We visited Jordan just a little after Christmas and came back so happy. The middle east is one enchanting place for it being the cradle of three major religions and in that context Jordan is of great historical significance. We hired a car with a driver from Thrifty, visited Petra taking the scenic King's highway - Route 65 and then stayed at the Dead Sea region.
Petra
Petra is an ancient rock cut city built by the Nabataens as early as during 312 BC. It remained unknown to the world until 1812 when Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt discovered the ruins. Petra is listed in the modern new wonders of the world and is a UNESCO preserved site.
How far from Amman? There are two roads that lead to Petra the route 60 (Desert highway) and the route 65(King's highway). Route 65 also called the King's highway is the more scenic route of the two. The road cuts across various Wadis/Valleys of historical significance. It takes about 5 hours through the scenic route and about 3 hours in the less scenic desert highway. We rented a car with a driver from the car rental Thrifty who was very familiar and patient. If you are familiar with driving in the Middle East/ Desert terrain you can easily rent a car and drive around on your own. Just watch out that the roads are pitch dark after sunset and largely uninhibited for several kilometers so it can be a little risky in case you have any problem.
Some pictures below taken from the Kings's Highway.
How long does it take inside Petra? The anicent ruins open at 10 AM. The entrance fee is 50 JD (Jordanian Dinar) for an entire day which is inclusive of a pony/camel/horse/mule ride for one way. It would take about 3 hours minimum to go uptil the tombs and about 5 hours to go uptil the monastery. The walk can be a little tiring considering the desert terrain and the Bedouins constantly going up and down hauling people in the horses. There are a lot of sellers who almost surround you in several instances. Food and drinks are expensive and scantily available inside so we would recommend you packing your backpack suitably. The view of the Khazana or the Treasure house is spectacular and the overall experience is very unique.
Pictures inside Petra.
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| Inside Petra |
Places to see near Petra?
Wadi Musa/Wadi Moses a valley where it is believed that Moses lived here and once struck a rock and a water spring originated from that rock which remained as a water source for Nabataens.
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| There was a small tea shop here and we took a break to this view. |
Dead Sea
We stayed at the Ishtar Kempinski at Dead Sea and simply loved it.A place filled with a lot of trivia on History, Geography, Science and lots more. Officially, the lowest point on planet earth (-400 meters). It is believed Cleopatra knew about the wonders of the Dead Sea and often bathed here. The dip followed by the clay bath is a very unique experience. We loved our 2 days here and would love to go back,life willing. Dead Sea is about 4 hours from Petra by drive. The width of the Dead Sea is about 11 Kms and just across on the other side is the turbulent West bank.
Some pictures from our trip.
