Luxury Travel to Syria
| Syria Luxury Travel and Tours
"Increasingly, the
high-end market is looking for more
value-added features during their travel,"
says Hajar Ali, a partner of Urbane Nomads,
a high-luxury bespoke travel management
company that handles destination planning
from Thailand to South Africa. "It's no
longer about staying at the best hotels or
flying first class but about a memorable,
spectacular once-in-a-lifetime experience,
except that for these people the spectacular
becomes ordinary.
Ali would know. Her company specializes
in catering for more eclectic itineraries
and accommodation options. "I crafted an
itinerary for a traveler to Syria that
combined stays in the top suites of the best
(and most atmospheric) boutique hotels in
the region with a practicing monastery in
the Syrian hills. I also arranged for a
guide in Palmyra (famous for the legend of
Queen Zenobia), who was conversant in
Aramaic, the ancient language spoken by
Jesus Christ."~
Jessie Kok,,
Amica Singapore
With the opening of Villa Moda-
a chic, luxury boutique in the souq set within a converted
17th century old stable, and the opening up of
several new luxury boutique hotels( read: respectful
restoration of vernacular buildings rather than new,
design hotels), Damascus is set to to be the new
style and cultural capital of the Middle East.
Luxury travel in Syria facilitates the most chic boutique
hotel-conversions (possibly in the region), a knowledge of the
best places around town as well as an ability to
connect you with the best guides. Whilst Syria,
frequently cited as an axis in the 'junior varsity
of evil' during Bush's era might not strike most as
a typical luxury destination, probably lacking in
the necessary infrastructure for the luxury traveler, we at Urbane Nomads are of the opinion
that Syria presents many opportunities for the
adventurous luxury traveler. Quite shut off from the
rest of the world (for reasons less romantic than,
say, Bhutan's 'Hidden Kingdom' analogy admittedly),
Syria has retained much of the charm of its history
and culture, with an amazingly sophisticated take on
its boutique luxury hotels.
Aleppo, en route via the Taurus Express (the setting
of Agatha Christie's Murder on The Orient Express)from Istanbul used to be a glamorously exotic
stopover. Walking the halls of the Hotel Baron in
Aleppo provides one with an intimation of this
period. The suites here are named after its
glamorous habitues- Agatha Christie, Lawrence of
Arabia or Kemal Ataturk (who mounted machine guns on
its roof terrace during the World War).
A trip through Syria with Urbane Nomads takes you
through Palmyra, the Syrian end of the Silk Route
and the setting of Queen Zenobia's ambitions,
revisiting Aleppo's culture and history and
possibly, an idea of why all roads lead to Damascus.
Urbane Nomads believes that luxury travel is more
than just about the most luxurious hotels in Syria and we
sometimes take a risk by combining stays in the most
luxurious suites in these hotels with an ascetic
stay in a practicing monastery in the Syrian hills.
As an intimation of our our insider
knowledge and on-the-ground connections,
Urbane Nomads is able to arrange for a
private concert in a 14th century palace for
travellers keen on local cultures and music,
as part of a luxury private tour of Syria.
Private tours to Syria are accompanied by a
dedicated driver, along with activities
tailored to your personal interests.
Photo series: 1st&3rd photo- Beit Al
Mamlouka, 2nd photo Villa Moda, 4th photo:
Azlan Hashim
An itinerary through
Syria visiting its
cultural highlights,
with an accommodation
variety that combines
the country's most chic
boutique hotels with a
stay in an ascetic
practicing monastery.
A comprehensive
itinerary of Syria- from
favourites like Palmyra
and Krak des Chevaliers
to frequently overlooked
sites like Ugarit,
ecumenical temples on
the fringes of the
Anti-Lebanon mountain
range and the ancient,
pre-Christian temples in
Ma'aloula.
