• Be stunned by the bright colours of Syrian cities during the annual Silk Road Festival (usually held in September), commemorating the country's meeting of myriad nationalities and communities by harking back to when the Syrian Arab Republic was the meeting place for the Silk Road caravans from around the world. Syrian cities are usually also awash with artistic and cultural activities during this time.

• Attend a musical festival, held every two years, at Bosra’s well-preserved Roman amphitheatre (with room for 15,000 spectators). The eastern exit to the town is one of the gorgeous amphitheatre's last surviving vestiges of a pre-Roman civilisation. The remains of an archway dating from the first century, the Nabatean period, of which nearly all traces are now lost, are unique in the Syrian Arab Republic.

• Browse around one of the Syrian Arab Republic's many souks (markets). Particularly recommended is the one at Aleppo, made up of 16km (10 miles) of meandering low corridors lined with shops and bustling with activity. Damascus' Long Souk is also wonderful.

• Treat yourself to a back rub in the Syrian Arab Republic's well-preserved hammams (public baths). There are some lovely ancient khans (rest houses) to unwind in.

• Relax on the Syrian Arab Republic's Mediterranean coast. The major holiday resort of Latakia stands at the foot of the forested chain of mountains overlooking the coastal strip on one side and the edge of the Fertile Plains (the ‘Cradle of Civilisation’) on the other. There are a number of antiquities, including the ruined Temple of Bacchus and a triumphal arch. Tartus also has some lovely beaches and mountains. Near Tartus, 10km (6 miles) inland, are the Drekish Mountains, famous for the purity of their water. Most of the Mediterranean resorts offer canoeing, scuba-diving and other watersports.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.