Where: JORDAN - Jerash - Petra - Red Sea - Dead Sea - Karak - Amman Who: Mr & Mrs Wanderlust When: October 2017 What: Holy Land Expedition Part 3: JORDAN: Pilgrimage then mission: tracing roots! As we continue to push to the final leg of our Holy Land Pilgrimage, we embark in another mission with our extension, which was to trace his (Mr.) roots, as well as being able to see most out of our limited time in Jordan.
Getting from Israel border to Jordan through Allenby Bridge is very easy and such a breeze, most likely because we are part of a pilgrimage tour, also because coming from the Israel side of the border, Jordan has lax security, as opposed to their other borders from Syria & Iraq. Tip: It is best to avoid the morning rush hour when heading to the border, so be there as early as you can. And if heading for a tax refund, be sure you have your tax refund receipt as well as the sealed plastic together with the items for verification to receive your tax refund in cash. Getting around Amman is fairly easy as there are many taxis around commercial areas. However for outside the city, might be difficult because you need either a special kind of taxi, or pre arranged service care of your travel operator.
We stayed in different areas like Amman, Aqaba, Dead Sea, and also the homestay at Karak for the authentic Jordanian experience thanks to his family. Mr & Mrs Wanderlust's Review Hotel #1: Century Park Hotel + Located away from the streets, means less noise + Located at an upper scale area so neighborhood looks nice + 5-10 minute drive from different malls. + Secured lobby, helpful staff, spacious reception + Lobby looks a bit classic vintage design, but clean and well maintained + Many Filipino (kabayans) working as restaurant staff + Reception offered good rates for Foreign Exchange + Rooms' design looked a bit older, but spacious, cozy, and has nice bed to sleep + Shower & Toilet with Tub and Bidet + Free WiFi on rooms + Loved the lamb and veggies on the dinner buffet. + Breakfast buffet was alright - Location is away from the streets so you have to walk a longer way to get around - Saw a scary looking insect in one of the corners of the carpet under a table and had to kill it! - Room has no view but a lower floor area only. - TV has a very limited channel choices and mostly local Jordanian news ***Rating: Price: $$ 4,000 - 5,000 PHP ($75-100 USD) per night for 2 Service: 5 star - Service & staff were all helpful Facilities & Amenities: 4.7 star - Nice spacious rooms, but no view Restaurant (foods): 4.8 star - Loved the lamb in their dinner. Breakfast buffet was alright. Bar: 4.7 star - They have a bar available drinks. ________________________________ Overall: 4.8 /5 Hotel #2: Movenpick Petra + Just like most Movenpick resorts, it does not disappoint. + Simple, yet spacious lobby + Offers the best view of the mountainous area of Petra, perfect at sunset. + Rooms are not so big, but still managed to fit a small balcony for nice views in-room. + Bed was spacious and comfortable to sleep on. + Breakfast buffet was alright, though nothing exceptional. - No WiFi in room - No signal on T.V. the whole stay (though it was nice and quiet) - Bathroom was nice but very limited space (small) ***Rating: Price: $$$ 8,000 - 10,000 PHP+ ($175-200 USD) per night for 2 Service: 5 star - Service & staff were all helpful Facilities & Amenities: 4.6 star - Nice room with view, but no wifi, tv, small bathroom Restaurant (foods): 4 star - Breakfast buffet selection was not that good. Bar: 4 star - They have a bar few drinks ________________________________ Overall: 4.4 /5 Hotel #3: Tala Bay Resort, Aqaba + Very big and spacious hotel with a nice view of Red Sea + Nice design, looks like a huge palace + Many pools and nice facilities and many activities available. + Has many spots to party, or dance the night around the hotel. + Has an infinity pool with nice view of Red Sea and for adults only so quiet. + Rooms are nice and spacious with a small balcony and view of beach + Bathroom is spacious with all needed amenities. + Breakfast buffet is nice and many choices - A staff just entered the room using his spare key without even knocking first! - Beer is available at their bar near the beach but the price is riduculous (11 JOD) - Many people (mostly Russians) checked in. - Hotel is too big that it is hard to go around it. ***Rating: Price: $$$ 7,000 - 10,000 PHP ($140-200 USD) per night for 2 Service: 4 star - Service & staff were all helpful, though one staff screwed up! Facilities & Amenities: 5 star - Nice spacious rooms, but no view Restaurant (foods): 4.8 star - Loved the lamb in their dinner. Breakfast buffet was alright. Bar: 5 star - They have a bar available drinks. Lots of different places to drink at night. They even serve draft beer at the lobby! ________________________________ Overall: 4.7 /5
1. Visit the Roman ruins of Jerash Less than an hour drive north of Amman, you can visit the ruins of 'Gerasa' that has been inhabited since the bronze age. One of the best preserved Roman city in the middle east. Most of the ancient city though was destroyed in an earthquake in 749 A.D. this is why it is mostly compared with another great Roman city - Pompeii. Today it is still a popular destination where you can witness how far the empire reached from its well preserved structures, arts and mosaics. Romans built roads heading to Damascus, Syria which can be seen in the view, after the mountains where Jordan shares a very tight & secured border with Syria (currently having problems with terrorism). 2. See the Ancient City of Petra Petra is another ancient (UNESCO / 7 new wonders of the world) archaeological site in southwest of Jordan which dates back to 300 B.C. It was the capital of Nabatean Kingdom where it can only be accessed via a narrow canyon where it has tombs and temples carved into sandstone cliffs, and at the end of the 1.2 kilometer walk (which you can also choose to ride a horse or carriage for a few dollars), to its most famous structure which is the 45 meter high temple with Greek style facade known as the Treasury. 3. Ride and have a Bedouin Lunch at Wadi Rum A scenic desert wilderness that translates as the "Valley of the Moon". Ancient people used this route to reach Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Where many prehistoric art and stone carvings are still seen along big boulders of rocks. The desert looks like an alien landscape with its fine reddish-colored sand (looks like Mars!) films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Martians were filmed here. On a Bedouin camp nearby, we stopped and saw the authentic stone carving from the real life 'Lawrence of Arabia' . Stopped for tea inside a Bedouin tent and checked out some souvenirs like 5 herbs that they use to mix with their hot tea, also Arab headresses called 'Keffiyeh' Amber fragrances, frankincense, etc. Then heading to eating buffet lunch at a giant tent in the middle of Wadi Rum desert with Jordanian cuisine and of course the outdoor grilled chicken and beef kebab. Also didn't pass up in tasting a local Jordanian beer from a local microbrewer - CarakAle. 4. Sun, Sand and Red Sea in Aqaba Situated on the southern most part of Jordan's only coastal city, sharing it with Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Gulf of Aqaba is a strategic location at the northern tip of Red Sea between the continents of Asia and Africa making it a very important location over the course of the last millennia. The main industries here are ports and tourism, which is also a special economic zone of Jordan. There are many luxury hotels and resorts in the area, and we were lucky enough to check in on one of it Tala Bay Resort - a huge luxury hotel, lots of tourists (many Russians) enjoying the sun and the Red Sea. 5. See the Promised Land as seen by Moses on top of Mt. Nebo Mt. Nebo is an elevated ridge in Jordan, approximately 817 metres (2,680 ft) above sea level, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land. (Numbers 20:12) Lucky enough to have experienced the whole Pilgrimage, a final mass on top of Mt. Nebo was a nice way to cap it off. The final leg of our group pilgrimage, in which we decided to extend our stay in Jordan, while the rest of the group heads back to other destinations. The decision to extend our stay in Jordan is to trace the roots of his family tree, and to see more of Jordan, the country where his lineage and blood is from which now also flows in our beautiful children. 6. Off the beaten path at Al-Karak City (to trace his roots!) On the mission to trace his roots, we are headed to Karak City. And based on our readings, the place has loong been inhabited since the Iron age (1200 B.C. - 600 B.C.). It is an important town for the Moabites as mentioned in the Bible, and was referred to as Qir of Moab. (Books of Kings 16:9) Al-Karak city is 100+ Kilometers south of Amman which is situated on hilly and mountainous area 1,000m above sea level and is also surrounded by three valleys. Its location makes it cool and breezy at night as opposed to the dead sea area which is really hot & dry being in a very low place. Karak is also known for its "Karak Castle" also known as Crusader castle which was castle built in the crusader period. The town also has been built up around the castle and it has buildings from the 19th-century Ottoman period. Went further to a smaller and old town called "Aiy" where according to his relatives, are where their family were originally from, and sure enough, got lost for a wrong turn in the town, and the man who guided us shares the same last name as his relatives. Finally, would like to say thank you again to all family & relatives in Jordan for the warm welcome, and now we can say that our mission to trace his roots is now fulfilled, as well as an authentic off the beaten path experience in these small and quiet towns away from touristy places, yet a place deserving to be known for its serene beauty and its own local charm. 7. Amman - the Capital City Jordan, being an ancient country, it has a very rich history, and has been inhabited a very long time ago, since Neolithic age, its successor was known as "Rabbath Ammon", which was the capital of the Ammonites. We wouldn't pass up in exploring the city and being able to learn more about the country's capital city. Amman, is the most populous city and the center of politics, and economy. The Citadel of Amman is considered to be among the world's oldest continuously inhabited places. It is located on the historic downtown of Amman. The Citadel is considered an important site because it has had a long history of occupation by many great civilizations Most of the buildings still visible at the site are from the Roman, Byzantine, and Umayyad periods. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan in partnership with USAID began a project to conserve and restore this site to benefit tourists and the local community. The Amman Citadel is also the site of Jordan Archaeological Museum, which is home to a collection of priceless and ancient artifacts from the Citadel and other Jordanian historic sites. PROTIP: Don't miss to try a sweet snack called "Kanafeh" (seen in the photos above) as this delicious food is made of cheese, baked noodles and ground pistachios, and it was really good. Both of us liked it! And it was also important that the one we tried was the best in town, the one located on a sidestreet near 20 downtown Amman, you can tell it is popular as it always has a very long line of patrons waiting to order their Kanafeh.
* $100 USD = 70.90 JOD (Jordan Dinar) as of (Nov 2017) Yes! You saw that correct, your US Dollars is smaller than the Jordanian Dinar. Which makes the cost of living here a bit expensive. Accommodation - High End - $500 USD+++ Accommodation - Mid - $75 USD ++ Transport - Taxi Nearby - 5 JOD = $7-10 USD Food - Snacks -3 JOD = $3-5 USD Food - Restaurant (3 course meal for 2) - 30 JOD = $45 USD Food - McDonald's Meal - 5 JOD = $8 USD Drinks - Hotel Beer - 11 JOD = $16 USD Drinks - Bottled Water - Half JD = Less than $1 Souvenir - T-Shirt - 10 JOD = $16 USD Souvenir - Magnets / Keychain = 5 JOD = $7 USD Souvenir - Premium items, Mosaic, Jewelry etc, - 100 JOD+++ = More than $100++ Tips - Bellboy, Waiter - 1 - 5 JOD (depending on service) Tips - Tourguide - 10 - 20 JOD (depending on quality) You Might Like: *Credits / Special Thanks*
Music: Anna RF "Desert Blues" Visit Jordan / Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities /A. Inshad /Am.d Samraee / Mjd. Selbi / Omar & Emad / last but not the least, all of the R family who made our trip to Jordan more meaningful and we hope to see you again!
3 Comments
Hisham Mramah
12/22/2017 10:41:02
منورين الشباب .. ماشاءالله Very nice thanks from Jordan
Reply
موادع العطؤي
12/22/2017 11:11:38
ي زين الديار الا ردنيه
Reply
Dalma Hati
12/22/2017 11:13:33
Nice read from the blog and great video, thumbs up.
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