Has anyone done any of the Royal Jordon transit trips like the Arabian nights or dead sea stopovers?
I will be there in Amman a few weeks and only staying 2 nights. I am thinking of doing one of the transit trips that Royal Jordan airline offers. Has anyone else done them? They are expensive are they worth it?
Reply to this Hello Deborah
I am unsure how expensive is expensive, but I do know that public transport within Jordan is really poor in some areas - buses are very limited and many of the locals resort to hitchhiking (especially along the King's Highway as I hired a vehicle to drive along this route and I was expected to collect hitchhikers!). If you are able to organise a vehicle to take you to places, then it will save you a lot of hassle. However, local guides may offer cheaper prices than those affiliated with the airlines - just shop around.
Reply to this Do I understand well, you have only 2 nights. If so...there is one MUST do for me, and it is Petra. I did it last year, and there is nothing easier to do.
They have taxi just out of the airport, so no need to pre-book, it's a two hours drive, and you could even negotiate. You can do Petra in one day, so depend when you arrive, 2 nights is enough.
This is an amazing place, not that expensive either...all depend of the accomodation you chose.
I've got an entry on Petra somewhere in Summer 2008...
Peter
Reply to this The airline hotel and tours are about $300 us a night pp. They do a tour to the dead sea and one to Wadi Rum where you get to stay in a Bedouin Tent with entertainment. They also do a day trip to Petra. As I only have 2 nights I was thinking one night at the dead sea and one at Wadi Rum. I was going to give pertra a miss as I will be in Machu Picchu next year but I do not know now hmm so much to do and so little time to do it all. I am do a 12 mth RTW trip.
Thanks for your help again.
Deborah
Reply to this I would give the Dead Sea a miss - Petra is amazing - but you really need two full days, and Wadi Rum has the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. The travel time between Petra and Wadi Rum is only a couple of hours, so if you had two days - spend one at Wadi Mousa (the village adjacent to Petra) and another in a Bedouin Tent (I did that myself and it is a super experience).
Actually try to do it in reverse - start at Wadi Mousa first, as the afternoon is a great time to tour the area, but with an early enough start, you will get almost a full day in Petra the following day, whereas in reverse, the travel time to and from Amman will cut too much out of your first day and it is best to lose that time in Wadi Rum rather than Petra.
Reply to this Ok that sound great I will do that. Thanks for the help.
Deborah
Reply to this For Petra, I had only one night stop-over in Amman. If you start at the opening around 6am, you can have a proper look at it and be done with the sites by 2pm. Now let be honest, more is better, but this is if you are really time constain.
I would simply avoid an organize tour. You can get a taxi to Petra for not that much. If I remember well, it is around 65usd one way...roads are great, and it is a safe country even for a single woman (if you take the usual care obviously).
Follow Shane advise for Wadi Rum. Finding accomodation in Petra is easy, you simple go on one of the big hotel sites. And for the ticket, you just pay at the entry of the site, which is next to the village, meaning max 10 minutes walk.
I did twice Matchu Pichu, and did all the other 7th Wonders of the World, Petra was my last one, and you really don't want to miss it...it's AMAZING! But wake up early, Petra for yourself is really the point...and get some good walking shoes, and water.
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