Jordan: Exploring the Lost City of Petra

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

To put it simply: Petra = wow.

You may or may not recall that I spent a week in Jordan last summer, after having run with the bulls in Spain, explored Israel, and before embarking on a grand tour of Scandinavia and Western Europe by bus, boat, and train. (It was a busy summer.)

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I travelled to 20 countries last year(!) and Jordan was unsurprisingly one of my favourites, due in large part to Petra.  For those not in the know, Petra is an ancient city believed to have been established as early as 312 BC (yes, you’re reading that correctly).  Home to the Nabateans, an ancient civilization hailing from Northern Arabia, knowledge of Petra was essentially lost to the Western world until 1812, when it was rediscovered by a Swiss explorer by the name of Bruckhardt.

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Now one of the Middle East’s most visited attractions, Petra is enormous, epic, and ridiculously impressive. Liebling and I rented a car in the south of the country (I highly recommend it as rentals are cheap, roads in Jordan are good, and parking is never an issue) and drove it to Wadi Musa, the town nearest to Petra.

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We stayed in the aptly named Petra Moon Hotel, which is literally at the doorstep of Petra’s Visitor Centre – we were able walk there in five minutes!  Besides the great location, the hotel was relatively inexpensive, spotless, and had a small rooftop pool which provided a much-needed respite from the searing heat.

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Which brings me to my advice for visiting Petra: stay nearby and go there EARLY.  Petra’s steadily increasing popularity amongst travellers means that crowds are imminent. Luckily, since our hotel was so close to Petra’s entrance, we were able get up early and walk there just as the gates were opening, which meant that we were virtually the only tourists on-site for the first half hour or so.  As a result we managed to get some really good unobstructed views!

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Another nugget: keep hydrated and slather on the sunscreen.  We were there in July and it was hot as Hades – I swear I could have fried an egg on the dirt paths that stretched endlessly before me.  We had heard of people suffering heat stroke and horrible sun burns so we equipped ourselves accordingly.  Also be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes as you will walk a lot!  The grounds are so extensive that we didn’t see everything.

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Petra is a massive, sprawling city whose giant buildings will make you feel miniscule in comparison. What struck me even more than the sheer size of the buildings was the fact that the Nabateans built all these structures without modern machinery. How the heck did they do it?

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The only thing that bothered me about Petra was the exorbitant entrance fee.  I’ve already ranted about how ridiculously expensive visiting Macchu Pichu in Peru was; I was equally dismayed by the hefty $55 USD entry fee to Petra.  Food is also insanely expensive inside Petra- I strongly recommend bringing a picnic lunch if you can!

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Cost aside, you must go see Petra with your own eyes.  I know people often shy away from travelling in the Middle East, but as I wrote a few months ago, you shouldn’t let overblown, xenophobic news reports/ media accounts stop you from seeing the world. Jordan is relatively safe, has stunning sights, and the kindest people you’ll ever meet. Make it your next trip!

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What do you think of Petra?  Have you ever been to the Middle East?  If not, what’s stopping you?

 

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54 Comments

  • Omg! These pictures are out of this world, the earthy tones are majestic! I don’t know how you do it girl, 20 countries in a year. One word: WOW!

    • I don’t know!! I was exhausted at the end of the year from so much travel!

  • I can’t believe you had the place to yourselves!!! How romantic! LOVE your hotel room!!!

    • We were really lucky! I think that going in low season also made a huge difference.

  • bookmarking this!! The hotel, Petra, absolutely amazing! I’ve always wanted to travel to the middle east, Jordan has really positioned itself well. Good to know prices are not that expensive, Jordan is definitely on the travel list.

  • I remember seeing this place in the third Indiana Jones film. Looks absolutely stunning and totally on my hit list.
    Poor Leibling looks like he is gonna melt in that photo.

  • Petra has been on my to-travel-to-list since I first saw a picture of it! To hear it is just as stunning as it looks got me even more excited to go there someday (soon)! Can’t wait to see Petra for myself! Amazing photos!

    • It’s very very cool. As a photographer, you’ll LOVE it Jarmo!

  • Pretty awesome right. I enjoyed my visit last summer too and endorse the going early part. It makes such a bug difference.

    • It really does. In the afternoon when we were leaving it was packed (and hot).

  • Wow is right!! I really want to go there, too – I’m heading to Israel this year so perhaps I will get to visit Jordan as well. I will definitely look into that hotel and your other recommendations!

    • You should go to Jordan, it’s not far from Israel at all!

  • I have never been to Petra, but I am dreaming about going for years now! I recently told my boyfriend that visiting Jordan and Petra is one of the first things that I want to do after moving back to Europe (whenever this may be)!!

  • I’ve heard great things about Jordan, and Petra is definitely a must – especially after seeing your amazing pics! I was in Turkey in 2011, and I can vouch that Middle Eastern hospitality is amazing – something I’m definitely not used to here in Los Angeles.

  • You said you came from the South. Did you come from Eilat? I spent a good amount of time in Israel last year but did not make it to Petra. One of the main factors was that I read that getting a taxi ride is a rip off. Did you choose to rent a car because it was a similar price to taking a taxi? I just didn’t want to deal with the “taxi mafia”. I might try to go to Petra from Amman instead the next time I’m over there.

  • Oneika! This is so, so exciting that you’re in Jordan! I am writing a novel set in Petra. Gorgeous photos! I’m totally living vicariously through them and your beautiful words before my trip to Jordan next spring. Have an amazing time while you’re there! 😀

  • That last picture of the camel is ace ;-D

    I didn’t realise there were places to stay so close to the visitor’s centre, good to know for those of us who haven’t been to Petra (yet). Thanks for sharing this!

  • I was there last november (2015) for 3 days, a dream come true, one of the most beautiful sites ever. Walked everywhere from early morning until sunset, even went to the night show with candles along the siq and in front of the Treasury. Again, beautiful!!!

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