When it comes to thrills per capita, Iraq's capital is second-to-none. So throw on a flak jacket, grab your camera, and follow us!

STRIFE'S A BEACH For a little fun in the sun, we recommend SPF 600 and a flak jacket

The following is an excerpt from the March/April issue of Radar, on newsstands now. To get a risk-free copy of the print magazine delivered to your doorstep, click here!

Sunny, historic Baghdad has been a tourist hot spot for more than a thousand years, but lately the city's reputation has been sullied by gloomy pessimists who insist on describing the place as a "living hell" or an "anarchic slaughterhouse." This dire view is shared by the 50 or so Western journalists still quartered in Iraq, who spend their days fortified in depressing bunkers surrounded by trigger-happy armed guards. But leave it to the good time gang at the conservative National Review to pick up on a little-noticed trend: Last fall, in a piece titled "Good News From Iraq," the magazine gleefully reported that "tourists are now returning" to visit the country's cultural sites. So for those irrepressibly upbeat ambassadors of democracy who'd like to get a head start on the throngs of Baghdad-bound spring breakers, Radar presents a guide to letting loose in the city.

Getting There
Royal Jordanian offers daily flights from Amman, but brace yourself for a steep, corkscrew descent to evade small-arms fire. (If you're prone to losing your lunch, best bring a sandwich for refueling later—the airport's Bob Hope Dining Facility is now closed.) Hire an armored car for the five-mile trip into the city on the infamous Highway of Death. The going rate is $2,400, not including tax and tip. If you elect to ride in a "soft" vehicle, stay low: Try curling up on the floor with a good book or religious talisman.

Accommodations
Choose comfy digs—you'll be spending lots of time there. As one Time magazine staffer glumly notes, "there really isn't much room for Westerners in Baghdad anymore, except for the fortified archipelago that is your hotel." Decent water pressure and reliable electricity pass as luxuries, but several spots still offer a (mostly) solid wall between your cot and incoming mortar rounds.

The hardy Al-Hamra houses the largest concentration of working journalists in Baghdad, as well as a hardened crew of gun-toting military contractors. Rooms are clean, though the pool is no longer operational. Baghdad's tallest standing structure, the Hotel Ishtar (formerly the Ishtar Sheraton) is often referred to as the Missile Magnet, for reasons obvious to anyone who's glimpsed its crumbling facade. Rooms cost just $36 per night, and occupancy hovers in the single digits. The Palestine Hotel (formerly Le Meridien Palestine), still technically open, is also now mostly deserted; parties on its roof overlooking Firdos Square—like the one thrown when U.S. forces famously toppled a statue of Saddam in 2003—are a thing of the past. Not seriously attacked since October 2003, the Al-Rashid, nestled on the west bank of the Tigris River in the Green Zone, is one of the safest options. Steady power makes it a popular business meeting spot.

COME FOR THE VIEW, STAY FOR THE MEMORIES Smoldering architectural ruins abound in this rubble-lover's paradise

Eating
The citywide 9 p.m. curfew has curtailed Baghdad's storied late-night dining scene, but intrepid gourmands are not entirely without options. Samad—given "five stars" by a local foodie—is the Mansour's jumpingest eatery, a favorite spot for power lunches and socializing among Baghdad's upper crust. The famous chicken kebabs and fresh bread (not to mention a dearth of competition) ensure that the crowds never let up, so securing a table in the formal dining section downstairs can be an adventure. If you miss out, roll up your sleeves and join the fray upstairs for buffet-style fare.

Looking for a slightly riskier option? Consider Corner, on heavily trafficked (and bombed) Jadriya Street. Pizza is $4, there's lasagna, and when the power goes out, owner Haider Saleh keeps the warm mood intact with a generator.

Cultural Attractions
During the final years of Saddam's reign, Baghdad's art scene burgeoned to 19 galleries. Today, only one remains. Hewar, in the Wazerieh district, features an excellent collection of paintings from Iraq's Pioneer school. Expect a personal tour from owner and painter Qasim al-Septi. He might even share a cardamom coffee with you in the lush tea garden and tell you stories about his days painting portraits of Saddam.

History buffs bored with Persepolis can check out Baghdad's more recent ruins. The most impressive is the looted Saddam Arts Center. Stroll through the rubble and muse over the blank walls where Cubist portraits of Saddam as a peasant messiah once hung alongside works by Miró and Picasso.

At the time of the invasion, Baghdad's zoological gardens were home to 800 exotic creatures. Though the grounds are still open to visitors, only 86 animals remain. Many escaped, others became house pets or meals, and one unlucky Bengal tiger was shot by U.S. troops after it bit the finger off a drunken soldier. Lions from Uday and Qusay's private menagerie, however, survived and are on view.

Nightlife
In years past, Baghdad's after-hours scene pulsed with vitality, but hitting the streets past dusk nowadays is essentially asking to be kidnapped. Fundamentalists have shuttered most establishments that sell alcohol (though hashish is said to be having its post-Saddam moment). The disco at the al Rashid Hotel—epicenter of the party scene for Westerners following the invasion—is now gutted.

Two swanky watering holes remain: the Hunting Club and the splendid Alwiya, founded by the British in 1924. Today fortress walls and dozens of armed guards protect the tony clubs' tennis courts and swimming pools, and those who make the cut can cultivate friends among the Baghdadi elite. Says one journalist who's never snagged an invite: "Mostly, we just stay in our hotel rooms. Maybe if we're feeling crazy, we'll go eat in someone else's room."

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