Author: Evin » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:59 pm
Hi Biddy
No worries, here goes!
I went in March-April, the main reason being for the Newroz (Kurdish New Year) celebrations but also because Spring really is a beautiful time of year to visit. Kurdistan experiences some real extreme weather as you're probably aware, very cold in Winter and very hot in Summer, Spring is just perfect!
We went via Jordan, from Heathrow to Amman then Amman to Hewler (Erbil) but that was to allow us to visit some friends in Amman and spend a few days with them - you can travel to Kurdistan direct via several European countries now (Austria, Frankfurt etc) and I'm hoping that by next year, the UK will have got things sorted and we can fly direct, fingers crossed!
Personally, I try to avoid Turkey, not because of border problems but because I choose not to spend 1p of my hard earned money on an oppressive, dictatorial state like Turkey. I would go via the moon if it meant I wasn't supporting their government - next year, we'll probably go with Austrian airlines or one of the other Europeans, although I must warn you it's not cheap, so get saving!
I don't think there are problems with the border crossings in Turkey, apart from the queues, I certainly know of several people who have taken that route and their only complaints are around the time taken - I'm sure it's safe enough though. You can always go via Syria too, they do taxi services between both Kurdistan regions, I would imagine it's a good 12 hour drive though, so not sure if you're up for that - very cheap though!
On arrival, there were absolutely no problems with obtaining visas - I've never actually needed one (being married to a Kurd) but again, I've never heard of anyone else experiencing problems and as I said earlier, they are always so very welcoming and so pleased to receive visitors.
I'm very lucky in that we stay with family when we visit, so I've no worries about sorting accommodation - my problems are with in-laws fighting over us, bless! That said, there are numerous hotels, certainly in Hewler, it's a very busy and vibrant city and more and more 'foreigners' are visiting, so I don't foresee any problems for you.
Hope that helps - and if you decide to visit in Spring, let me know - we'll meet up and you can experience of the wonderful Kurdish hospitality at my in-laws!
One of the guys here actually lives in Hewler (he goes by the name of Lost), so might be worth sending him a PM - I'm sure he'll be only too happy to help if you've any concerns. Again, I would encourage you to go for it - you'll have the best experience ever and it really is true when they talk about 'The Other Iraq', you'll be amazed at the development, it's something to see, honestly!
Cheers!