Next Tourist Hot Spot: Iraq?

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Okay, that title may be a little tongue-in-cheek, but think about it a little bit. If you told somebody that you were planning on traveling through either Vietnam, Laos, the Baltics, Northern Ireland, Brooklyn, Nicaragua or Colombia during many points during the last few decades, you probably would’ve been looked at like you had two heads. But things change and those places that remained off-limits yet so much in the public eye for so many years become oh-so enticing for seasoned travelers.

As MatadorTrips points out, if you’re itching to head to the cradle of civilization and explore Iraq, there are a few smart ways to go and ahead and do so. First off, it’s a big country, so like many other places, you can pick and choose where you want to spend your time (southern Iraq or Kurdistan for example are probably better choices than Baghdad right now).

Second, start off in Amman, Jordan (only 500 miles from Baghdad), to get a feel for what the current state of affairs are like in Iraq before you venture in.

Finally, if you really want to see the country and spend a good amount of time there, join the Army. Warning, this may be looked at by some as a little bit of a commitment as well as a slight inconvenience for anyone hoping to have a normal life in the near-future, but the upside is that you get free food and lodging.

For the full article and more tips on travel to Iraq, click through to Matador here.