Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas
Has anyone been to Jordan? Am looking at this for my Jan-Mar 2011 trip. Lots of nice archaeological sights, Petra, Pella and Jerash along with a crusader fort or two. Wondering about safety, food any other possible issues. Is a visa required for US citizens? Plus I will probably add at least one day in Amman, anything to do in the city. Also since the trip is only 8 days, I am wondering how difficult it would be to go to Jerusalem from there to spend a few days.
I went to Jordan back in the late '90's for a week or so. I really enjoyed it.
- Petra is an absolute don't miss. I spent 1½ days there and you could easily spend more. One of my favorite travel souvenirs is an ornate "bedouin knife" I bought there. But it's quite crowded. You'll need to do some hiking to get away from the tour buses.
- I did Jerash as a day trip from Amman. Get your hotel to write "Jerash" in Arabic on a slip of paper, and head to the bus station. Show the paper to the drivers, and they'll get you on the right bus. Getting back to Amman is easy.
- I hired a taxi and guide for a day tour of the desert forts. It was interesting, but a lot of travel and expense for a few crumbling structures.
- Amman has quite a few sights, most notably its Roman ruins and amphitheater.
- I also spent a couple of days in Aqaba. It's assumed if you're a foreigner in Aqaba, you must be there for the diving. I wasn't. The city itself doesn't have much to offer unless you're a diver or maybe a birdwatcher.
- One thing I did from Aqaba was take a afternoon jeep tour of Wadi Rum (where Lawrence of Arabia had his HQ) followed by a touristy dinner in a "Bedouin Tent." It was campy, and the food was nothing special, but being in the desert at night is like no other experience.
Regarding going from Jordan to Israel, I've never done it, but you need to be careful if you plan to travel to other countries in the Middle East that prohibit your entry if you have been to Israel. The Israelis are aware of this, of course, and will stamp a separate paper and put that in your passport instead. However, the Jordanians will not. Therefore, your passport will have a stamp for a known crossing into Israel. That is as good as an Israeli stamp when it comes to restricting entry to those "peculiar" countries.
When I went, you could buy your Jordanian visa at Amman airport. I don't know if that's still the case.
Food is typical middle-eastern. I don't remember much in the way of other ethnic or western cuisines. Lots of seafood in Aqaba. Don't drink the water.