Syria does not get the greatest press in the West. That is a pity because Syrians are a charming people who readily accept foreigners in their midst. You can walk through the souks without anyone taking much notice of you. The country is steeped in history and there does appear to be a considerable degree of religious tolerance. Syria will confound your expectations in other ways too – the intense green of those parts of the desert that are irrigated; the liberal and cosmopolitan atmosphere in Damascus and Aleppo; the coldness of a night in the desert under a starlit sky and the warmth of a Bedouin welcome. In every way, a delightful experience.