Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists?

Middle East » Iraq » North
June 2nd 2007

Published: August 6th 2007

Erbil - Dohuk - Suleimaniah - Erbil Eight o'clock in the morning, I've just stepped out of the shower. There is a massive blast outside & our rustic hotel room starts to shake. I climb onto my bed & from the small window high up on the wall I can see a huge plume of black smoke starting to fill the sky. Just a few miles away from us a suicide truck bomb has exploded outside a government office... Read Full Entry

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Comment Follow (16) Message

Tim Cox

Mingalaba

Kia Ora & welcome to our blog; It may look like we've given up on the travels, but there will be more.... one day. Left the UK in the mid 1990's with plans for a year or so of exploring. Finally made it home again eleven years later, only to set off again soon after. Got lost along the way with a couple of years travelling in Asia, a year living, working & travelling to all corners of Australia & the rest travelling & later living & getting married in New Zealand. Highlights in no particular order include; Syria (x2) , Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Nicaragua, China (x2), Burma (x3), Viet... full info

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Dohuk

near Erbil

near Erbil

Names, dates & some comments. Amna Suraka; Sulymania

Amna Suraka

Newspaper with some translations; Sulymania

Made in Iraq

Apparently there's no longer any beer made in Iraq, although there used to be. This Arak is just about the only alchohol I found; Sulymania

Flag

It's even on the side of mountains; Dohuk

Green

Heading off into the countryside, outside Dohuk

Shopping

Sulymania

Scarves

Traditional styles; Sulymania

Pickled

They like things pickled; Sulymania

Sulymania

Sulymania

Sulymania

Amna Suraka; Sulymania

Belts

Hidden way on the baggy trousers; Dohuk

2nd June 2007

Serdar
non-member comment

Where is Kurd?
I live in East of Turkey and im Turkish and there aren't any kurdish in my motherland. This mas is wrong and imaginary. Kurdish pepole can see your government only in dream..... :

2nd June 2007

Franco
Franklin H

Thank-you for such a rare and precious opportunity to learn about this beautiful area. Seems like a great place to visit, once the Iraqi situation is stabilized.

3rd June 2007

deleted_32415
deleted_32415

So Jealous
this is the exact trip that i set out on a few years ago but i had a very different experience and ended up in jail in Arbil. It is so noce to read about sulemania and erbil. Thank you http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Iraq/Middle-of-Nowhere/blog-129924.html

22nd June 2007

chris and jill
non-member comment

thanks for the postcarad
It was a lovely surprise to get the postcard from you and we a re just sitting here stunned by your amazing blog. Will have to sit down and have good look.

4th September 2007

Nicola
non-member comment

wonderful pics and report
Thank you for sharing this wonderful report and these great pictures with the world :) I appreciated it and hope to visit these places too very soon. Happy travels Luv Nicola

7th September 2007

blake
non-member comment

awesome!
how did you get into iraq???? i've been searching for ways to visit. i was in the mid east last year but never made it to kurdistan. i'm from the US so i'm guessing it would be really hard to get a tourist visa there... did you use an agency? how! do you have a virtualtourist.com account as well?

8th September 2007

Mingalaba
Tim Cox

Iraq
Blake - getting into the Kurdish region of Iraq is surprisingly easy. You can cross from near the Turkish town of Silopi & you don't even need a visa. Many Kurdish people like George W Bush, so you may be surprised to find you are quite welcome. Crossing into Arab controlled Iraq is not so easy (or safe). Although there are plenty of taxi drivers who would gladly take you to Baghdad you are supposed to have a visa & you will most likely not live to tell the tale. Most people suggested that as westerners we would be beheaded......

14th September 2007

Ahmet Karahan
non-member comment

KURDISTAN
KURDISTAN IS MY COUNTRY MY Heart ananizi sikim turkler Kürd irki Sagolsun

27th November 2007

Zana
non-member comment

How to go to Iraqi Kurdistan
easy Austrian Airlines have twice flight aweek Vienna-Erbil, and other flights from Stockholm, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Munchen, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, istanbul, Beirut, Amman, Cairo, Dubai with some othr Airlines including Kurdistan Air Lines

7th December 2007

C.M.
non-member comment

Thanks!
Hi, I live in Iraqi-Kurdistan and I am glad that you are playing the part to open other people's eyes. It has some truly beautiful places. But it still has a long way to go and many of the people have very little hope for the future.

4th January 2008

emma
non-member comment

Fantastic
Hi Just to let you know i found your information very useful. I am planning on travelling to kurdistan in the next year. Do you know of any websites or books i could get to get further information, also do you think it is ok to fly straight to kurdistan or would you not recommend it?

20th February 2008

Jordan
non-member comment

emma
I went there during the summer with my American passport. You can get your visa once you arrive in Kurdistan. Going through Turkey or flying there directly does not make a difference safety wise. Although, if you go through Turkey then you'll get to see northern Kurdistan as well, and that is what I did. God Bless.

2nd March 2008

kardox
non-member comment

Kurdistan
I leaved in eastern turkey and they are all kurds but the imported milltary to supress the kurdish nation. This map is very correct and even smaller than it should be. Kurds lived in kurdistan long before turkish mongols invaded our land.

2nd March 2008

kardox
non-member comment

travel to kurdistan
You can have all the info u need from the following site; www.krg.com , alternativlly u can visit http://www.atroshair.com/ thank you

9th March 2008

sarbastI
non-member comment

I was born as Kurdish, am alive Kurdish and I'll die as kurdish. I'll wake-up as Kurdish again. Long live KURDISTAN

6th April 2008

miriam
non-member comment

Via Istanbul
I travelled alone to Kurdistan Iraq in February this year,f from London via istanbul. I didnt give it a thought but when I showed my British passport at the airport in Istanbul to go for the connecting flight I was questioned about why I was going to Sulaimani, and told that there was awar there.I took it all in good part, but the parting shot was "Next time you want to go for a holiday, go to Darfur". On the way back, a fortnight later, flights were delayed due to terrible weather and the Turks would not honour my ticket back to the UK although I called them in advance of the return flight (which I missed due to fog).After a night spent at the airport I had to buy a new ticketto london. Afterreading the paper at the airport waiting for the fog to clear, I was questioned and searched by security at Istanbul who selected me and two Kurdish men out for a search. I didnt know the men, and the reason for the search was because we had travelled from Sulaimani. However, there were other people at the airport who had also been on the delayed plane from Sulaimani who were waiting for a connection at Istanbul but security showed no interest in them. Just thought I would share this in case its not a isolated experience and people can be aware. Kurdistan was beautiful, the people friendly and very helpful.

24th June 2008

Patrick
non-member comment

Kurdistan!
Thankyou for your blog here. I also visited Kurdistan and south Iraq this year and your comments and honest opinions were immensely helpful. Great photos! These days it's difficult to find unbiased information on this beautifu country.

12th October 2008

Ashok
non-member comment

Kurdistan.
I have had the pleasure to get to know many people in the UK based Iraqi Kurdish community. They are a wonderful people who deserve a homeland! I pray for ALL kurds in Iraq, Iran,Syria and beyond,but especially the 12million in Turkey. Those I know have a wonderful sense of humour, put great importance on the family and just can not stop dancing and singing!I urge people to find out about this forgotten people and support their struggle for true international recognition AT LAST!!! PLEASE!!!!

4th November 2008

Ronak
non-member comment

You are so lucky!
Hello! Amazing blog. I stumbled upon this while doing research on Kurdish music for a term paper. You've written this really well, thanks for showing this other side of Iraq. Cheers

15th May 2009

rojvan
non-member comment

thank you
I ma kurdish guy from kurdistan of Iraq,I want to thank you to show other nation our culture ,to show every body that we want peace and we want live freely in or homeland,,,but unfortunately turkish people dont want to accept the reality of kurd and kurdistan even they deny 20 milions kurd in kurdistan of turkey. any way every body welcome to my homeland kurdistan of iraq. Rojvan from Erbil

11th July 2009

Hittler kill turksh dogs
non-member comment

turksh nation are Animal nation in earth
when I see donkys in street I see turksh in street and leder of this donkys who name is attaturk say im big donkys in earth like my people.turksh are Cancer virous in this planet.

19th August 2009

Omar
non-member comment

No such a thing as kurdistan
I must say this! THERE IS NO SUCH A THING AS KURDISTAN. There never was and there will never be. The countries in which Kurds live are Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iraq. Period!

25th August 2009

Ibo
non-member comment

Nice to see you made it home; long...long...journey. Very nice!! I hope you enjoyed spectecular Kurdistan (North Kurdistan occupied by Turkey pop. 30 Million, South Kurdistan...where you were..no longer occupied by Iraq pop. 7.5 milion, Eastern Kurdistan occupied by Iran pop. 13 million, Western Kurdistan occupied by Syria 2 million). If you ever in South Kurdistan (KRG), Duhok area....come by Gerdun Recreation and Fitness Center for some fun (good food, swimming, suana, steam room, jacuzzi, billiard tables, foosbal, air hockey, darts....

25th August 2009

Ibo
non-member comment

Some websites to visit if planning a trip to South Kurdistan (KRG, Iraq): www.krg.org, www.kurdistanica.org, http://www.peyamner.com/default.aspx?l=4. The Kurds are very hospitable and welcoming to strangers and foreigners. They are extemely friendly to Americans and Westerners in general. The provinces of Duhok, Erbil and Suleimaniya are very safe and calm; it is as if it is not a part of Iraq the way it has bypassed all of the turbulence and violence. It is has its own president, prime minister, military and security forces. For Western visitors a VISA is not required. Do a lot of research before heading down there. It would be helpful to find a Kurd from the area to get more information from.

16th January 2010

Leila
non-member comment

Are you stupid.?
Ehm... you say Kurds are terrorist ? Do you know that kurds one of the best publics are ? I don't think that you know that. BE CAREFUL I SAY ONLY BE CAREFUL.

21st February 2010

Parvin Farokhzad
non-member comment

visit Erbil from 18 Mar.to 28Mar.2010
Dear Sir, Thank you for your advertisment , we as a family(6 persons) are considered to visit your country during our new holidays for 2 purposes : 1- just visit and enjoying with our family 2- to find the opportinity for investing in Erbil if there is the relevant capacities. I request you if possible to book&rent us a small house 2 beds , WC, TV, Bath & dinning room, kitchen in the central city of Erbil. We are coming from IRAN/ Tamarchin land border. I would be appreciated if you inform me not later than 23 Feb.2010 that I will be able to make my Tour plan.

25th February 2010

Mingalaba
Tim Cox

RE visit Erbil from 18 Mar.to 28Mar.2010
Slightly confused by this; I couldn't haven't booked anything anyway as Parvin didn't provide contact details.

25th February 2010

Mingalaba
Tim Cox

RE Are you stupid.?
Um, I don't recall saying anyone is a terrorist (although I did say that we were witness to a suicide bomb). Someone else commented on my blog that Kurds are terrorists, not me. I have had a lot of pro/anti Kurd/Turkish comments on here, a number of which are far too hateful or too vulgar to publish...

20th March 2010

Shannon
non-member comment

A fantastic journey
Hi guys, I just wanted to say this is the second time I've read through your complete blog entry now... the first was actually a couple of years ago. Still relevant and inspiring for travellers everywhere in the world to come to Kurdistan. Best wishes! Cheers, Shannon. www.kurdistan-adventures.com

4th April 2010

Samira
non-member comment

Thank you!
Hiya, thanks a lot for the beautiful blog, I come from Iraqi-Kurdistan myself and its honestly a great pleasure to read about my own ''country'' in such a way! x

11th December 2010

yanti
non-member comment

how can i get visa to go to kurdistan from indonesia?
hello there, i'm yanti from indonesia.i have planning that marry with kurdish man but he still in his country and will come to my country soon.I and him will marry in indonesia which is my country.After that I will move and live in kurdistan.but I don't know how to get visa so I can live in there.I searched in internet but still I don't have the right answer.It says that he must make me visa in kurdistan first then he sends it to iraqi embassy here in jakarta.is that as complicated as what they say to live in kurdistan for indonesian like me?? I read some comments in this blog and it says that i can make visa when i arrive in kurdistan.please tell me exactly what should I do ?? I'm waiting for your answer in my yahoo email,, thanks for your attention,

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