toivotuo from Kauniainen, Finland

An excellent little boutique hotel. Each room is themed after a philosopher or a philosophical tradition. Not exactly cheap, but good service. Breakfast not exceptional value. Lobby bar is charming and has free wifi. Inside the rooms the wifi is flaky.

A must in Damascus is a visit up to the Qassiyuun mountain (jabal). The mountain of course is visible at any time from more or less anywhere in the city. However, look at the mountain once night has descended and you'll see a horizontal string of lights a bit aove where the houses creeping up the side of the mountain cease. Along those lights is a street lined with cafes and restaurants. I would suggest taking a taxi up to the mountain an hour or so before it gets dark. First marvel at the city from above and make sure you have your camera with you. Then sit down at one of the cafes or one of the nicer restaurants close to the end of the road. Makes for a wonderful evening especially in the summery months and weekends when a lot of people are up there strolling about. You can easily grab a taxi down once you've done dining. If you are pressed for time, then just take a taxi up, ask the driver to wait and then head back into town. Makes sense to negotiate the price beforehand. And by the way: prophet Muhammad is said to have visited the Qassiyuun mountain and upon looking down at (the then extremely verdant and beautiful) Damascus, he is said to have remarked: "I'll only go to paradise once." Thus he is said to have skipped the delights of Damascus.

Visit the mosque on a Friday afternoon to see lots of Damascene families whiling the day away - sort of on a picnic. Remember to wear socks without too much holes to avoid pulling a Wolfowitz. An extra pair of socks can also be handy as the outside areas of the mosque are not always super clean.

A must visit in Damascus.