A long story told short: Kurdistan is not the best of places when it comes to restaurants. You will not be spoilt for choice.
But please read this carefully: I am making a differentiation between restaurants, snack bars and fast food.
You will have trouble as of 2010 to find a decent restaurant serving local food. Even big cities such as Dohuk have far less than 10 restaurants according to a western definition. Fast food, snack bars and coffee shops are the way to go if you don't have friends where you can have a good Kurdish style dinner. Quite sad I have to say. But if you travel within Kurdistan for a week or so, you will sooner or later be craving for good and solid food - after all, 'Kentucky' isn't the best of things in the long run, and the fat salads served at the fast foods aren't the most healthy either.
Again, it is a totally different thing if you are staying with a family. People simply don't go out to have 'proper' food in Kurdistan.
What you can rely on are the expensive hotels where you will get a variety of local, Arab and western cuisine. However, it comes at a price.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Mobile networks in Kurdistan, Iraq
The number of inbound tourists in Iraqi Kurdistan is rising sharply. Word of mouth and Lonely Planet have spread the news that it is a safe area to travel to. Now, you may wonder about your connection to the world from there.
First of all, forget about landlines. The only public telephones you will ever see are in Slemani (Sulaymaniya), working with prepaid chip cards. Apart from that, not even many hotel rooms will have a landline. Kurdistan is a mobile communication area. Even many landlines for individuals and businesses are not real landlines, but they are wireless circuit connections to the local landline switch (this product is called 'Nobile' by reber Telecom in Dohuk for example).
There are two main networks in the autonomous area, Korek dominating the northern parts with Dohuk and Erbil as their focal area, and Asiacell in the southern parts with home base in Slemani. That said, their geographic reach is being extended constantly, specifically since Asiacell (a subsidiary of the QTel group from Qatar by the way) received a nationwide license in 2007, allowing them to cover all of Iraq. Asiacell was the first mobile operator to receive such a license. Korek now has a similar license and is also expanding services to all parts of Iraq. In mid-2010, Zain (formerly known as Iraqna) was allocated such a license as well and it is expected that they will expand their services into the Kurdish area within 6 months.
Update summer 2011: Zain now also has an active network covering parts of the KRG area.
Update summer 2011: Zain now also has an active network covering parts of the KRG area.
Do not expect coverage outside cities and densely populated areas. My estimation as of end of 2010 is that the cities are very well covered, so are most parts of the roads between Zakho-Dohuk-Erbil, Erbil-Shaqlawa, Erbil-Slemani. Other areas are often only covered selectively.
Korek and Asiacell are offering a wide range of services to their customers, including voice (national and international calls), SMS and data. Voice quality for national and international calls is pretty good as to my experience, SMS are reliably delivered, and WAP access to the internet is possible at reasonable rates. Customer service is available by phone in Kurdish, Arabic and English, however the opening hours are less than 24/7.
Korek offers roaming services only to postpaid customers, it is a very costly service and limited to about ten countries. Asiacell has introduced prepaid roaming in November 2010, through callback USSD options (something like: 'dial *97*target number# then press send').
For inbound roamers, i.e. travellers with foreign SIM cards, availability depends on agreements between your home operator and the local partners. The networks are all working on GSM 900 standard like in Europe and Australia.
Foreigners can buy SIM cards easily, however you should by all means bring your own passport copy with you. Otherwise shops will charge you a fortune to get a copy from somewhere (however, usually they simply decline) or they will offer you to give you a SIM card registered under a different name. Which, let me point this out, I guess is not in line with regulations. Just imagine if you have a problem and go to one of the providers' branded shops... they will most likely not be able to help you and might even block your SIM card. This is what is happening in other Middle Eastern countries by the way.
For internet connection you will have a wide choice of cybercafés in every larger town, and of course in the cities as well. Highspeed services are available, and wireless LAN can be found virtually everywhere. However, you will not gain access without proper user credentials. Nothing is for free normally, just some hotels are offering free internet to their guests, so does Costa Rica Coffee in Erbil.
Dohuk
Among the three major cities in Iraqi Kurdistan, Dohuk is the smallest one. But size does not necessarily matter. Dohuk (also written Duhok, or دهوك in Arabic letters) is a city which has a lot of similarity with Slemani due to its geographical position. It is surrounded by mountains which overlook the place. Unfortunately the mountain tops have all been closed during 2009 and 2010, reportedly after too many people committed suicide there. You can only wonder why people would do so, given the natural beauty of the Dohuk basin you can admire from up there.
Dohuk is nearly hitting the 150,000 inhabitants marker and is working hard to establish a state-of-the-art infrastructure. It is very popular among all Iraqi as a holiday destination, there are hotels for almost any budget and some nice tourist attractions. In 2010, the city hosted up to 38,000 guests simultaneously, most of them from the rest of Iraq.
Main attractions are:
- Dohuk dam - an impressive water reservoir north of the city. You may walk from the city centre along a nicely arranged promenade until you reach there. Once you are getting closer to the dam, restaurants and coffeeshops will pop up. The dam's wall is squeezed in between two hills. You can access the top of it without restrictions, and can enjoy the view in both directions: towards the water and the mountains, or back to the city of Dohuk.
- Mazi - this is a big mall, a good hotel, a water park and an amusement park alike. It is considered to be top of the tops as a tourist spot in Dohuk with thousands of people floating in during weekends and holidays. Buses from Nenava province (Mosul) are numerous and Baghdad number plates outnumber locals on certain days. This is a place where you can relax and unwind, where the everyday sorrows and concerns are washed away, and where you are living in a feeling of complete safety.
Unfortunately, Dohuk does not have many restaurants. This is completely in line with the other cities in Iraqi Kurdistan. Everybody will have fast food of international or local type ('Kentucky' almost being considered as local) but restaurants in a western sense hardly exist. Coffeeshops tend to serve various kinds of bites, however the sweet things are really sweet indeed. If you want to check out a few places you might want to try
- Venicia Café - located near Kurdistan roundabout, 1km west of the city centre. Kurdish is spoken there, Arabic will be a bit more difficult and only the cashier tends to speak English.
- Mankhal Restaurant - close to the city centre and very well known. Only Kurdish and Arabic is spoken there.
- the unnamed 'Manaqeesh' place on the street between the bridge near the main exchange centre and Mankhal restaurant. It is on the left side of the street uphill. Excellent manaqeesh there (for those unfamiliar with this type of food, it is like a very thin pizza or tortilla with various ingredients on it such as meat, cheese and eggs). Only Kurdish and Arabic is spoken there.
- a bit out of the city, on the road to Amedi/Amediye - the first restaurant on the right side after leaving the city. Once you leave Dohuk you will go through a huge gate. This is shortly after the place where the road to Erbil turns off to the right. Once you are behind the gate, continue for another 1km and you will see the restaurant shortly behind a petrol station. in the wilderness. Can't miss it. The upside is quite nice food, yet the downside is that you may encounter language problems.
Some general restaurant/coffeeshop rules for Kurdistan: very often there is no published menu, and if so it may be in Kurdish or Arabic only. Do not expect menus to mention prices. In smaller restaurants or coffeeshops you may be asked to come to the kitchen and have a look at what they can offer you. Do not ask for the cheque, go to the cashier directly. They are always located next to the exit. Tipping in restaurants is not customary in Kurdistan.
Dohuk can be considered a very safe city where stability prevails. It is well connected through shared taxis, with a travel time of 45 minutes to Zakho and Ibrahim Khalil border crossing (into Turkey) as well as 2h15 to the region's capital Erbil and 1h15 to the tourist hotspot of Amedy/Amediye. To Mossul you would have to count less than one hour, yet it would be a risky venture and tourists will not be able to pass the Kurdish checkpoints given that Iraq proper would require them to have a visa.
Dohuk is nearly hitting the 150,000 inhabitants marker and is working hard to establish a state-of-the-art infrastructure. It is very popular among all Iraqi as a holiday destination, there are hotels for almost any budget and some nice tourist attractions. In 2010, the city hosted up to 38,000 guests simultaneously, most of them from the rest of Iraq.
Main attractions are:
- Dohuk dam - an impressive water reservoir north of the city. You may walk from the city centre along a nicely arranged promenade until you reach there. Once you are getting closer to the dam, restaurants and coffeeshops will pop up. The dam's wall is squeezed in between two hills. You can access the top of it without restrictions, and can enjoy the view in both directions: towards the water and the mountains, or back to the city of Dohuk.
- Mazi - this is a big mall, a good hotel, a water park and an amusement park alike. It is considered to be top of the tops as a tourist spot in Dohuk with thousands of people floating in during weekends and holidays. Buses from Nenava province (Mosul) are numerous and Baghdad number plates outnumber locals on certain days. This is a place where you can relax and unwind, where the everyday sorrows and concerns are washed away, and where you are living in a feeling of complete safety.
Unfortunately, Dohuk does not have many restaurants. This is completely in line with the other cities in Iraqi Kurdistan. Everybody will have fast food of international or local type ('Kentucky' almost being considered as local) but restaurants in a western sense hardly exist. Coffeeshops tend to serve various kinds of bites, however the sweet things are really sweet indeed. If you want to check out a few places you might want to try
- Venicia Café - located near Kurdistan roundabout, 1km west of the city centre. Kurdish is spoken there, Arabic will be a bit more difficult and only the cashier tends to speak English.
- Mankhal Restaurant - close to the city centre and very well known. Only Kurdish and Arabic is spoken there.
- the unnamed 'Manaqeesh' place on the street between the bridge near the main exchange centre and Mankhal restaurant. It is on the left side of the street uphill. Excellent manaqeesh there (for those unfamiliar with this type of food, it is like a very thin pizza or tortilla with various ingredients on it such as meat, cheese and eggs). Only Kurdish and Arabic is spoken there.
- a bit out of the city, on the road to Amedi/Amediye - the first restaurant on the right side after leaving the city. Once you leave Dohuk you will go through a huge gate. This is shortly after the place where the road to Erbil turns off to the right. Once you are behind the gate, continue for another 1km and you will see the restaurant shortly behind a petrol station. in the wilderness. Can't miss it. The upside is quite nice food, yet the downside is that you may encounter language problems.
Some general restaurant/coffeeshop rules for Kurdistan: very often there is no published menu, and if so it may be in Kurdish or Arabic only. Do not expect menus to mention prices. In smaller restaurants or coffeeshops you may be asked to come to the kitchen and have a look at what they can offer you. Do not ask for the cheque, go to the cashier directly. They are always located next to the exit. Tipping in restaurants is not customary in Kurdistan.
Dohuk can be considered a very safe city where stability prevails. It is well connected through shared taxis, with a travel time of 45 minutes to Zakho and Ibrahim Khalil border crossing (into Turkey) as well as 2h15 to the region's capital Erbil and 1h15 to the tourist hotspot of Amedy/Amediye. To Mossul you would have to count less than one hour, yet it would be a risky venture and tourists will not be able to pass the Kurdish checkpoints given that Iraq proper would require them to have a visa.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Slemani
The second largest town within the Kurdish autonomous area in northern Iraq is Slemani, or Sulaymaniya. It is a city of a bit less than 700,000 inhabitants, yet the estimations have to be cemented in a census which is to take place towards the end of 2010 according to latest sources.
Slemani is surprisingly green for a Kurdish city and in many aspects reminds of the smaller northern city of Dohuk. Its position in a huge, oval shaped valley with mountains around it make it a very nice place to see from above. You can drive up on several mountains, yet the best views can be caught from the northern mountain ranges. From up there you will also see snow capped mountains in the distance, some of which are already in Iran.
Kurdish history is full of drama, and it is undisputed that under Saddam Hussein's oppressive regime, thousands of Kurdish villages were eradicated, chemical and biological weapons were used by the Iraqi army against the own population, and torture was widespread. Going to the 'Red Security' building, or 'amna soora' will give you an insight into this darkest chapter of Kurdish history. Another important sight is the local museum where local and regional artefacts can be seen.
Slemani is a colourful city where many of the houses are painted in vivid colours. If you go to Sarchinar Hill for example you will see thousands of houses in all colours under the rainbow. Definitely a nice sight.
The city is growing at a very fast pace, new highways and ringroads are being built, and new commercial districts and government buildings are literally popping up like mushrooms. The city has a relatively European vibe and is known to be the most open-minded place in the Kurdish autonomous area. Yet there is no proper party, bar and restaurant scene some international travellers would hope for. However this is only a question on time. There are already some hotels with excellent standard in town.
Slemani has an international airport with limited number of flights so far, but the number of connections is growing since 2009. Major refurbishment is going on since 2010. The airport code is ISU. Travel time by car from Erbil is approximately 3 hours. There are flights with Iraqi Airways between Slemani and Erbil, yet the company does not have a very positive record in terms of reliability.
Slemani is surprisingly green for a Kurdish city and in many aspects reminds of the smaller northern city of Dohuk. Its position in a huge, oval shaped valley with mountains around it make it a very nice place to see from above. You can drive up on several mountains, yet the best views can be caught from the northern mountain ranges. From up there you will also see snow capped mountains in the distance, some of which are already in Iran.
Kurdish history is full of drama, and it is undisputed that under Saddam Hussein's oppressive regime, thousands of Kurdish villages were eradicated, chemical and biological weapons were used by the Iraqi army against the own population, and torture was widespread. Going to the 'Red Security' building, or 'amna soora' will give you an insight into this darkest chapter of Kurdish history. Another important sight is the local museum where local and regional artefacts can be seen.
Slemani is a colourful city where many of the houses are painted in vivid colours. If you go to Sarchinar Hill for example you will see thousands of houses in all colours under the rainbow. Definitely a nice sight.
The city is growing at a very fast pace, new highways and ringroads are being built, and new commercial districts and government buildings are literally popping up like mushrooms. The city has a relatively European vibe and is known to be the most open-minded place in the Kurdish autonomous area. Yet there is no proper party, bar and restaurant scene some international travellers would hope for. However this is only a question on time. There are already some hotels with excellent standard in town.
Slemani has an international airport with limited number of flights so far, but the number of connections is growing since 2009. Major refurbishment is going on since 2010. The airport code is ISU. Travel time by car from Erbil is approximately 3 hours. There are flights with Iraqi Airways between Slemani and Erbil, yet the company does not have a very positive record in terms of reliability.
Erbil
Erbil is also known as Arbil, Hawler and اربيل. It is the capital of the Kurdish autonomous area in northern Iraq, and the largest city within the autonomous area.
Main sights from a tourist perspective are the Citadel which dominates the city. For thousands of years, generation after generation built on the debris of old houses until a hill of some 30 metres height had grown. The Citadel is largely uninhabited nowadays after most of the former inhabitants (amongst which there were many refugees from other parts of Iraq more recently) were ousted by the local government. The reason for this is quite simple: it is likely to be listed as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites and has to get through thorough renovation first. Only a handful of people is allowed to stay in order to preserve the Citadel's vocation as (one of) the oldest permanently inhabited places on earth.
Apart from the Citadel, the souks are quite nice and some of the major parks certainly are worth a visit. Shoppers will find their share of fun at Majidi Mall on the highway to Sulaymaniya.
Erbil is fairly well connected, having opened a new airport terminal building and runway. The runway can cater for A380s and is one of the three longest ones on earth as of 2010. Airlines from UAE, Bahrain, Turkey, Jordan, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Greece, Lebanon and some other countries serve Erbil airport (EBL).
From the border crossing Turkey/Kurdistan (Ibrahim Khalil) to Erbil, the average driving time is 3.5 hours by car. No proper bus services exist, the standard means of transportation is a (shared) taxi.
Main sights from a tourist perspective are the Citadel which dominates the city. For thousands of years, generation after generation built on the debris of old houses until a hill of some 30 metres height had grown. The Citadel is largely uninhabited nowadays after most of the former inhabitants (amongst which there were many refugees from other parts of Iraq more recently) were ousted by the local government. The reason for this is quite simple: it is likely to be listed as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites and has to get through thorough renovation first. Only a handful of people is allowed to stay in order to preserve the Citadel's vocation as (one of) the oldest permanently inhabited places on earth.
Apart from the Citadel, the souks are quite nice and some of the major parks certainly are worth a visit. Shoppers will find their share of fun at Majidi Mall on the highway to Sulaymaniya.
Erbil is fairly well connected, having opened a new airport terminal building and runway. The runway can cater for A380s and is one of the three longest ones on earth as of 2010. Airlines from UAE, Bahrain, Turkey, Jordan, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Greece, Lebanon and some other countries serve Erbil airport (EBL).
From the border crossing Turkey/Kurdistan (Ibrahim Khalil) to Erbil, the average driving time is 3.5 hours by car. No proper bus services exist, the standard means of transportation is a (shared) taxi.
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