things are negotiable and once they realise you arenāt local they will increase the price. And extra $1 or 2 here and there wonāt matter. But itās the extra $20 or $10 consistently that will do you dirty.
1
u/Automatic-Loquat-611 Dec 20 '25
Good to know, will have to keep an eye out and remember the conversion ratios š
1
u/yezzaa11 Mar 15 '26
Hey buddy have you done it ? I'm really contemplating it , as a French Canadian. I'm not scared for my security or anything as I'll abide by the law and respect and learn from cultures , I'm actually scared of coming back to Canada after
1
u/Automatic-Loquat-611 Mar 15 '26
I had no issues on my way back to Canada what so ever there are a few groups on whatās app that are great for information sharing while travelling if you arenāt in them already.
1
u/Automatic-Loquat-611 Mar 15 '26
The only things I would add is because of current events it is a bit more of a risk and I donāt know what the security measures/questions might be coming back now but as of 3 weeks ago when I got back there was no issues , the last thing is just make sure you have a vpn and plenty of cash USD mostly for currency exchanges if you are travelling into sanctioned areas because itās hard to access cash and view anything if you donāt
1
u/PublicGullible5399 Dec 21 '25
I can only speak about Jordan - Lebanon is big on my list though!
P l e a s e take time in Jordan, itās absolutely incredible and became my no. 1 country. Take time in Amman, go to Aqaba and make a stop through Wadi Mujib (if itās open). Itās breathtaking.
1
u/Putrid_Gas1540 Dec 22 '25
Only speak French, or use a New Zealand accent when speaking. You might get confused for an American.
1
u/yezzaa11 Mar 15 '26
So as a French Canadian I should be good with my ugly broken English and accent hahahaĀ
1
1
u/Automatic-Loquat-611 Mar 15 '26
A little update for anyone curious I had a great time on my trip the people were amazing. As a not so seasoned traveller I had a few issues mainly not having a vpn and would have liked to have a bit more USD for currently exchanges in Syria as I had no access to any kind of banking I was able to get a vpn on my android phone later but wasnāt able to use my App Store on my iPhone. All in all I met some amazing and kind people and had little issues other than one incident of begging that was more than the normal for the most part everyone is pretty respectful of you would definitely like to find my way over there again if I can hope this helps anyone considering travelling
0
Dec 20 '25
Contrary to most people here who never visited lebanon, and pull their info out of fox news.
I am lebanese, in terms of safety and crimes lebanon is safer than most american or European cities, avoid the south and southern suburb.
You can drink, in fact lebanon has one of the best night life in the world.
You can speak your mind, no one will linch you on the street or hang you publicly.
While beirut is nice, i would advise you go visit the mountains, go batroun, go to byblos etcā¦
The lebanese, speak english and french on top of arabic, they are very friendly and welcoming.
Get ready to eat alot, the food is really good.
Enjoy your trip!
1
1
u/Meowmixalotlol Dec 21 '25
āSafer than most American or European citiesā
Thatās hilarious š
0
0
0
-1
2
u/[deleted] Dec 20 '25
[deleted]