The last 2 days of the exotic tour were spent making our way back to Singapore. We drove to Allenby’s bridge (King Hussein on the Jordan side) and dropped the car off before heading through the immigrations. Crossing back to Jordan felt easier compared to we made our way over to Israel. However, the whole sequence was the same, with the minibuses ferrying passengers between the immigration counters. Once we crossed over, we got onto a taxi that brought us to the last accommodation, Larsa hotel.
Larsa Hotel room.Large enough for a table.Simple toilet.Comes with bathroom accessories.Lobby of the hotel.
We catered some time for the crossing but managed to do it earlier than expected, probably because we tried to do so as early as the counters were opened. Took the afternoon off for shopping in Amman in City Mall and had lunch.
City MallMacD in Jordan.
At night we visited yet another mall, Mecca mall and had dinner before packing for the long flight home.
Wraps.Pasta.Fruit cup.Mecca mall.
From Larsa hotel, we arranged for a taxi to take us to the airport. Then it was about getting to Doha first then transit back to Singapore, arriving in the afternoon.
View of Amman airport.
Quick snack before the flight to Doha.Waiting for the connecting flight.Another meal before the after midnight flight before arriving home.
This trip was one of my favorite as we were visited the “exotic” places where Jordan and Israel had to offer. The Petra as one of the new wonder of the world left us in awe, the amusing experience with the Dead Sea and the salty mud, the feeling of tension through thousands of years of religious conflict in Jerusalem, the eye opening experience in the visit to Bethlehem in terms of religious history and current isolation and others. Glad I had this checked off my bucket list.
On this day, we ventured southwards from the beautiful Petra towards the famous desert Wadi Rum.
Cattle taking the road as we drove alongside towards Wadi Rum.
After 2hrs of drive, we arrived at the carpark of the Wadi Rum visitor’s center and proceeded to the center. From there, since we were going to drive in ourselves (we didn’t have a 4WD anyways), we booked the most time practical tour available, a 5hrs jeep tour, considering we were going to drive back to Madaba for the night.
From the office, we were greeted by our English speaking Bedouin guide and boarded our retro looking jeep. The first stop was the Rum village where the guide stopped by a shop and went in to back a plastic bag of food, apparently our lunch.
Rum village where the guide packed lunch.
The desert was huge and driving from point to point took some time. The guide showed some desert map and the different places we were visiting before we drove onwards to Lawrence Spring. Upon reaching the location, the guide allowed us to roam the area gave us some history on the spring and Lawrence. He pointed that the spring can be found high up in the rocks. So I started climbing towards the green bushes and it was tough! There weren’t any path upwards and there were loose rocks. Furthermore, the searing hot weather was adding to the challenge.
Lawrence Spring, supposedly at the green patch of grass.
When I finally reached, I could not see any water springs. Walked around towards the vegetation nearby and found a tiny pond, wondered if this was it. Incredible though, to see water in this really parch dry desert.
And there is indeed some water in this parch dry desert.
The view at the top was pretty good though.
View was awesome.
Back to ground level, where the car parked was some watering points for camels. There was an option to take the camel for the tour, if anybody was crazy enough to do that in this hot weather.
Water from nearby spring where camels come drink.
The next location was a sand dune. We didn’t think much about the sand dune, after all it was only sand. Then we attempted to climb it and it was extremely difficult! Brought meaning to 2 steps forward and 1 step back. The sand was so fine and when we stepped onto it, our foot just sang in! Took awhile before making it to the half way point. I guessed sand surfing was probably possible if we had the rug.
Sand dune, high pile of sand which was so difficult to climb.Shoes flooded with sand.Our jeep in the Wadi Rum.
Next we would visit the ancient inscriptions on the walls of the desert rocks. These were said to be from the Nabatean people long time ago. These were seen within the Khazali Canyon which was a narrow path between 2 towering rocks. We only managed going some tens of meters into the canyon before some climbing was required that we didn’t attempt. The high rocks provided a temporary reprieve from the heat from the midday sun, with the walls cool to the touch, and nice wind blowing into the gap.
Anfashieh inscriptions and pictures.Rock carvings of humans.Within the Khazali Canyon where the rock carvings were found.
Lunch was settled at a Bedouin tentage not too far drive from Khazali Canyon. Underneath this wide tentage almost size of a basketball court was a carpet for us to sit down and have lunch. There were a couple of bedouins sitting around smoking, taking a rest. Food wasn’t fantastic and mostly dry but we couldn’t expect much in a desert. Bedouin tea was served as usual.
Packed lunch of fruits, snacks and Naan.
The lunch time provided the opportunity to rest from the rather tiring activities thus far. After we were ready to hop onto the jeep towards the Little bridge. This was a rock bridge formed naturally that linked the top of two rocks together. It was an easy climb up to cross the bridge and get a photo.
View of the Little bridge from the ground with some tourists standing on it.
The next location was a much bigger natural bridge called the Um Frouth bridge. Similarly formed naturally, this was a little more difficult to climb as it was steeper. Of course this had a better viewpoint than the Little bridge.
Um Frouth bridge, view from the ground.That’s me on top of the Um Frouth bridge, created by nature.
Lawrence house was the next location but there weren’t much left as the walls had crumbled. There weren’t much to see either so it was a shoot and go moment.
Lawrence house or what’s left of it.
It was nearing the end of the tour and the guide gave us some jeep fun in the sand by driving down a steep sand slope, like a roller coaster. It was indeed pretty exciting.
The final stop before heading back was the Nabatean temple. Similarly, the ruins were all that were left for us to look at. Walked around for a while before getting onto the jeep for the return to the visitor’s center.
Nabatean temple.Steps of the temple.
Once back at the visitor’s center, we disembarked, took a photo with our guide and got ready to long drive back to Madaba.
Seven pillars can be seen from the visitor’s center.Map of Wadi Rum.The various itineraries available.Wadi Rum visitor’s center.
Along the highway, we saw outlets selling dead sea mud and we stopped for a while to stock up on gifts for people back at home. Rivage looked really familiar and so we got our stash of dead sea minerals mud pack and continued northwards towards Madaba.
Rivage outlet store, popular for its dead sea mud.
The drive back was really long, by the time we arrived, it was already very late at Mosaic City Hotel. Along the way, we had almost ran out of petrol and worst of all, not all the petrol stations were opened 24hrs. Luckily we managed to pump at one station and arrived at the hotel.
Bed.TV and dressing table.Shower.
The next day would be when we would cross over for the Israel leg of our travel.
Figured that Petra was worth spending another day, and we knew we were right when we visited on the first day. The place was huge, when we considered the other not so well known parts of the Petra complex and definitely worth the walkabout. The day’s sole activity was to roam this vast grounds that were once inhibited by the Nabateans.
American movies influence at the Petra shops.
Walking through the long Siq became easy already since we had did it a couple of times the day before. Still mesmerising to look up and then feel small as the towering walls enclosed on the people passing through.
Another walk through the Siq.
There was always the anticipation of seeing the Treasury at the end of the Siq, expecting a different view at different time of the day. True enough, it looked different as the sun highlighted the part it’s sun rays shone true and of course there were camels as accessories.
Day break at the treasury.For transportation and tourism. Dressed for the occasion.
So it was all about freely walking about to see and feel the entire area that had a culture once thriving in the past. The simplest was to follow the map and go to these points of interest. Though without a guide, there were information board to provide some form of knowledge to the simple traveller. As we walked about, there were offers of donkey rides, which we didn’t take, wife being an animal lover not wanting the poor donkey carry us.
Lone donkey, animal commonly used by the Bedouin for transportation.
It was a clear day and as much as we loved the fact that the photos will turn out nice, it was just really hot. The climbing of the stairs was made more difficult by the heat.
High place of sacrifice. Required some climbing, the panoramic view from there was worth it.Various steps going up and around.Qasr Al-bint Temple.Donkey hides in the shade while tourist climb past up the stairs.
Roaming around a corner, we was surprised to find another architectural wonder that looked like the Treasury, only bigger! It was called the Monastery.
Huge Monastery, bigger than the Treasury. I am at standing at its entrance.
From the Monastery, there was a path that led to the End of The World. We had to see and trekked on. It wasn’t really fantastic at the end of the path though, just that you could see the vastness of brown, hills and sand. There was what looked like a home built near the cliff and overlooking the End of the World.
The end of the world view??Living spaces atop the hills.
The place was really huge, had to settle for late lunch at the only restaurant there.
More carved in spaces for the Nabatean.View of Petra inner compound from the top.
After our break, it was more of walking. We were looking for a place where we could view the Treasury from the top. The directions were given in the lonely planet and we found our way there. It was quite some climbing before we reached the top. Then there was some climbing down to a ledge. There was a bedouin there and he offered me some tea. I had an awesome photo opportunity there!
View of the theatre from atop.The life, drinking Bedouin tea while viewing the Treasury and the world below.
We left after sweating the whole day, with aching muscles and memories of this new Wonder of the World, truly worthy of its status. We could stay another day but it was time to explore the other places that Jordan had to offer. Dinner was at some random food place.
Falafel.Chips and meatballs.Chicken with rice.More bedouin tea in a Chinese tea pot.Sweet pastries for deserts.
One of the biggest highlight for the trip was the visit to one of the seven wonders of the modern world. From the dead sea, we travelled south, visiting some of the crusaders castles along the way. The first one being Karak Castle.
View of the castle from the road.An old cannon beside the castle wall.Exploring the ruins with a view of the surrounding hills.Within the castle we were shielded from the light and the heat.View from the castle top of another part of the castle.
We had a guide to brought us around the castle whom gave us information about the some of the areas. It would not make much sense walking around by ourselves. Left for the next castle, Shobak castle.
Shobak Castle also atop a hill. Much harder to get to compared to Karak Castle.Mostly in ruins but door arches and stairways still visibly seen.Solid blocks of stone made up the walls of the castle.Arabic inscriptions on the wall of the watchtower.
We drove towards Petra and checked into a accommodation Cleopetra Hotel, sited at the Wadi Musa town, minutes (of driving) from Petra.
Simple room.Bathroom that came with a tub.
Got out from the hotel and stopped at a local restaurant for lunch.
Restaurant with Alfresco dining. Parked our car just outside, no summon auntie to worry about.Some local drinks for the simmering heat.Lunch of mutton rice and soup.Chicken with gravy and rice.
Continue and drive towards Petra, an immensely popular attraction and stores linked it to the Indiana Jones movie to market their products. Purchase our 2 days entrance tickets.
Our tickets.
So we started our walking journey towards the Treasury, the representative image of Petra, hidden from the outside world amongst brown rocky hills.
Start of the long walk in.Along the way we saw squarish blocks buildings.Nabataean tomb.
After some 10mins of walking, we entered a path lined by 2 tall walls of rock known as the Siq. Along the way were what looked like manmade drains carved out by the local people years ago.
These looked like manmade drainage system craved into the rocky walls.
Almost 30 minutes of walking on sandy floors and the sight of the Treasury that first greeted us was awesome.
The excitement reached its peak when this came into view… Beautiful treasury of the Petra.
It was a tiring walk but well worth it. We were in awe at the intricate details of this carved in building and the sheer size of this architectural feat. We sat at the bench there just taking in the moment for quite a good amount of time.
Treasury, visited by many tourists.
The treasury was just part of the Petra archaeological park which was huge. We only noticed after we started to move further inwards and realised there wasn’t much time left as the sun began to sat. As we were intending to do Petra by night, we had to walk around quickly before the area closed for the night.
More tombs.of different sizes…and as huge as these.What’s it looked on the inside.Looked like roman architecture with the cobbled road as the sun started to set.
We had to leave the park first before reentering for the Petra by night. It was again a long walk out and we drove back to our hotel to get some quick snacks before heading back to Petra. Separate tickets were sold for the night event and there sure was quite a crowd.
Petra by night tickets.The path was illuminated by candle lights that were left by the park staff after the sunset. These were the only light source.
There were much different walking at night except that it was cooler. The made the walking a little easier.
Hundreds of light bags on the ground in front of the treasury.
The walk ended at the treasury. We were the first few in line luckily and as we arrived into the opening, we were ushered to sit in rows on the mat, and were not too far from the performing area, served with some mint tea.
The treasury illuminated by the ground bags.
Then the show began. First there was some old flute blowing then followed by some singing. To be honest, it wasn’t really interesting. Before you knew it, it was over
The entertainers.
Then we had to walk that same distance back again. Drove back to the hotel for the night after this long day. More to explore the next day.
Morning we returned to Mt. Nebo after checking out of the hotel. Our first attraction for the day was Memorial of Moses.
Carved out face from the rock.The Memorial was still under massive renovation when we were there. Couldn’t visit in the end.More mosaic exhibits underneath a tentage nearby.Cravings on the pillar. Must be really old.The Serpentine cross reminded me of the medicine symbol. This one was behind the memorial.Atop of Mt Nebo with reference to other locations. The view of the “Promised Land” in which Moses saw.View of the promised land.
Didn’t spend much time there since there weren’t a lot to see due to the renovation. After admiration of the view, we left for Bethany Beyond the Jordan, a UNESCO site where Jesus was baptised in the Jordan River. It was not a long drive from Mt. Nebo. The closest we could drive was however only to the visitor’s center, and taking guided tour from there.
Map of Bethany beyond the Jordan.Waiting for the bus tour to begin.Audio guide plus paper guide showing the different locations for the information.Mosaic showing the ascension of Elijah in a chariot of fire, at Elijah hill, covered by the tour.A long walk in the uncomfortable heat.The baptism spot.Golden roof of St. John the Baptist church.The small river separated Israel and Jordan.
We went on to check in at the Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea Hotel, one of the more affordable ones along the Dead Sea. We were quite early and they provided a free upgrade for our room to a suite! Lovely surprise. Had our lunch at one of the many eating places available in the resort, beside the pool.
Our lunch of wraps and chips.And burgers and chips.Holiday Inn resort.Free upgrade to suite!! Living room.And the bedroom with an amazing dead sea view.Sink.Bathroom.Balcony view of the dead sea.Dead Sea view from the Holiday Inn Resort.
During the tour the baptism site, we met a tourist from Iraq whom said that we should visit the Ma’in hot springs while here. So we took a drive out and as we drove, we saw a Dead Sea Panoramic Complex which we visited for a while. Here we learnt how the Dead Sea was formed and how it was drying up.
Dead Sea Panoramic complex.A historical introduction on how the Dead Sea was formed.Indeed an amazing panoramic view can be seen.
There after, we drove on to Ma’in hot springs to have a look. There was a huge waterfall and cave that was opened for public. There were also some other springs meant for families and for ladies only. The water from the waterfall was actually quite hot! I had to purchase a pair of shots to get a piece of the action in the waterfall.
Smaller waterfall for the families.Dipping into the hot water for some time.And red like cooked prawns after.Temperature guide for the hot spring waters.Nice waterfall from the top.Standing there to enjoy the massaging effect of the cool water.A small cave where people can sit in and enjoy the sauna.
We didn’t stay long as I was only one in the springs while my wife waited outside. I couldn’t stay too long as well since the water was really hot and the weather was hot too. Drove back to the hotel to enjoy the room for a bit before heading to the private beach of the resort for some Dead Sea experience.
There were some bowls of mud that were already collected from the shore and we could just apply it onto our face and bodies. However, the saltiness of the mud bit into our skin, took some time to get used to this. There was a clean water facility for us to wash down after we were happy with the application.
The other experience was of course to float on the Dead Sea. It was quite amusing to do so although it must take a little bit of balancing. The risk to this was at the water getting into the eye that would make you cry since the saltiness was so much higher than normal sea water.
Bowl of mud available at the beach for use.Yup, end result. The saltiness bit bad.
Floating on the water watching the sunset.
Got back to the room and clean up before dinner. We settled for dinner at the resort itself, not knowing where else we could get dinner nearby. It was a dining under the stars experience, with the cool breeze coming in.
Dinner under the stars.Our table set up.A glass of wine.Soup.Kebah and fries.A few kitty companions.
Then it was the end of a short but amazing experience at the dead sea.
Taking a cab to return to our room in Jordan Tower Hotel, the activities for today would be to visit the various attractions within the city of Amman before moving on to another town. One of the reasons the choice of the accommodation was because of its proximity to these attractions, all within walking distance. But it also meant more noises unfortunately.
From the accommodation, we walked towards the Citadel. From the map it seemed like a straight forward walk but had some slope to climb. Furthermore, we had to make a detour along the road to reach the main entrance to the Citadel. Guide service was available and we engaged him to understand the culture and the history of this grand site.
Ruins of the Temple of Hercules.Ruins of the Citadel.On the inside of the Citadel monumental gateway.Umayad Monumental Gateway.Panoramic view of Amman city from the Citadel.
The guide was very informative and brought us around the site, introducing the different buildings and their period of significance. We were then left to roam the area and visit the Archaeological museum within the Citadel after he was done.
One of the earliest statue of human civilization, at the Citadel museum.
Our next stop was to visit the Roman Amphitheatre just across the road from the Citadel. Didn’t stay long as it was just like another Amphitheatre elsewhere. We visited the small museum where they were some exhibits but mostly to take cover from the heat.
Roman Amphitheatre in Amman.Museum within the amphitheatre.
It was lunch time and we found one (couldn’t remember the name) that served lunch and offered sweet pastries. Returned back to the hotel for check out and to take over our car from the Reliable Rent a Car representative for travel onwards. As it was challenging to drive out of Amman, we were driven to the outskirts by the representative to the outskirt before I took over as driver. Onwards to Madaba, the Mosaic City.
More Kebab.Chix and chips.Jordanian coffee.Tried sweet Jordanian desert.Takeaways for the sweet tooth.
The drive was pretty easy on the highways though there were many manned portable speed traps. I learnt that drivers tend to share the information if there are speed traps ahead and these drivers coming from the opposite lane would usually flash their headlights to give warnings to slow down. Nice!
Our first stop was to check into Mosaic City Hotel. The hotel was pretty new and within walking distance to the town where the attractions were. Parked our car at the carpark next to the hotel and checked in.
Mosaic City Hotel.Dining area of Mosaic City hotel.Nice huge bed.Decent clean toilets.Comes with a table and fridge.And a balcony.
With a map in hand, given by the receptionist, we continued on foot to the attractions Madaba had to offer. St. George church was our first stop.
St. George Church.Inside the St. George’s church.Many beautiful mosaic pictures on the wall.Oldest mosaic map of Palestine on the floor.
On the streets of Madaba. A huge mosque in sight.Shrine of the Beheading of John the Baptist.Mosaic picture of Baptism of Christ at Bethany beyond the Jordan.
Below the surface was a museum to explore. There was a really old Moabite well that was said to be functional till date.
Old Moabite well still functional.Picture showing the beheading of St. John.And an eerie beheaded head statue.
Then we walked to the end of main attractions area where the sat the Church of Apostles. This was a church that had the biggest mosaic, covering the whole floor of it. There were some footpath for us to walk about as we explore the massive area to look at the mosaic pictures.
Church of Apostles.Detailed mosaic of a cat.Animals and trees.Thalassa mosaic.Covering the entire floor of the church.
Original wall mosaics.Still uncovering and protecting the mosaics of the past.
We thought we had enough of mosaics for the day. The next location was to drive to Mt. Nebo not too far from Madaba to catch the sunset.
Panaromic view while waiting for the sunset.Sunset at Mt. Nebo.
Drove back to Madaba and walked to the a restaurant recommended by the hotel staff, Haret Jdoudna. It was a beautiful place and a popular and crowded one as well.
Our dinner.Chicken and chips.Haret Jdoudna.
Nice little town of Madaba left us with an overdose of Mosaic art.
The day was planned for a full day exploration of sites away from Amman. It started with a simple breakfast at the hotel. Had some time and so we went to the roof for a panoramic view of Amman city.
Amman panoramic view.
Booked a tour with Reliable Rent a Car (where we got our car as well of course) and the private vehicle picked us from the hotel and drove us an hour to the dessert castles first stop. As we left the city, the land started to become more and more barren till it was just sand all around. It was only when we arrived that we arrived at UNESCO site of Quseir Amra that we see a building.
Some distance to walk to the site.Qasr AmraPainted walls at the reception hall.All the way to the ceiling.Faded mosaic tiles.Looked like modern shower area.
After taking refuge from the sun in the cooling baths, we left for the next site along the same highway.
Qasr Al AzraqLawrence of Arabia was said to have stayed at the room on the 2nd floor.Heavy stone door.Central courtyard of the fortress.
There were quite a bit of story telling by the tour guide as we roamed around this castle. As we were heading to another area some distance away, we had to skip Qasr Kharana and head for lunch, a buffet lunch at a restaurant.
Buffet lunch.A drink to cool down from the heat.
Our next stop was the ancient city of Jerash, from the east of Jordan it was some driving to the north. This place reminded us of Rome, with its massive arches and pillars and amphitheatres, all within a compound smacked rite in the middle of the residential area.
Massive gate at entrance.Stone structure surrounding the race track.Pillars still standing along the street.What’s left of what should be a beautiful building.View of what must be the circular center of town.Panoramic view of Jerash.
Stayed for about an hour before heading to the final destination of the day, Aljoun castle, which was about another short drive. The castle was perched atop a knoll, overlooking the area, therefore a good vantage point for defense in the past and for a panoramic view for the tourists today.
Shot of the castle taken enroute from the car.Aljoun castle.Castle internal with multiple steps and doorways.Across various arches.On the top most floor, exposed to the sun.A vantage view of the area.Stores were set up just outside this location selling memorabilia.
Journey back to town was smooth on the outskirts but got worse the nearer to town we were. On the way, we went past one of the tallest free standing flag pole in the world, the Raghadan flagpole, it was huge!
The Raghadan Flagpole.
Once back at the hotel, we packed a haversack with stuff that we require for a night away from the hotel, as we couldn’t imagine another sleepless night there due to the noise. Took a taxi to Imperial Palace hotel, one that we searched online that had ok reviews and was at least a local 4 stars hotel. Walk in rate was higher but worth it.
Hotel standard room.A bidet available for use.Bathtub included.View from the hotel room.
Checked with the reception on the nearest shopping center in order to get dinner. Got on a taxi and headed to Sweifieh Avenue Mall, less than 10 mins drive away.
Checked out some fast food.Kebah and chips.Burgers.Sweifieh Avenue Mall.
Didn’t spend much time since we weren’t that into shopping (it is only the start of the trip). Had our dinner and left soon after back to the hotel with ample taxis waiting on the outside of the mall. Rested well for the night.
Total duration 16D17N Singapore is 5hrs ahead of Doha,Jordan and Israel. Flight time is 7,5hrs direct flight on Qatar Airways from Singapore to Doha. Night flight on 20th April and arrival in Doha at just after midnight.. Return flight is a slightly more than 2.5hrs direct flight on Qatar Airlines from Amman to Doha, a transit of 5.5hrs and another 8hrs flight back to Singapore. Return journey started on a Saturday afternoon and touching down in Singapore on Sunday mid-day.
This escape plan was planned as our long trip for the year. We chose this trip because we wanted to see one of the wonder of the world, Petra in Jordan and also to hop over to Israel for a visit (though we aren’t the religious sort).
Budget nature: Budget buster.
This trip took some time for saving up as the Singapore dollars are smaller than the currencies of the Jordanian Dinar and although it is bigger than the Israeli New Sheqel and the Qatari Rial, the expenses there are expensive too. Petrol prices in Jordan are cheaper than Singapore but not in Israel. Accommodation have been chosen for the affordability and thus not luxurious. Food prices are higher than Singapore but still affordable. Entrance fees and transportation to attractions are also contributing the the costs.
Complexity: Driving a car is required to move around Jordan and Israel.
These two countries are huge and a car to move around is the most ideal. We did not take any of the public transportation during our time except in Doha where it was just a stopover for us and taxi is the easy way around and in Amman, where driving in the city is too challenging.
With a GPS on hand, navigation is a breeze. Speedtraps in Jordan were especially common and thus one has to be careful not to get caught or risk a fine on the spot.
