Travelling in Syria with children

Syria is not an easy country to travel in with children. Healthcare is thin, summers are hot, the roads are long and checkpoints make you wait. Against that, people are extremely tolerant of children and the cities sit close together. This page separates what is easy from what is hard; the decision is yours.

What is easy

Children are welcome everywhere. In a restaurant, in the souq, on a bus, the baby in your arms is not a burden but the thing that starts the conversation. You get moved to the front of the queue, something is handed to the child, and nobody complains about noise. The distances are short too: Damascus to Homs is 160 kilometres and two hours, and most of the main cities are less than half a day apart. Prices are low, so if a day goes badly, abandoning the plan and taking a taxi back to the hotel costs little.

What is hard

Healthcare comes first. The British foreign office writes that the quality of care has deteriorated significantly, that many hospitals and clinics no longer operate, that there are shortages of even the most basic medicines, and that emergency services may not respond. Second, the heat: the average July high in Damascus approaches 38 degrees, it goes higher in the desert, and shade is scarce. Third, the roads: waiting time at a checkpoint cannot be predicted and it is spent sitting in a car. Fourth, electricity: a cut takes the air conditioning, the lift and the hot water together. Fifth, facilities: do not expect baby-changing rooms, changing tables or high chairs.

Formula, nappies and milk

Pharmacies and supermarkets sell nappies, baby food and follow-on milk, but the brand and the stock are not guaranteed; do not assume you will find what you use at home. If your baby depends on a particular formula or a special milk, bring the whole stay with you. The same goes for prescription medicines: in their box, with the prescription, and more than the length of the stay. Wet wipes and hand sanitiser earn their space, because public toilets often have neither soap nor paper.

Car seats

A child seat is not standard in a taxi or in a hired car with a driver, and a rented seat is not reliably available either. Bringing your own takes up space on the plane, but it is the only solution. When you hire a car with a driver, say in advance that you will bring the seat, and confirm the rear belts work — not every car has them. Holding a child on your lap is risky even over a short distance, and the road conditions here do not forgive it.

Health and emergencies

See your family doctor before you go. The CDC recommends hepatitis A and B, typhoid and rabies vaccination for Syria and wants routine vaccines up to date; for hepatitis A a dose is also given to infants of 6-11 months. The rabies advice has a concrete reason, as street dogs are common: tell your child in advance not to touch animals. Cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, carried by sand flies, are increasing, so dress children in long sleeves in the late afternoon and use repellent. Do not travel with a child without medical insurance that covers evacuation; many policies exclude Syria, so have the clause read to you before you buy. As soon as you reach the hotel, ask which hospital nearby is working and write down the address.

Places that work with children

The norias of Hama are the easiest stop: open air, the riverside, the sound and the spray of the turning wheels. Children occupy themselves. The souqs of Damascus and Aleppo also work well, shaded and cool, but hold hands in the crowd. Castles are a different calculation: the Aleppo Citadel and Krak des Chevaliers have a great many steps, unfenced edges and uneven ground, so even a walking child has to be held the whole time. A pushchair is no use in a castle or on the stone lanes of the old city — bring a back or front carrier.

Food and water

There is plenty a child will eat and the cooking is not hot with spice: rice, grilled chicken, hummus, lentil soup, fresh bread, yoghurt. Freshly squeezed juice is on every corner. For street food the rule is simple: cooked in front of you and served hot. Skip raw salad and unpeeled fruit when you are unsure what washed them. Water comes from a sealed bottle. Stay out of the midday heat; the local rhythm already rests in the afternoon and goes out in the evening, and that rhythm is easier with a child.