After 3 years of being based here in the Middle East, my friends and I were able to put up a trip all together! We spent 4 days and 3 nights in Jordan touring Amman, Mandaba, Aqaba, Petra & Wadi Rum and although there were lots (tons!) of detours and last-minute changes, we were able to accomplish most of what is in our itinerary.
It was easy for us to get a visa upon arrival at Queen Alia Intl Airport in Amman where we took a flight from Doha. Travel time was approx 3hrs. It is a good thing that some of my friends have traveled here just recently so we were able to have quite a smooth go around. I exchanged 300 JOD in Hamad Intl Airport where the rate for airport staff is higher than that of non-airport staff (5.2QR=1JOD) plus the option to exchange it back to Qatari Riyals if I have extra JOD at the end of the trip. It was a good choice because when we arrived Amman, the rate was 5.6 + commission.
Visa costed us 40 JOD (applies to all nationalities). Officers asked where we come from, our plans in Jordan, what we do in Qatar and also checked our Resident Permits. In our case, since we have 2 Indian ladies with us in our trip, they were asked to meet with the chief and after a couple of minutes, we were all able to pass through Immigration!
After customs, we met with the guy from the car rental company that I have made arrangements with a day before our trip. I chose MONTE CARLO having read good reviews from Travel Advisor (www.montecar.com) Since there were 6 of us, we rented a Mitsubishi Pajero 2015 Model + GPS + Full Comprehensive Insurance (Car Theft Inc), Unlimited KM, Delivery & Collection + Local Taxes and for 4 days and 3 nights, we paid a total of 220 JOD plus a deposit of 500JOD that we got back when we returned the car. We had to fuel up 3x (70liters) which is roughly 40JOD (full tank) and traveled approx 1200kms in total. The roads in Jordan are pretty easy to navigate and GPS is reliable however, there were some detours that we encountered. Overall, it was a good choice with the car rental. FYI: A smaller car could have costed us 50JOD less but only 5 people can fit and we realized that a bigger car would still be better as we did desert safari on the last day of our trip in Wadi Rum (details later!)
After about 30-40mins, we arrived our destination in Amman. We stayed overnight at my Auntie (mom's cousin) Rhose's house where we were welcomed with a sumptuous dinner- grilled chicken, tilapia, rice and pancit (for long life, said Auntie!) since it was my birthday the day before. Thank you Auntie! :)
We left their place at about 8AM the next day and headed towards the Roman & Byzantine capital, Madaba. The Roman Emperor Trajan replaced the Nabatean Rule after the decline of Petra from the 2nd to 7th century. It is also notable that Madaba was once a Moabite border city, mentioned in the Bible in Numbers 21:30 and Joshua 13:9. Apart from that, is it famous for Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics esp a large Byzantine-era mosaic map of the Holy Land (which we failed to see as we didn't have much time).
We then headed to Mount Nebo, which is a 1000m (3,300ft) high mountain opposite the northern end of Dead Sea. It was mentioned in the Bible (Deut 34:1) that here is the place where Moses stood to see the Promised Land of Canaan.
Deut 34:1-8
Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
Entrance fee is 1JOD. We saw a modern sculpture of Moses' staff- the Serpentine Cross which symbolizes the serpent taken by Moses into the desert and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. During the exodus, God instructed Moses to erect a bronze serpent on a pole to stop a plague he had sent to kill the rebellious Israelites. All who looked upon the serpent were spared death. The curative serpent wrapped around a pole would later become the symbol of the pharmaceutical industry. We also saw a memorial to Moses, a Byzantine church and an old and new baptistery. The view from the top is spectacular. We were blessed with a clear sky that day so we were able to see the Jordan River Valley, Dead Sea and hills of Jericho. There is a map showing the distance to these places:
Jericho 27kms
Jerusalem 46kms
Bethlehem 50kms
Hebron 65kms
It was surreal. It is a privilege to be able to stand in this place. I can only imagine what Moses felt like that moment when the LORD allowed him to see the Promised Land after 40yrs of wandering in the desert. For a few minutes, I reflected on the thought of GOD's glorious plan..the gravity of what Jesus did on the cross..and how GOD have allowed events in the history of humankind to carry on in such a way that He will get the fullness of glory in the end. I just said to myself, "You are sovereign, God."
After Mt. Nebo, we headed for a swim in the lowest point on Earth- The Dead Sea! We chose Amman Beach as the entrance is relatively cheaper compared to the other resorts in the area. Entrance Fee is 12 JOD. Price includes use of their toilet and shower facilities and mud, of which you have to mine for yourself :) I said mine because it wasn't easy to find! We also paid an addtl 2 JOD for a table and 6 chairs and 1 JOD for ice-cream. It was midday when we arrived so you can imagine scorching heat + uber salty waters + mud pack on our bodies. I have not tasted water so good in my life than when we were here! (P.S Overly exaggerating but it's true!)
The Dead Sea borders Jordan in the East and Israel and West Bank to the West. It is said that the surface and shore of Dead Sea is about 1300ft below sea level making it the lowest elevation on land! It is also the deepest Hypersaline Lake. "A Hypersaline Lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride or other mineral salts, with saline levels surpassing that of ocean water." (Thanks Wikipedia!) Other than the Dead Sea, there are other lakes that share the same characteristics, namely, Lake Assal in Djibouti and McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica and Salt Lake in the USA.
Because of high salinity, people easily float due to natural buoyancy. We didn't pass on posing for the obligatory photo afloat while reading! Bringing of food and drinks is allowed. Don't forget to bring your own towel as they don't provide it. Sad that they don't maintain it so well. There are a lot of rubbish by the beach and flies swarm around although it didn't matter so much because we only stayed for about an hour.
After our quick natural scrub experience, we were off to the ancient city of PETRA! Unfortunately, some of the roads were closed so we were unable to catch the Petra At Night show however, we still went in and saw as far as The Siq with some of the candles still lit on. Petra At Night show runs every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday for 17JOD starting at 8:30PM.
We stayed at Candles Hotel, which is about 5mins drive from Petra. It was a decent bed and breakfast for 28JOD for a double room. We got up at 7AM and although we wanted to stay in bed longer, we have to see Petra at day and move on to our next destination after lunch.
Petra is fabeled as, "rose red city, half as old as time". It is well known as the ancient Nabatean city in the south of Jordan. In the modern world, it is almost synonymous to Indiana Jones and Transformers: The Revenge of The Fallen. Due to its breathtaking grandeur and fabulous ruins, Petra was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. Months before our trip, I watched some documentaries about the Nabateans. Petra is an important place for trade and commerce during the 6th century. And scholars have not yet agreed on a reason for the decline of the great empire. I highly recommend you watch these to appreciate Petra :)
National Geographic Channel: Megastructure | 2014-2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8chd7sRi-E
BBC Documentary: Petra Lost City of Stone | 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS67uaPHQmM
The walk from the gate to The Siq is about 30mins so we opted to ride a horse which costed us 1.5JOD each. Some offered as high as 50JOD so you really have to sharpen up your haggling skills. I also read in a few blogs that in Petra, never touch or take something that you are not interested in buying. TRUTH. People will hand you ancient coins, photos, "free drinks" and "free donkey rides" but in the end, they will ask money for it. Jay and I were on a donkey ride up to The Monastery when we passed by some stores. One woman said, "Drinks?" And I politely said, "No. Thanks." but she said, "Maybe Later?" and I said, "Maybe." and proceeded. As we went down, the same lady remembered me and she said, "You promised me you will buy!" and gave us that you-lied-to-me look! Lesson learned. Just say, "La" which is arabic for "No." or just drop a cold-hearted, "No." and walk as fast as you can! We kept on saying, "Mafi Fulus." since then.
The Siq is about a mile-long gorge that leads to the city of Petra. Don't miss taking a photo as you reach the end of this as it leads dramatically to The Treasury. It was planned that way by the Nabateans to create a first good impression with the visitors. And I must say that it did impress us a lot!
Al Khazneh or The Treasury is one of the most elaborate temples in the city of Petra. This structure was carved out of a sandstone rock face. It is fascinating how the Nabateans very well sorted out this sophisticated piece of Architecture.
Apart from The Siq, The Treasury and the other fantastical tombs named the Obelisk, Urn and the Silk Tomb, we enjoyed our donkey ride up The Monastery. It was over 800 steps and for 15JOD we breezed our way up and down back to The Treasury. You wan walk for a healthier option but it will take over an hour and it is will be really exhausting with the scorching heat.
Fun Alternative: Get up early and start as Petra opens at 6AM. Walk and hike up and finish in 4hrs.
We were really exhausted as we finished at around 2PM. We hurriedly went to our next destination! There was really no time to sit down and eat a proper meal as we needed to catch the sunset in Wadi Rum!
It was about an hour drive from Petra and by about half past 3, we were still early for our appointment of 6PM. Since we needed to eat and exchange money, we drove to Aqaba. The difference between Amman and Aqaba is very distinct. It is a modern port city, and being situated close to Wadi Rum and Petra, the three has formed what they call as "The Triangle of Tourism" in Jordan. In Aqaba, we found shopping malls and fast food chains one after another. And believe me, we were thrilled to see McDonalds and Popeyes! We ordered burgers for take away and headed back to Wadi Rum. In McDonalds, I was able to get connected to the internet and was dismayed to receive an email from Bedouin Direction. I booked a camp with them (wadirumjeeptours.com) days before our trip but just 2hrs before our agreed pick up time, they cancelled it because the cook is on leave and there is a power shortage on his camp according to his email. Blessing in disguise because we ended up doing desert safari using the Pajero we rented and we met Mutlak, a 20yrs old local who showed us what blogs say as "genuine" Bedouin hospitality. Entrance fee to Wadi Rum is 5JOD and the camp fee is 20JOD (varies depending on the camp you choose, tours are not included). From the Visitor Center, Mutlak drove us to view the sunset. Had we arrived earlier, he could have showed us around Wadi Rum and we could have done several activities but since we can only stay from 6PM-5AM next day, we made the most of it.
After viewing the sunset, Mutlak brought us to his camp where we were welcomed with hot tea. He prepared the bonfire as we waited for dinner. Wadi Rum is stunning as is the Bedouin hospitality. Mutlak and his 2 peers treated us very nicely and showed us as much as they can in a very short span of time we spent in there.It is a once in a lifetime experience so never miss it when you visit Jordan. There are tons of activities to do in Wadi Rum and bringing your own car with a guided driver (your camp host) is advisable or you go with a jeepney tour (prices from 20-50JOD). The first is the cheaper and more fun alternative. You can also opt to stay overnight and sleep in tents or on a mattress outside the tent (just as we did!)
There are a lot of camps in Wadi Rum, some luxurious, some owned by little independent Bedouins such as our host. If you check the website of Bedouin Direction (where we are supposed to stay the night), you will see that the host speaks very good Engish and the website is elaborate. While it is good, I find the small, independent camps more interesting. For one, Mutlak learned his English only from his guests so I find it really cool to be able to impart something to him. In my case, I taught him what a burger and tissue are. He said that in school, they learn only the names of animals, the names of the mountains that they use as guide in the desert, the stars, desert living, basic math, etc. Mutlak likes to dance so we went to his house in Wadi Village to get his USB and Transmitter that we connected to the car and later on, played for some upbeat (Bedouin) music after dinner. We also did sand boarding which was really fun.. (Ugh. I wish we brought an SLR! ) The experience might not have been captured in photos but I will never forget it! I encouraged Mutlak to put up his own website..when asked what it will be called, he shyly answered, "STAR WADI RUM". Our new found friend will be online SOON! Watch out for it! :)
If we are to do something different, it would be to arrive Wadi Rum early in the morning. Do a tour and few activities, cook lunch the Bedouin way where they put the meat under the ground for hours to cook!(it is a desert after all!) and spend the rest of the afternoon with tea or ATV before sitting down again for tea as you watch the sun set.
At dark, the desert is really quiet and we only have the bonfire to give us light. Good enough that Mutlak's camp has a power generator which they use only during dinner time. There is a toilet and shower facility as well and surprisingly, the water is warm even without a heater. As the temperature is changing, bring warm clothes as it can be very cold in the evening.
We left the camp at 6AM next day and headed to King's Highway back to Amman (292kms) to clear the car rental and catch our flight back to Doha at 12:30PM.
I can prolly go back to Jordan and do the itinerary again and maybe do it even better, but there's always something about 'first times" that make it special. In retrospect, the detours, last minute cancellations, and mishaps made this trip, indeed, a once in a lifetime experience. It was then, a happy birthday for Jay and I.
