Places of Interest in Palmyra
Palmyra
Although popular due to the impressive ruins nearby, there's not much other than these to Palmyra. Tourism seems to have ruined this town, and legendary hospitality and friendliness of the Syrians is largely absent.
Accommodation is relatively expensive and cheap eating harder to find, so backpackers may wish to hit the ruins quickly then strike out further east to cheaper and more appealing spots like Deir ez-Zur. If you're tempted to go out for a nice meal, hold out until you get back to Damascus - a distinctly average meal in Palmyra will feed you well in some of the flashest spots in the old city of Damascus.
Places of Interest
Bus Stations (Palmyra)
elyobo — Wed, 29/04/2009 - 6:33am
Location:PalmyraNo single bus station in Palmyra, instead a spread of stations along this section of road. Drop in on all of them to find the most convenient time and price; it being Palmyra, they'll try to overcharge you, so feel free to bargain the prices down - no more than 175 to Damascus, but I suspect it should be less.
Chocolate Store
elyobo — Wed, 29/04/2009 - 6:34am
Location:PalmyraGood chocolate priced by the kilo (but you can buy much less). The friendly owner will let you wander along behind the counter to fill up your bag, and speaks a little English to help explain what's inside the chocolates. Most chocolate is either 250 or 350 SYP/kg - which works out to a lot of chocolate for very little money if you're just picking up 100g or so.
Falafel Shop
elyobo — Wed, 29/04/2009 - 6:34am
Location:PalmyraOne of the few places to eat cheaply in Palmyra, you can grab a falafel sandwich here for 15 SYP, 20 SYP if you get them to add some extra hummus at the start.
Shawarma Store
elyobo — Wed, 29/04/2009 - 6:40am
Location:PalmyraAnother of the cheap spots in Palmyra, 35 SYP for a small shawarma, 50 SYP for a large one. Chips are a little steep at 50 SYP for a plate, but still worth it.
Town Square
elyobo — Wed, 29/04/2009 - 6:51am
Location:PalmyraThere are a couple of reasonably cheap eat spots on the town square, as well as a couple of places to smoke some sheesha. As is usual in Palmyra, they'll want ot charge you crazy prices, so be clear on what the prices are before you pay and refuse the food offered if it doesn't seem like you're getting what you asked for.
Zenobia Cafe
elyobo — Wed, 29/04/2009 - 6:51am
Location:PalmyraClarify prices beforehand if you can, but they'll give you friendly service and a relatively good deal (for Palmyra) here. Sheesha at 50, coffee at 25, hummus + bread at 25.