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Middle East Adventure Tours - Essential Information
Most of the information below is for passengers on our Overland Truck Trips, although some of it (climate, flights, spending money, passports etc) is also relevant to our local transport / hotel trips run in Egypt and Jordan. All the information below (and more) is also contained in the pre-departure dossiers which is dowloadable from this site and will be sent to you once you have booked on a particular trip.
Flights While we do not sell, book or arrange flights, here is some information that may be of help. For most trips in Egypt and the Middle East that we run your destination city is possibly going to be different from the city you started your trip in. In this case you will need to ask for an 'open jaw' ticket instead of a 'return' ticket, This allows you to fly into one destination and out of another. There are many travel agents both online (Opodo & E-bookers are but two) and in the high streets offering great deals on flights, so shop around and get a few quotes from various agents, some will have better deals than others and its not always the big co's that have the best deals. There is ALWAYS seats available to any destination, it just comes down to how much you are willing to pay for one! Its not always the cheapest (or the easiest) to book with airlines direct as they tend to give preferential deals to agencies. If you would like any more advice or specific contact no's etc please feel to phone or email us.
Starting and Finishing your Trip Our trips start or end in either Istanbul, Damascus, Amman or Cairo - both of which are safe and interesting cities to visit. We recommend arriving a couple of days before the start of your Middle East adventure tour, or staying a couple of days after your trip is finished in order to explore these exciting cities at a relaxed pace. We can advise you on places to stay and can also book accommodation for you.
On all our local transport tours that depart from Cairo, we organise free airport transfers and reservations at the hotel from where we depart. Your Tour Leader will reserve accommodation for you at the end of the tour, if required. Accommodation that Oasis reserves for you is a free service to our clients. You pay the hotels direct, on arrival. We have obtained group rates, and prices are from as little as £5 per night in Cairo.
Passports and Visas Most nationalities require visas for most of the countries visited on our Middle East overland tours. However for most Nationalities we can currently obtain these en-route (please check the information below) so you are not required to obtain any visas before you travel. Please ensure that you bring US Dollars to pay for your visas. You will need at least one blank page in your passport for each country you enter, which must be valid for at least 9 months. Passports or vaccination cards with an Israeli stamp, or any indication of travel to Israel, must be replaced if you are on a Oasis Nomad or Oasis Caravan trip. If you have dual nationality you can only use one passport. Turkey - Visas are issued upon arrival in Turkey. For British they cost £10. Australians are US$20. NZ are free at present. South Africans MUST obtain their visa for turkey BEFORE they travel. Syria & Jordan - All nationalities need a visa. For our Oasis Caravan trip we pre-book these and collect them on the border as a group visa so you do not require a visa before you join this tour. Syria costs US$15 and Jordan US$18 both to be paid in US$ cash only. This price includes entry and departure taxes and reduces our time at the borders considerably. For our Oasis Nomad trip the Jordan visa is still obtainable at the border, but you will need to obtain your Syrian visa before you travel, (more information regarding this can be found in our trip dossier). Egypt - The visa costs US$15 for most nationalities (excl. Sth Africa) and is obtainable on entry into Egypt. South African passport holders MUST obtain their visas before travelling. Lebanon - Visas are included in the price of the excursion and are obtained at the border.
Personal Spending Money and Local Payment At the beginning of all our Middle East overland tours, our crew will collect the Local Payment in Cash, Sterling or US Dollars. For personal spending we suggest an average of £80 to £120 per week. Personal spending habits vary hugely depending on individuals. We cannot specify every cost, however you need to allow for visas, drinks, occasional meals out, curios and local crafts, telephone calls and emails etc. Budget on optional side trips separately. Credit cards are virtually useless outside main cities so you need to bring at least a third of your spending money in Cash US Dollars and the rest in Dollar Travellers Cheques. Please note that most historical sites give 50% reductions with a valid International Student Card or Youth Card.
Climate Our Middle East overland tours cover fairly large distances and so we find that the topography affects the climate as much as seasons. As a general guide, Turkey is best visited from around April to October. 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. Syria and Jordan have hot days year round but nights are cold in the desert and more so from November to March. Egypt is hot all year round and has very high temperatures in the south at Aswan and Luxor in the summer months of June to August. Of the countries we visit, only Turkey has a high rainfall.
Average Night and Day Temperature (°C) Average Monthly Rainfall (mm)
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
TURKEY Istanbul
03-08 109
04-09 92
04-11 72
07-16 46
12-20 38
16-25 34
18-32 34
19-27 30
16-25 58
12-19 81
09-15 103
05-11 109
SYRIA Damascus
01-13 89
04-14 64
06-18 38
09-24 28
13-29 8
16-33 3
17-36 0
18-37 0
16-33 0
12-27 25
08-19 56
04-13 84
JORDAN Amman
01-11 69
07-11 74
08-15 31
09-21 15
12-28 5
18-32 0
18-33 0
18-34 0
16-30 0
12-26 5
10-21 33
06-15 46
EGYPT Cairo
08-18 5
09-21 5
11-24 5
14-28 3
17-33 3
20-35 0
21-36 0
22-35 0
20-32 0
18-30 0
14-26 3
10-20 5
Travelling Style & Group sizes in the Middle East We camp in either designated campsites, or bush-camps using two person tents. We usually cook over open fires or gas stoves in a rota system. Driving days normally start around 8am and finish around 5pm with stops for lunch and buying food, seeing local sights etc. We won't be travelling every day, although there are times when we will travel for two days in a row. We will then be stopped for three to four days relaxing somewhere. We have two expedition vehicles for our Middle East overland tours both of which can carry 24 people although the average group size is around 18.
Vaccinations There are no compulsory jabs needed although it is advisable to be immunised against Tetanus, Polio, Typhoid and Hepatitis A. Consult your doctor or a medical clinic for up to date malarial and medical advice.
Local Customs Remember that all the countries we visit on our Middle East overland tours are Muslim countries. People are usually extremely friendly and helpful, but please respect their customs and beliefs. This means that both men and women should dress modestly, especially when in small villages and towns in rural areas and women particularly should wear clothes that cover their legs and arms. However, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea beaches attitudes are more western and relaxed.
Ramadan This is the Muslim holy month during which Muslims do not eat, drink or smoke during daylight hours. Although non Muslims are not expected to fast it is courteous to respect the restrictions when in public places. During this time (which varies from year to year), many shops will be shut during daylight hours. However, in the evening market stalls and restaurants hum with noise and activity. For up-to date information of when Ramadan will fall over the next few years follow the link through to this site: www.when-is.com/ramadan.asp
WEBSITES THAT MIGHT ALSO BE OF INTEREST: FCO Travel Advice www.fco.gov.uk/travel UK Government run site with loads of good information on all aspects of travel abroad
Medical Travel Advice www.nathnac.org/travel/index.htm Useful information and advice for travellers about what vaccinations they may need and general health related issues when travelling abroad. The site is funded by the Department of Health and is based at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
World Medical Advice www.wmc-card.co.uk World Medical Center offers a Card for a nominal fee that enables you to carry any medical information such as medication, allergies and blood type and next of kin information in a credit card style format. The information is then readable by doctors anywhere in the world with a scanning device or by breaking the seal and reading the text inside. The Card is not insurance but is designed to give you safer medical treatment if you need it when abroad.
Where to find a Visa card ATM overseas www.visa.com Find an ATM machine (some locations will only issue cash in local currency)
Where to find a Mastercard ATM overseas www.mastercard.com Find an ATM machine (some locations will only issue cash in local currency)
Start browsing our Middle East overland tours today, or for further information please contact us by phone fax or email. We are always willing to chat about any of the tours. Our Pre-Departure Dossiers also have further information on each tour.
