Visiting the Iraqi marshes
A Marsh Arab on the prow of a working boat.
For many, no trip to Iraq would be complete without slipping through the reed-lined waterways of the historic marshlands of southern Iraq. Sitting nestled in a traditional boat (many of which are prettily painted) and experiencing first-hand where the Marsh Arabs (also known as Ahwaris) have preserved a unique lifestyle for thousands of years is reliably magical.
A good base for such a trip is the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriyah. Although technically the marshes and Ur can be done in one an exhausting day trip from Baghdad, that makes things rushed and is something we’d struggle to recommend. Much better to overnight in Nassiriyah, begin your day with the Iraqi breakfast of champions khahi wa gaimar (puff pastry drizzled in sugar syrup served with a dollop of clotted cream) and contribute some western tourist money to the struggling economies of the beautiful south.
The marshes traditionally form a sort of rough triangle between Nassiriyah, Basra and Amarah but, at the mercy of the weather and upstream dam projects, they are rather a shape-shifting entity. The tourist entry point to the marshes is commonly the small town of Chebayish, about an hour and half’s drive from Nassiriyah. There’s no need for any sort of advance booking, as there will be boats available. Weekends (Friday and Saturday) are busiest, as this is when Iraqi tourists enjoy visiting the marshes so, if you prefer a quieter experience, we’d recommend a weekday visit.
We have always driven to the marshes with Iraqi friends but you can take a taxi from Nassiriyah and ask the driver to wait, best based on a pre-arranged day rate, so you don’t feel unduly pressured by time constraints. It’s probably better not to send the taxi off unless you have prearranged staying overnight or alternative transport back out. It’s doubtless possible to get a taxi from Chebayish (possibly even a share taxi) but we can’t attest to the quantity of vehicles available or the price you might be charged.
A local contact or even your hotel in Nassiriyah should be able to recommend a taxi driver. Otherwise, you can flag one down in the street and haggle for a day rate either to the marshes and back or to the marshes and Ur then back to Nassiriyah if you’d like to do them both in one day. We always spend a good half-day in the marshes so, if you’re planning to also visit Ur, you’re probably best setting off reasonably early. Likewise, an early start would also be advised if you’re planning to get back to Baghdad on onwards elsewhere, like Basra, that night. If you would like a driver for the full day with onward transport to another city, a driver who regularly plies these longer routes (and many hotels will know someone who does) in a civilian vehicle is likely to be preferable to a taxi hailed on the street, the driver of which may not wish to end his day far from home.
To achieve a decent street taxi haggle, you’re likely going to need some Arabic, as English is not as widely spoken or understood in the south as it is in Baghdad. You could use a translation tool on your phone but this might up the price and do bear in mind that some Iraqis are illiterate. Basic knowledge of Arabic numbers and hours (for prices and a time frame) would help as would decent pronunciation of the target destination/s. Despite our best efforts, our pronunciation of Ur remains poorly understood and the marshes add confusion by going under various terms, although either Chebayish and/or Al-Ahwaar (the marshes) should be understood.
There are a few checkpoints between Nassiriyah and Chebayish and it’s likely that cars carrying westerners will be stopped and passports/visas inspected and photographed, potentially several times at checkpoints pretty close together. This may seem frustratingly over the top but, as the soldiers are all just trying to do their job to the best of their abilities, it’s always preferable to be patient, pleasant and accommodating.
Upon arrival in Chebayish, your driver will take you to one of the main launch area for the boats and this may change depending on the current water levels of the marshes. You’ll probably see a few (often colourful) boats lodged on the shoreline and a boat driver may approach you even as you’re getting out of the car. It may be tricky to establish a price before you set off, with boat owners preferring to price up at the end, depending on how long you spent there. Although you may be happy with this or feel it works better, not having an agreed price before setting off is the sort of thing that brings out a Brit in a rash, and it is perfectly possible to negotiate a price before departing.
Back in the day, a small donation was all that was asked but, as tourism has developed, prices have become more formalised. A ride of a few hours should cost around IQD25,000, for the boat, not per person. If you want to spend the whole day in the marshes, you should be looking at around the IQD50,000 mark.
We have been charged various rates, with the largest being IQD40,000 (which worked out as IQD10,000 per person). Although this was too high, we hadn’t prearranged the price as our Iraqi friends did not wish to and we certainly didn’t feel disposed to dispute the cost, as the current economic situation faced by local people - whose livelihoods depend on the water levels - is dire.
The boats of the marshes are an attractive shape, being long and narrow and can very comfortably sit four passengers. A touch rocky when climbing in or out, these are incredibly smooth and stable on the water. Although some locals still punt working boats with a pole, the tourist boats have an outboard motor. The driver sits on the back of the boat, steering, and the best seat is undoubtedly the one at the front, in the prow. Often the boats are lined with pieces of carpet and cushions for passenger comfort.
If you would like to eat grilled fish in the marshes, you should tell your boat driver in advance so they can buy the fish and make preparations, as it takes a while to build the fire and cook the fish. If you suddenly fancy lunch partway through the journey (because you’re enviously seeing other people grilling fish in front of little huts on the banks) you’ll probably be looking at heading back to the town, buying the necessaries and then setting back out.
A typical trip of a few hours will include navigating assorted waterways and may include a stop on an island area (identifiable by the huge silver dome of a Martyrs’ Memorial and mosque). Here, you can get out, wander around the site, use the mosque’s (fairly basis) facilities and even have a picnic in the grounds, although there’s no sustenance available to buy there so only if you’ve taken your own supplies. There may be a manned semi-checkpoint near the entrance where someone may ask to see documents or may just greet you. The boat driver is unlikely to accompany you onto the island and, most likely, he’ll wait near the boat until you return. But you needn’t feel rushed, as everything runs at an altogether slow pace in the marshes.
The beauty and magic of the marshes means even the simplest, shortest boat trip is an absolute pleasure. If you are interested in wildlife, you may spot some exquisite rare birds and you will almost certainly see wallowing water buffalo gazing out at you with their large sad eyes. Usually the boat driver will steer towards anything of interest, slow down for photos and often bring the boat to rest nudging into the reeds for a short time enabling you to just absorb the silence.
If you have an Iraqi companion or translator with you, boat drivers are usually more than happy to tell passengers a bit about their lifestyle or answer questions, and such conversations are always worthwhile as the history of the marshes is fascinating.
It is possible to stay overnight in the marshes but you’d need to organise this in advance with a local contact.
Beyond taking the boats and perhaps having a fish lunch, the tourist infrastructure in Chebayish is almost non-existent, so you may wish to take supplies from Nassiriyah to tide you over.
If you have a local contact, are travelling with a tour guide or are just lucky (or plucky), back on dry land you might have the privilege of being taken for coffee in a local mudhif (المضيف) (traditional reed building). These vast, beautiful structures, which you will probably have already glimpsed, are used for all major local events as well as hosting visitors.
The coffee ceremony is a longstanding tradition although now made on electric hobs rather than the hot coals of the past. The coffee is fairly strong, bitter, sugar-free and drunk from shared cup, which is handed to one person at a time. Although the shared cup notion may be off-putting, it is considered rude to not accept the cup and at least have a little sip. You should hand it back drained if possible but we don’t always manage that. You indicate that you don’t want any more by a little shake of the cup when handing it back, otherwise you’ll immediately be presented with another cupful. If the opportunity presents itself, don’t miss this, as it’s a lovely ceremony in a stunning location.
A note about health in the marshes.
Recently one of our party with an extreme allergy to fish had a mild reaction after eating the inner section of a raw reed, and an antihistamine fixed him up. We all ate the inner reed in varying quantities (some of us liked it more than others) and we all survived. It was an interesting experience, one we’d not been offered before, and a reminder of how extraordinarily bountiful the marsh reeds are.
We have heard reports of more extreme allergic reactions to insect bites in the marshes, so we recommend having some antihistamines to hand, just in case.
Even in the winter months, the strong southern Iraqi sun is more than capable of giving a fair-skinned person a nice case of sunburn. A head covering such as a hat or scarf is recommended, although the sun reflecting off the water can still get you, so you might also find sunblock useful.
