Escape plan to Doha, Jordan and Israel April 2012

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Doha, Jordan and Israel 2012:

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.

Day 1 and 2 Flight to Doha and Amman – Souq Waqif & Amman City
Day 3 – Dessert Castles, Jerash and Aljoun Castle
Day 4 – Citadel, Madaba and Mt. Nebo
Day 5 – Memorial of Moses, Bethany beyond the Jordan and the Dead Sea
Day 6 – Kerak Castle, Shobak Castle and Petra
Day 7 – Petra all day
Day 8 – Wadi Rum, Rivage outlet and back to Madaba
Day 9 – Jordan crossing to Israel and Tiberias
Day 10 – Golan Heights, Nazareth and Church of Annunciation
Day 11 – City of Acre, Bahai Gardens, Druze village, Caesarea and Jaffa
Day 12 – Jerusalem
Day 13 – Yad Vashem museum, Mount of Olives, Shrine of the Book, Malcha Mall
Day 14 – Bethleham in the Palestinian Authority and Masada Fortress
Day 15, 16 and 17 – Crossing back to Amman and Home Sweet Home

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.