Hi, Here are two useful links from Jordan Tourism Board:
http://www.visitjordan.com/visitjordan_cms/GeneralInformation/GettingAround/... - List of border crossing. My advice: Either go eastwards across the Lower Galilee from Haifa to Beit Shean, cross the border at Sheikh Hossein Bridge and continue southward in Jordan, or go southward along the Israeli coast, then go to Beersheba, then on the road to Eilat cross the border at the Wadi Araba Crossing (Petra is quite near). Don't use the Allenby/King Hossein Bridge because it is the main gate from and into the West Bank, which means three kinds of authorities (Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian), more people waiting in line, more forms to fill in and more potential headaches. According to this site, Jordanian visas are issued on the spot at the crossing. Note - unlike the Israeli authorities, the Jordanian authorities insist on stamping the passport itself. http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=63 - Views of Petra on that site. It is considered one of the most remarkable sites in the region, and the most prominent tourist attraction in Jordan. Jordan is tourist-friendly and quite cheap. Most people can communicate in English. Please note that August falls on Ramadan, so most people you are going to meet in Jordan will be fasting during daylight hours. Be considerate. One more warning - this is August and Petra is in the middle of the desert. Temperature might rise as high as 40 centigrade. Cars, buses and most rooms are air-conditioned, but when you walk outside, cover yourself well with light clothes and drink a lot (but not in front of those who fast). Dror K
Some more remarks:
1. Petra is not very close to the southern border crossing at Wadi Araba. It's a rather long 2-3 hours drive each direction from this southern point. 2. There are day tours offered by various tour organizers in Eilat at a price that I find quite reasonable, considering especially that it covers the non-negligible visa costs and the entry costs to the site, and include full transportation from and to your hotel in Israel all the way to Petra, lunch at a local resaurant, and a local English speaking guide. It really does take a full day to do it all. Maybe there are similar tours leaving from other places in Israel too. It's much, much easier to go with such a tour than to reach Petra yourself once you cross the border - it saves you lots of various kinds of headache... 3. Petra is high up in the mountains, at an elevation of about 1500m above sea level, so temperatures there are actually tolerable in summer, to the best of my knowledge.
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Tue, Jul 5, 2011 at 09:49, dror1975@icqmail.com wrote:
Hi, Here are two useful links from Jordan Tourism Board:
http://www.visitjordan.com/visitjordan_cms/GeneralInformation/GettingAround/... List of border crossing. My advice: Either go eastwards across the Lower Galilee from Haifa to Beit Shean, cross the border at Sheikh Hossein Bridge and continue southward in Jordan, or go southward along the Israeli coast, then go to Beersheba, then on the road to Eilat cross the border at the Wadi Araba Crossing (Petra is quite near). Don't use the Allenby/King Hossein Bridge because it is the main gate from and into the West Bank, which means three kinds of authorities (Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian), more people waiting in line, more forms to fill in and more potential headaches. According to this site, Jordanian visas are issued on the spot at the crossing. Note - unlike the Israeli authorities, the Jordanian authorities insist on stamping the passport itself. 2. http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=63 - Views of Petra on that site. It is considered one of the most remarkable sites in the region, and the most prominent tourist attraction in Jordan. Jordan is tourist-friendly and quite cheap. Most people can communicate in English. Please note that August falls on Ramadan, so most people you are going to meet in Jordan will be fasting during daylight hours. Be considerate. One more warning - this is August and Petra is in the middle of the desert. Temperature might rise as high as 40 centigrade. Cars, buses and most rooms are air-conditioned, but when you walk outside, cover yourself well with light clothes and drink a lot (but not in front of those who fast).
Dror K
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Hi all,
some comments about trips to Jordan / Petra as Danny and me have been there prior to the conference.
We rented a car in Haifa and drove down to Eilat, passing Be'er Sheva via the route 40 - all through the middle of Negev. This trip is about 400 km and takes approx. 6 hours (we stopped a few times to take pictures).
== Border Crossing == The border brossing is open on workdays from 6:30 - 22:00, on Friday and Saturday 8:00 - 20:00.
You can't take a rental car with you. There is a big parking space at the border crossing. The place is easy to find, from both routes (40 or 90) you will pass it on your way shortly before of Eilat. If you have an accommodation in Eilat or come by bus you might take a cab to the border crossing.
The regulations say that it is not allowed to bring drinking water and food into Jordan. This is practically not checked and enforced. We brought our water and food with us, no problem.
=== Leaving Israel === 1. booth: The outgoing border tax is 101 NIS, they accept also EUR and USD. You get a bar code in return. 2. booth: Show your passport and barcode, you receive a stamp that you left Israel. 3. gate: show both again, they scan the barcode and open the gate for you to leave the border terminal.
Walk over to the Jordan border terminal.
=== Entering Jordan === 1. booth: Leave your passport, you receive three stamps. The passport will forwarded to the second booth. 2. booth: They check the passport, you need to undergo a biometrical check (look into a fancy "webcam"). 3. security check: your luggage will be x-rayed 4. border check: they check your passport and let you finally go.
The border crossing is - as in Eilat - outside of the city.
== Getting to Wadi Musa / Petra == There are cabs waiting at the border. They will take you directly to Petra if you like. As it is off-season now the prices are lower but as you are out in the nowhere it is hard to negotiate.
We paid 60 JOD (which is ~60 EUR) for the ride per cab which we could divide by three persons. The cab drivers accept also USD and EUR.
We were lucky that we were transfered during out trip to another cab driver half way, so we met Odeh (+962 79 5576537). Odeh can pick you up wherever you like, also offers tours and knows practically everyone around Petra as he lives in Wadi Musa. He arranged a great accommodation for us, incl. pick-up and transfer service while he brought us to Wadi Musa. Ask him for whatever you need, a hotel room or sleeping with a bedouin under the billion stars...
== Visiting Petra == The entrance fee is 90 JOD and they only accept JOD. If you have an accommodation check-in before and bring a receipt with you - then the entrance is only 50 JOD. There are special prices for day tourists because they are not happy about the tours organised from Israeli side which bring in people for a few hours only, they bring with them all the food and water and basically don't leave any money.
As we were on our own we spent 7 hours in Petra, seeing almost everything and spending the hot lunch time in a cave discussing Wikimedia things and recovering.
A 1.5l bottle of water is available inside Petra for 1 JOD - if you ask the right people. Some try to get 3 JOD.
We had a camel ride back from the place near the monastery (the far end of the valley) to the treasury (that's the furthest they can go with the camel) for 5 JOD per person. But only after long negotiations and we walking away because we didn't want to pay 20 JOD each.
== Accommodation == We slept at a bedouin's camp which was nearby. Rebhe, the bedouin (+962 79 5663410), picked us up in the evening at the entrance to Petra and prepared a great and delicious dinner for us - the table could hardly bear all of the plates and stuff he brought.
The cost was 30 JOD per person, including the pick-up, dinner and breakfast.
As it was off-season we were the only guests there except of some of his friends and we spent a very nice evening there. Just beware of the Mosquitos! They are normally not supposed to be there (in the middle of the desert) but we had a hard time sleeping there, outside under the stars.
== Getting back to Aqaba == Odeh picked us up the next day at the camp and brought us to the border crossing. He was very kind and made a few stops for taking photos or buying stamps for postcards etc.
The ride back was again 60 JOD in total, payable in JOD, USD and EUR (probably also NIS, we didn't ask).
== Border Crossing back == === Leaving Jordan === 1. booth: pay 8 JOD (only JOD accepted!) and get a voucher 2. booth: show voucher and passport, get your stamp 3. gate: show your invalidated voucher and your stamped passport, leave
Walk over to the Israeli border crossing.
=== Entering Israel === 1. security check (x-ray, metal detector...), receive a voucher 2. passport check / border control: the typical questioning. Receive a stamp on your voucher. 3. customs: you have to show up there but they will normally just wave you through if you have anything to declare 4. gate: leave the voucher, show the passport... leave towards Israel
== Way back from Eilat to Haifa == This time we took road 90 along the Jordan border, towards the Dead Sea. There is a public beach at En Bokek which is for free and provides pavillons for shade, showers and a cloak room. The beach is guarded.
The sand is very hot, bring sandals or similar.
The water is also very warm, you can hardly stay in there for more than 10 minutes. As it is so salty it you mustn't put your head under water. Should you accidentally drink some of the water seek medical help from the beach guards.
A recommended road is road 31 via Arad, Rahat till Lehavim, route 40, 41 and 4. In Tel Aviv change to 20 and 2. Route 4 continues in parallel, but has more traffic and crosses all villages. On route 20 you have all the Tel Aviv traffic, but it has many lanes so as long as you don't be there in the rush hour it is no problem and much faster than route 4.
== Special Route 6 == Route 6 is a "Expressway" which is a toll route. Rental car companies will be invoiced directly as the toll is collected by filming number plates and calculation how long you stayed on the road. The rental car companies therefore might charge you a one-time "handling fee" which is 49 NIS at budget.
== Summary == === Costs === * Border crossing IL-JD: 101 NIS (USD, EUR accepted) * Cab to Petra (the whole group): 60 JOD (USD, EUR accepted) * Entrance to Petra (w/ accommodation): 50 JOD (only JOD accepted) * Accommodation (incl. dinner / breakfast): 30 JOD (depends) * Cab to Aqaba (the whole group): 60 JOD (USD, EUR accepted) * Border crossing JD-IL: 8 JOD (only JOD accepted)
=== Phone Numbers === Cab driver Odeh Al Kaliefh: +962 79 5576537 Bedouin Cam Rebhe Hasnat: +962 79 5663410
=== Tips === Odeh can pick you up on different places, just call him in advance. For instance, you might want to take a bus to Allenby Crossing up in the north. It is much nearer, hence cheaper. Look at the bus schedule, check the times, call Odeh and agree on a time. He will wait for you on Jordan side then.
That's it. If you need to know something just ask Danny or me.
/Manuel
I was going to write a summary of our (Finne's and my) trip to Petra, but Manuel covered everything nicely. Take special note of the higher admission prices, as they were raised recently and probably differ from what's in any guidebook you might have.
The only thing I have to add is that, as Petra is currently seeing lower than usual amounts of tourism (even for the season), the service-oriented economy is a bit hard up, and they'll often start out quoting extremely high prices for everything. The flip side of that is that you have significant bargaining power, and can usually argue your way down to about half, but it may be daunting for those new to the experience. (Expect some to get downright angry with you, and—sorry—you're in a better position if you're male.)
Oh, and for those who'd prefer a more traditional hotel experience with air conditioning and ensuite bathrooms, I can't recommend http://alanbat.com/ enough. They have two hotels, with the more expensive al-Anbat 1 (where we stayed) charging around €60/night (breakfast and dinner included) for two people in a double room. It's on the outskirts of the tiny town, up the mountain, but you get a great view in return and a taxi into town can be had for 2-3 dinars. As a bonus, the hotel's currently rather empty, so the service is incredible. (If you see Khaled at the desk, tell him I'll send him those MySQL resources soon.) They also got us a car back to the Aqaba border for 40 JOD (~€40).
I, too, am happy to share my experiences, so just grab me if you see me around.
Austin
On Thu, Aug 4, 2011 at 12:42 PM, Manuel Schneider manuel.schneider@wikimedia.ch wrote:
Hi all,
some comments about trips to Jordan / Petra as Danny and me have been there prior to the conference.
We rented a car in Haifa and drove down to Eilat, passing Be'er Sheva via the route 40 - all through the middle of Negev. This trip is about 400 km and takes approx. 6 hours (we stopped a few times to take pictures).
== Border Crossing == The border brossing is open on workdays from 6:30 - 22:00, on Friday and Saturday 8:00 - 20:00.
You can't take a rental car with you. There is a big parking space at the border crossing. The place is easy to find, from both routes (40 or 90) you will pass it on your way shortly before of Eilat. If you have an accommodation in Eilat or come by bus you might take a cab to the border crossing.
The regulations say that it is not allowed to bring drinking water and food into Jordan. This is practically not checked and enforced. We brought our water and food with us, no problem.
=== Leaving Israel ===
- booth: The outgoing border tax is 101 NIS, they accept also EUR and
USD. You get a bar code in return. 2. booth: Show your passport and barcode, you receive a stamp that you left Israel. 3. gate: show both again, they scan the barcode and open the gate for you to leave the border terminal.
Walk over to the Jordan border terminal.
=== Entering Jordan ===
- booth: Leave your passport, you receive three stamps. The passport
will forwarded to the second booth. 2. booth: They check the passport, you need to undergo a biometrical check (look into a fancy "webcam"). 3. security check: your luggage will be x-rayed 4. border check: they check your passport and let you finally go.
The border crossing is - as in Eilat - outside of the city.
== Getting to Wadi Musa / Petra == There are cabs waiting at the border. They will take you directly to Petra if you like. As it is off-season now the prices are lower but as you are out in the nowhere it is hard to negotiate.
We paid 60 JOD (which is ~60 EUR) for the ride per cab which we could divide by three persons. The cab drivers accept also USD and EUR.
We were lucky that we were transfered during out trip to another cab driver half way, so we met Odeh (+962 79 5576537). Odeh can pick you up wherever you like, also offers tours and knows practically everyone around Petra as he lives in Wadi Musa. He arranged a great accommodation for us, incl. pick-up and transfer service while he brought us to Wadi Musa. Ask him for whatever you need, a hotel room or sleeping with a bedouin under the billion stars...
== Visiting Petra == The entrance fee is 90 JOD and they only accept JOD. If you have an accommodation check-in before and bring a receipt with you - then the entrance is only 50 JOD. There are special prices for day tourists because they are not happy about the tours organised from Israeli side which bring in people for a few hours only, they bring with them all the food and water and basically don't leave any money.
As we were on our own we spent 7 hours in Petra, seeing almost everything and spending the hot lunch time in a cave discussing Wikimedia things and recovering.
A 1.5l bottle of water is available inside Petra for 1 JOD - if you ask the right people. Some try to get 3 JOD.
We had a camel ride back from the place near the monastery (the far end of the valley) to the treasury (that's the furthest they can go with the camel) for 5 JOD per person. But only after long negotiations and we walking away because we didn't want to pay 20 JOD each.
== Accommodation == We slept at a bedouin's camp which was nearby. Rebhe, the bedouin (+962 79 5663410), picked us up in the evening at the entrance to Petra and prepared a great and delicious dinner for us - the table could hardly bear all of the plates and stuff he brought.
The cost was 30 JOD per person, including the pick-up, dinner and breakfast.
As it was off-season we were the only guests there except of some of his friends and we spent a very nice evening there. Just beware of the Mosquitos! They are normally not supposed to be there (in the middle of the desert) but we had a hard time sleeping there, outside under the stars.
== Getting back to Aqaba == Odeh picked us up the next day at the camp and brought us to the border crossing. He was very kind and made a few stops for taking photos or buying stamps for postcards etc.
The ride back was again 60 JOD in total, payable in JOD, USD and EUR (probably also NIS, we didn't ask).
== Border Crossing back == === Leaving Jordan ===
- booth: pay 8 JOD (only JOD accepted!) and get a voucher
- booth: show voucher and passport, get your stamp
- gate: show your invalidated voucher and your stamped passport, leave
Walk over to the Israeli border crossing.
=== Entering Israel ===
- security check (x-ray, metal detector...), receive a voucher
- passport check / border control: the typical questioning. Receive a
stamp on your voucher. 3. customs: you have to show up there but they will normally just wave you through if you have anything to declare 4. gate: leave the voucher, show the passport... leave towards Israel
== Way back from Eilat to Haifa == This time we took road 90 along the Jordan border, towards the Dead Sea. There is a public beach at En Bokek which is for free and provides pavillons for shade, showers and a cloak room. The beach is guarded.
The sand is very hot, bring sandals or similar.
The water is also very warm, you can hardly stay in there for more than 10 minutes. As it is so salty it you mustn't put your head under water. Should you accidentally drink some of the water seek medical help from the beach guards.
A recommended road is road 31 via Arad, Rahat till Lehavim, route 40, 41 and 4. In Tel Aviv change to 20 and 2. Route 4 continues in parallel, but has more traffic and crosses all villages. On route 20 you have all the Tel Aviv traffic, but it has many lanes so as long as you don't be there in the rush hour it is no problem and much faster than route 4.
== Special Route 6 == Route 6 is a "Expressway" which is a toll route. Rental car companies will be invoiced directly as the toll is collected by filming number plates and calculation how long you stayed on the road. The rental car companies therefore might charge you a one-time "handling fee" which is 49 NIS at budget.
== Summary == === Costs ===
- Border crossing IL-JD: 101 NIS (USD, EUR accepted)
- Cab to Petra (the whole group): 60 JOD (USD, EUR accepted)
- Entrance to Petra (w/ accommodation): 50 JOD (only JOD accepted)
- Accommodation (incl. dinner / breakfast): 30 JOD (depends)
- Cab to Aqaba (the whole group): 60 JOD (USD, EUR accepted)
- Border crossing JD-IL: 8 JOD (only JOD accepted)
=== Phone Numbers === Cab driver Odeh Al Kaliefh: +962 79 5576537 Bedouin Cam Rebhe Hasnat: +962 79 5663410
=== Tips === Odeh can pick you up on different places, just call him in advance. For instance, you might want to take a bus to Allenby Crossing up in the north. It is much nearer, hence cheaper. Look at the bus schedule, check the times, call Odeh and agree on a time. He will wait for you on Jordan side then.
That's it. If you need to know something just ask Danny or me.
/Manuel
Regards Manuel Schneider
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