OnTheRoad

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.