I didn’t know much about Wadi Rum before planning my trip to Jordan having Petra on top of my list, but seeing the pictures and reading about it, to visit become a must.
And like everything we visit, it’s worth it, I will always regret what I haven’t visited and never what I’ve visited. We’ve seen all the highlights that are in any itinerary list with our local guide Ali, a very friendly, calm individual. We’ve always had the greatest of guides and Ali is not the exception. He told us about his life, his likes and dislikes. Like all local guides in any place we’ve visited, they understand the impact of garbage on their land and their livelihood and he was really attentive on not wasting anything: the fruits – he throw them away for animals to eat, the plastic and cans, he took them with him. We were very appreciative and mentioned that the desert is very clean and he said that yes, they’re trying to keep it clean, he has an uncle in Saudi Arabia that he visits and he saw how a dirty desert look like.
The day was very relaxing, nothing was rushed. When visiting the dunes and trekking the small canyon,take your shoes off, it’s a must to feel the sand.
One of the experiences I was looking forward to was the under the stars tent and it did not disappoint. It is worth the experience only for seeing the stars from your bed: we’ve seen 2 falling stars and stayed awake for as long as we could just to watch the sky.
I wasn’t too impressed by the inside but it is indeed a luxury to have all the modern comfort in the desert. On the other hand, I couldn’t stop myself feeling guilty – to keep the tents up, there was air being pumped all the time and one can’t ignore the noise at night even with all the excitement.
The dinner was very tasty and the fire place serving tea and shisha had a very laid back atmosphere, I was delighted. The wood they use for the fire releases a very warm smell ; from reading Marguerite’s book – Married with a Bedouin, I’m guessing it’s juniper wood. It’s a smell that probably got imprinted in my olfactory memory and there will be a time when smelling it again will bring back the lost time, just like Proust’s “madeleine moment”.
I’ve just returned from a 7 day holiday in Jordan and I’m very excited to share a few tips on how to make the most of your time in Petra.
Have your first glance of the Monastery and the Treasury from above
We bought our tickets and asked for a driver from Visitor Center to take us to the so called “backdoor” entrance. The drive cost us – 15 JOD the taxi and another 5 JOD with a local on his jeep – the first driver didn’t want to ruin his car on the rocky road. We’ve probably paid a lot for just 5 min drive on the road and another 5 with the jeep but the flooding the previous days made us a bit worried about venturing outside the main trails for too long and the people at the Visitor center won’t help you much if you don’t want to pay for a guided tour – there are no maps and unless you do your planning beforehand (maybe create your own map to recognize the villages names) it’s very easy to get confused.
The trek to the Monastery:
We’ve got to the entrance, had our tickets checked, asked to be pointed to the right direction and started walking. You’re basically in a very rocky area with no signs, there is a path visible only at times. After walking 20 minutes you get to a viewpoint and you’ll notice the stairs – from there, following the steps up and down for around 40 min gets you to the Monastery. The views are fantastic and so are the colors of the rocks – get used to it!
The trek from back door entrance to Monastery
When you start seeing more people around – you know you’re close – follow the path and the first glance at the Monastery will be from above. This is what I’ve been dreaming about and it was worth all the effort so it was time to have a break overlooking the majestic place.
The view from “The best view in the world” bedouin tea shop
My first glance of the Monastery
As we went in front of the monastery we’ve noticed many cafes but didn’t stop, we had so much more to see. Followed the stairs down – it took probably 30-45 mins to get to the valley where Qasr Al Bint – the temple dedicated to Dushara and the Great Temple are located. Everywhere you look, there is something happening – there are shops, locals offering donkey rides to carry tourists up and down the stairs, it smells of fire and incense when you pass over the shops where locals are preparing tea. As you arrive into the valley, you start seeing camels, ready for a ride towards the tombs and in retrospect, that would have been an amazing experience – this Bedouins know their business.
The view from the ancient columns of the Great Temple towards the royal tombs was splendid, it was around 15:00 and the colors of the rock were magnificent – for me, this is the best view in Petra.
My favorite view of Petra, this is getting on my wall
The trek to the Treasury:
We’ve decided to get closer to the tombs and to adventure on the trail that takes to the panoramic view of the Treasury. From this path we could see the entire valley – on one side the Temples, the tombs scattered on every rock and the Theatre and on the other side Wadi Musa town.
I really wanted to see the treasury from the Bedouin tent so we’ve continued our trek thinking it can’t be too far away. We were conscious that the site closes at 17:00 during winter time but certain for some reason that there is a another path to takes us down to the Siq.
We’ve got there after 20 minutes – there is no path – only rocks everywhere you look. We had a drink at the Bedouin place and enjoyed the Treasury view from above. I was really thrilled that we’ve managed to have our first view from above, even though the light and colors of the rocks are not so good in the evening.
Very soon it was time to leave this beautiful place. As we came out of the tent at 16:40, there were no signs and no other paths so we had to go back the way we came, taking us around an hour to get back to the visitor center without any stops. It was all worth it to have the site all by yourself – there were no locals left, no shops open and more importantly, almost no tourists ( we left behind a group of 4 adults and around 7 children of all ages that I’ve been admiring for their courage and lifestyle ever since and probably will remain in my memory forever; and there was another guy that was in front of us trying to exist as soon as possible).
My partner already panicked, he had read that we should not remain on the site outside opening hours and he was determined to get out as fast as possible but I was really pleased – this is one of the best things that could have happen – everything was so peaceful, the moon was over the Royal Tombs lightning our path until we entered the Siq.
Once out, and with no one questioning us, we’ve started laughing thinking that in less than 2 hours we will be back for Petra by night.
Yes, you should do Petra by night!
Should I do Petra by night? Is it worth it? Walking in silence through the Siq, expecting to see the Treasury after every corner and finally arriving, marveling at all the lights showing just enough of the beauty of the Treasury, taking a seat and serving hot tea, waiting for the music to begin while trying to be mindful of the entire experience… yes, it was worth it.
What would I have done instead? Stay in the hotel to relax? Well, I’ll have time to relax when I get back to Aqaba.
Adventure on the Siq as early as possible!
Second day we’ve done the usual route, I did want to get there as early as possible but we were too tired and when travelling in 2 you do make concessions. We’ve managed to start the route to the Treasury at 8:15 and it was already full of tourists and I was so happy I’ve managed to enjoy the site the way we did the previous day. But walking the Siq in the morning towards the Treasury it’s unforgettable and anyone should have this experience.
The light makes the rocks look so pretty and it’s exciting to walk the narrow corridor remembering that you’ve been there 3 times but all was in dark. Also, all the movement, the locals and donkeys and horse drawn- buggy ads to the experience, giving you an idea on how it must have been a long time ago on the time of the caravans.
We’ve enjoyed seeing the Treasury as we’ve got out of the Siq but it was full of tourists trying to get pictures and locals trying to make a living. It was less crowded when we got back and managed to take some good pictures.
The high place of sacrifice trail it’s a must!
We’ve moved on and started the High Place of Sacrifice trek, I think it was the best trek , so please, take your time and go up the stairs, you won’t regret it.
The views as you go higher:
The views from the beginning of Wadi al-Farash Trail- the higher you go the better the views
Don’t get scared by the stairs to the High Place of Sacrifice, the path to the top is very exciting – it was meant to be a procession route so the Nabateans created interesting elements for people to stop, enjoy and reflect on their way to the top.
Around 12:00 we were having tea at the view-point – the sun has just started to touch the Royal Tombs opposite us.
Have tea at one of the Bedouins tents
For those concerned about hygiene, have a Coke but do stop and relax. The Bedouins know the best views and you should stop for some time and relax taking within you these amazing places and create memories that last a lifetime.
Learn about the Bedouins society from a westerner
Once back on the main trail, we stopped for a pomegranate juice at one of the cafes overlooking the royal tombs – by far the most expensive drink in Jordan – 4 JOD a juice but it was fresh and refreshing. At this point I was more than happy with the time spent in Petra, I’ve taken enough mental pictures to make me happy when remembering our travel experience.
But there was one more thing – I have come across a book,“ Married with a Bedouin” written by a New Zealand lady about her life in Petra with her Bedouin husband. She’s still living in Wadi Musa and has a stall selling her book and jewelries in Petra so it was a no brainer that I shall buy the book from her and read it on my remaining lazy days in Aqaba.
For more details please visit her site – http://www.marriedtoabedouin.com/. It’s so nice reading about the places you’ve just visited in the book.
Visit at least for 2 days!
Is Petra the reason you’ve chosen to visit Jordan? If the answer is yes, then you must visit at least 2 days.
I plan my travel based on places that I read about, a film or an amazing photo that impresses me. In this case, the initial reason to visit Jordan was Petra, so it was only fair to give it enough time and thought so we planned 2 days. Looking back now, I would have enjoyed an extra day, there were a few places that I’ve missed and some places that I would have liked to revisit not to mention that there are so many trekking opportunities outside the main trails. That’s me, but my partner for example was quite happy with 2 days.
Choose a hotel close to the entrance!
We left Wadi Rum for Petra and in around 1h and 30 min we arrived to Wadi Musa. The city is larger than I expected and it’s basically linked to the Visitor Center so access and safety shouldn’t be a problem.
However, a location close to the entrance can make your life much easier – from Visitor Center to the Treasury is a 45 minutes walk, it’s very exciting when going in, but a bit of a pain after an entire day trekking. When I checked the map before booking our accommodation, I thought that Movenpick is the closest and cutest, it is close but it’s not the only one and it’s not that cute to deserve the premium rates. If you want to spoil yourself better choose Petra Guest House, it looked like an Arabian dream and it was inside Petra.
We’ve chosen to stay in “La Maison” and it was all we needed, clean and good location, less than 5 min to the Visitor Center and with a supermarket with good prices.
There is a mosque near Movenpick hotel so be prepared to be awaken at 5 AM by the calls to prayer. I wasn’t bothered at all since I wanted to wake up as early as possible but you might want to bring some year plugs.
Avoid the heat!
The weather cannot be controlled so don’t stress too much about it, you’re there for the fun of travelling so embrace it. But be smart about it, if you don’t like heat, don’t visit in August and if you don’t want to be too cold, don’t visit in January.
We’ve visited second week of November and the weather was great – it was sunny but not too hot so we could go up and down on the different hills and treks without being bothered by the heat. However, on the day we had our flight( 4 days before we visited), there was flooding in Petra causing the evacuation of around 3000 visitors and the site closure for the following day. Given the circumstances, we were quite lucky to have no rain and excellent temperature, even for Petra by night. But flooding, though a possibility, should be an exception and I think November is quite a good month for trekking in Petra.
Just for reference, the maximum during the day was around 16- 18 degrees but very enjoyable for trekking – several times during our trek we’ve been very appreciative of the lovely weather.
Plan your visit!
Everyone is different and has their own objectives on holidays. In my case, I’m driven by my passion of history, love of trekking and desire to enrich my life with fabulous experiences.
Learn about the Nabateans as much as you can – you’ll than be able to spot different elements during your trek and understand what you’re visiting. I always learn about the different places that we visit and while visiting, I tell my partner the different facts that I’ve learnt about. He loves it!
Besides understanding the place, prepare for what you’re going to do. I’ve read a lot about trekking in Petra on the internet, watched several you tube videos and read a guide-book from the library, and finally decided my route: the back door entry with Jabhal al- Khubtha on the first day represented in yellow and main trail with High place of Sacrifice represented in blue.
It was build and reached its heights under the Nabateans, was ruled by Romans for 200 years and then abandoned by foreign powers and only known by local Bedouins, only to be rediscovered in 1812 by an western adventurer.
Petra flourished due to its location – at the cross roads between Egypt and Mesopotamia.
During biblical era, Petra was under Israelites rules and after their kingdom collapsed Petra passed from Assyrian to Babylonian to Persian hands.
The Nabateans
The first mention of Nabateans was in 647 BC – a tribe of Bedouin nomads that migrated out of the Arabian desert to the lusher and more temperate mountains of Edom. Since the hills above Petra were occupied by Edomites, the Nabateans moved into the valley floor. At first they would raid the plentiful caravans passing through but soon moved to charging the merchants for safe passage and a place to do business.
Growth of Nabatean power: Over the following 2 centuries, the battling between Syria and Egypt for control of Alexander’s empire enabled the Nabateans to fill the power vacuum in the region and extend their kingdom far beyond Petra. By 80 BC they controlled Damascus.
Source: http://nabataea.net/trader.html
Petra grew ever more wealthy on its profits from trade standing between Egypt, Arabia and Syria, and between East Asia and Mediterranean. Nabatean power seemed limitless when Pompey sent troops against Petra in 62 BC, the Nabateans were able to buy peace from roman empire and continue its trade.
But the times have changed the trade patterns in favor of transport by sea. In addition, Romans were diverting inland trade through Palmyra in Syria.
In 105 AD the entire Nabatean kingdom passed peacefully into roman hands becoming a principal center in the new Provincia Arabia.
By 300 AD, with sea trade into Egypt well established and Palmyra raising in importance as an oasis in the eastern Syrian desert, Roman patronage began to drift away from the city and money followed.
By the time of Islamic Invasion around 700 AD, Petra was more or less deserted.
Around 1200 AD, the Crusaders had tiny outposts in Petra and as far as records show, the last person other than the locals Bedouins to see Petra for over 500 years was Mamluke sultan Baybars in 1276 in his way from Cairo to suppress a revolt in Karak.
On August 22, 1812 Swiss explorer Jean Louis Burckhardt entered the Siq in heavy Arab disguise in the company of a local guide.
During biblical era, Petra was under Israelites rules and after their kingdom collapsed Petra passed from Assyrian to Babylonian to Persian hands.
Power of Happy 