Egypt and Jordan: it was truly amaazing!
Feb 18th, 2023 | 06:14 AM
#1
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Joined: Jan 2003
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Egypt and Jordan: it was truly amaazing!
Egypt and Jordan: it was truly amaazing!
It’s been several months and I still can’t believe that we were there! It truly was one of the most mind-blowing trips we’ve ever taken. The Pyramids! The Sphinx! Petra! I was overwhelmed by these remarkable sites! And yet, it was also the people we met that made the trip extra special.
Honestly, I was never one of those people who said that I had to go to Egypt, but when M says he’d like to go, I listen - and then I plan!
So once we decided to go to Egypt, we wondered, we’ll why not Jordan? If we’re including the ancients, why not Petra? And as I began to read about Jordan, I discovered that there was more there than just Petra. And so, the plan grew.
It has been a stressful few years, and I knew I didn’t want to do this without a lot of help, even though I am usually a DIY type of traveler. In places where the culture and language may be challenging for us, I like to work with local agents to provide drivers, guides and coordination for our trips.
I worked with a local agent in each country. In Jordan, we had a fantastic agent, William Khlief, of Champions Tours. You won’t find too many reviews on Trip Advisor as they are primarily a company that deals with corporate travel, but they do some individual planning. William was fantastic to deal with and always quick to respond. And the trip went perfectly and was great.
[email protected]
In Egypt, I worked with the well-established company, Djed Egypt. I opted to go with them because they have their own fleet of dahabiyas (traditional boats). After reading and hearing from others about their wonderful their experiences on the dahabiya, I knew I wanted to sail on one. Travelers can just book the cruise and organize the rest of their travel any way they want, but I wanted to keep the trip simple, so planned it all with Djed. On the ground, they were fantastic. However, communication was not great and it was often frustrating trying to plan because of this. Ultimately, it worked out wonderfully, but I had many moments during the planning that I was frustrated.
https://www.djedegypt.com
We left NYC on October 20 and arrived October 21, flying United. We flew from La Guardia to IAD, flying nonstop to Amman.
For our return, we flew Austrian (booked through United). When I saw I that we transited through Vienna, I was able to add a 3-night stop there for no additional money. It was a perfect transition stop.
I know I like to see itineraries right up front, so here it is:
Fly from NYC to Amman
Amman-3
Petra -3
Wadi Rum-1
Dead Sea/Movenpick -2
Fly to Cairo
Giza-3
Luxor -4
Dhabiya -4
Abu Simbel -1
Aswan - 2
Cairo -3
Fly to Vienna
Vienna -3
Flight home to NYC
It’s been several months and I still can’t believe that we were there! It truly was one of the most mind-blowing trips we’ve ever taken. The Pyramids! The Sphinx! Petra! I was overwhelmed by these remarkable sites! And yet, it was also the people we met that made the trip extra special.
Honestly, I was never one of those people who said that I had to go to Egypt, but when M says he’d like to go, I listen - and then I plan!
So once we decided to go to Egypt, we wondered, we’ll why not Jordan? If we’re including the ancients, why not Petra? And as I began to read about Jordan, I discovered that there was more there than just Petra. And so, the plan grew.
It has been a stressful few years, and I knew I didn’t want to do this without a lot of help, even though I am usually a DIY type of traveler. In places where the culture and language may be challenging for us, I like to work with local agents to provide drivers, guides and coordination for our trips.
I worked with a local agent in each country. In Jordan, we had a fantastic agent, William Khlief, of Champions Tours. You won’t find too many reviews on Trip Advisor as they are primarily a company that deals with corporate travel, but they do some individual planning. William was fantastic to deal with and always quick to respond. And the trip went perfectly and was great.
[email protected]
In Egypt, I worked with the well-established company, Djed Egypt. I opted to go with them because they have their own fleet of dahabiyas (traditional boats). After reading and hearing from others about their wonderful their experiences on the dahabiya, I knew I wanted to sail on one. Travelers can just book the cruise and organize the rest of their travel any way they want, but I wanted to keep the trip simple, so planned it all with Djed. On the ground, they were fantastic. However, communication was not great and it was often frustrating trying to plan because of this. Ultimately, it worked out wonderfully, but I had many moments during the planning that I was frustrated.
https://www.djedegypt.com
We left NYC on October 20 and arrived October 21, flying United. We flew from La Guardia to IAD, flying nonstop to Amman.
For our return, we flew Austrian (booked through United). When I saw I that we transited through Vienna, I was able to add a 3-night stop there for no additional money. It was a perfect transition stop.
I know I like to see itineraries right up front, so here it is:
Fly from NYC to Amman
Amman-3
Petra -3
Wadi Rum-1
Dead Sea/Movenpick -2
Fly to Cairo
Giza-3
Luxor -4
Dhabiya -4
Abu Simbel -1
Aswan - 2
Cairo -3
Fly to Vienna
Vienna -3
Flight home to NYC
Feb 19th, 2023 | 03:00 AM
#5
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,398
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Arrival in Amman went smoothly. We were met by, Ihab, an agent from Champions who was wonderful. The agent is able to expedite our visa quickly and we are soon out of the airport!
Ihab then brought us to our driver, Samir, a lovely man who took great care of us over the next week and more.
We opted to stay in Amman for the first 3 nights to adjust to the time difference and to do touring around the region. Although I had already gotten our plane tickets, I only started to plan the trip 4 months before we were to leave and I was surprised how expensive many of the hotels were. And, in the more popular places, such as Petra, many of the hotels were already booked.
Our hotel in Amman, the Ambassador, was a good mid range tourist/business hotel in the new part of town. For our tastes, a bit bland, but it was very comfortable and staff were gracious. There was nothing of note in the immediate vicinity and nowhere to walk, so we were dependent upon our driver to go anywhere. Meals, included in our hotel stays, were huge buffets for dinner and breakfast.
Saturday Oct 22
A visit to the Old Town! The citadel, Roman amphitheater, with a stop in the market, continuing on to the desert castles.
First day! Samir picked us up at 9:30 and we were off to the Old Town. First stop, the Citadel, an archeological site on the top of a hill in the center of Amman. This site was first settled in the Bronze Age and has been occupied and rebuilt during the Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad periods. The remains of the Roman Hercules Temple stands out, as well as large Umayyad Palace. We fully enjoyed the site as well as the views overlooking the city.
The Jordan Archeological museum, located at the Citadel, was also worth a bit of time, though our concentration was probably dropping by now.
We then stopped into the 2nd century Roman Theatre for a while, enjoying the people-watching. We loved seeing a man playing on a musical instrument that had been made from an olive oil can!
From there, we walked though the downtown, stopping for sugar cane at a local vendor (delicious!) and enjoyed walking through the fruit and vegetable market.
Our plan for the day was a bit ambitious and we then left the city to visit the desert castles to the east of Amman. It was a bit of a long drive and by now, our energy was flagging, so we limited the touring to one of the desert castles, the Qasr Amra. These are not really castles, but were built during under the Umayyad Caliphate, and served different purposes, such as inns for merchants or estates for the wealthy. The one we stopped to visit is a World heritage site and was impressive for its early Islamic paintings inside the building. Quite remarkable!
Traffic in and out of Amman is pretty bad and it takes a long time to get back, but we are ready to crash by the time we got back to the hotel.
Ihab then brought us to our driver, Samir, a lovely man who took great care of us over the next week and more.
We opted to stay in Amman for the first 3 nights to adjust to the time difference and to do touring around the region. Although I had already gotten our plane tickets, I only started to plan the trip 4 months before we were to leave and I was surprised how expensive many of the hotels were. And, in the more popular places, such as Petra, many of the hotels were already booked.
Our hotel in Amman, the Ambassador, was a good mid range tourist/business hotel in the new part of town. For our tastes, a bit bland, but it was very comfortable and staff were gracious. There was nothing of note in the immediate vicinity and nowhere to walk, so we were dependent upon our driver to go anywhere. Meals, included in our hotel stays, were huge buffets for dinner and breakfast.
Saturday Oct 22
A visit to the Old Town! The citadel, Roman amphitheater, with a stop in the market, continuing on to the desert castles.
First day! Samir picked us up at 9:30 and we were off to the Old Town. First stop, the Citadel, an archeological site on the top of a hill in the center of Amman. This site was first settled in the Bronze Age and has been occupied and rebuilt during the Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad periods. The remains of the Roman Hercules Temple stands out, as well as large Umayyad Palace. We fully enjoyed the site as well as the views overlooking the city.
The Jordan Archeological museum, located at the Citadel, was also worth a bit of time, though our concentration was probably dropping by now.
We then stopped into the 2nd century Roman Theatre for a while, enjoying the people-watching. We loved seeing a man playing on a musical instrument that had been made from an olive oil can!
From there, we walked though the downtown, stopping for sugar cane at a local vendor (delicious!) and enjoyed walking through the fruit and vegetable market.
Our plan for the day was a bit ambitious and we then left the city to visit the desert castles to the east of Amman. It was a bit of a long drive and by now, our energy was flagging, so we limited the touring to one of the desert castles, the Qasr Amra. These are not really castles, but were built during under the Umayyad Caliphate, and served different purposes, such as inns for merchants or estates for the wealthy. The one we stopped to visit is a World heritage site and was impressive for its early Islamic paintings inside the building. Quite remarkable!
Traffic in and out of Amman is pretty bad and it takes a long time to get back, but we are ready to crash by the time we got back to the hotel.
Feb 19th, 2023 | 03:24 AM
#6
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,398
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King Abdullah Mosque
View from the citadel
Roman Temple of Hercules
Roman Temple of Hercules
Roman Temple of Hercules
Roman Temple of Hercules
Reconstructed eastern gate of Umayyad mosque
Umayyad Palace
Umayyad Palace
Umayyad Palace Interior
Hercules’ hand
Roman theater
Roman theater
Roman theater - musician playing olive can instrument!
Old town street
Fruit and vegetable market
Fruit and vegetable market
Fruit and vegetable market
Fruit and vegetable market
Feb 19th, 2023 | 03:35 AM
#7
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Desert Castle (or Palace) - Qasr (Qusayr) Amra
https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibition...ts/qusayr-amra
https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibition...ts/qusayr-amra
Last edited by progol; Feb 19th, 2023 at 04:24 AM.
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Feb 19th, 2023 | 04:26 AM
#8
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,398
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Sunday October 23
A castle stop and a Roman city!
Our second full day! And it was (quite full, that is). Again, we were picked up at 9:30am - Samir is a wonderful companion, a great driver and very reliable. He really made our visit to Jordan - personal interactions go a long way to making our travels wonderful experiences.
Samir takes us through many back roads, avoiding traffic where we can. After an hour’s drive, we stopped at Ajloun Castle, a castle built by during the reign of Saladin in 1184 to block crusaders into the Jordan Valley. Very little remains of the original fortress, but from the top, there are good views of the countryside.
We stopped for lunch in the town of Jerash. We had told Samir that we didn’t want to eat in any typical tourist restaurant, preferring to eat in a local place. And that’s exactly what we did. We ate in a hole-in-the-wall place, sitting on plastic chairs, but had the BEST food, consisting of falafel, salad, olives, and bean spread. Samir had picked up some freshly baked bread and we feasted! It was one of our favorite meals of the trip!
After lunch, we were off to Jerash, a wonderful ancient Roman site. It’s one of the largest and best preserved Roman cities outside of Italy and we had a great time exploring the city. Samir arranged for a guide, Anis, who was smart and funny and provided an excellent overview. We enjoyed the site a lot. Some of the notable features are Hadrian’s Arch, built to honor the emperor; the cardio maximus, the colonnaded street is amazing; the round forum; and the theaters. We sat for a while in the North theater, entertained by a presentation of bagpipes and drums. The pipers are retired military men, who played in Jordanian Army’s marching band but I was amazed to learn that the pipes were originally brought by a British general of the Transjordanian Arab League in the 1920s. A great few hours at this site - a must see if visiting Jordan.
After touring, we stopped by Champions’ office to meet with William. He graciously treated Samir and us to dinner at a topnotch restaurant, Tawaheen Al-Hawa, popular with locals and tourists alike. It was an amazing feast, with much more food than we could eat, but it was so good and the service was incredible. It was a great end to our day.
A castle stop and a Roman city!
Our second full day! And it was (quite full, that is). Again, we were picked up at 9:30am - Samir is a wonderful companion, a great driver and very reliable. He really made our visit to Jordan - personal interactions go a long way to making our travels wonderful experiences.
Samir takes us through many back roads, avoiding traffic where we can. After an hour’s drive, we stopped at Ajloun Castle, a castle built by during the reign of Saladin in 1184 to block crusaders into the Jordan Valley. Very little remains of the original fortress, but from the top, there are good views of the countryside.
We stopped for lunch in the town of Jerash. We had told Samir that we didn’t want to eat in any typical tourist restaurant, preferring to eat in a local place. And that’s exactly what we did. We ate in a hole-in-the-wall place, sitting on plastic chairs, but had the BEST food, consisting of falafel, salad, olives, and bean spread. Samir had picked up some freshly baked bread and we feasted! It was one of our favorite meals of the trip!
After lunch, we were off to Jerash, a wonderful ancient Roman site. It’s one of the largest and best preserved Roman cities outside of Italy and we had a great time exploring the city. Samir arranged for a guide, Anis, who was smart and funny and provided an excellent overview. We enjoyed the site a lot. Some of the notable features are Hadrian’s Arch, built to honor the emperor; the cardio maximus, the colonnaded street is amazing; the round forum; and the theaters. We sat for a while in the North theater, entertained by a presentation of bagpipes and drums. The pipers are retired military men, who played in Jordanian Army’s marching band but I was amazed to learn that the pipes were originally brought by a British general of the Transjordanian Arab League in the 1920s. A great few hours at this site - a must see if visiting Jordan.
After touring, we stopped by Champions’ office to meet with William. He graciously treated Samir and us to dinner at a topnotch restaurant, Tawaheen Al-Hawa, popular with locals and tourists alike. It was an amazing feast, with much more food than we could eat, but it was so good and the service was incredible. It was a great end to our day.
Feb 19th, 2023 | 04:47 AM
#9
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,398
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View from Ajloun castle
Overview of Castle
Ajloun castle Interior
Ajloun castle - exploring the many nooks and crannies!
Ajloun castle
Ajloun castle
Ajloun castle
Ajloun castle
A wonderful meal! Not fancy but so good!
Delicious food!
Feb 19th, 2023 | 05:41 AM
#10
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,398
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Jerash
Walkway beside the hippodrome
Hadrian’s Gate
Hadrian’s Gate
The oval plaza. Our guide referred to it as the round forum
The oval plaza
In the plaza
The acanthus leaf, which is carved into the top of the columns
Overlooking the oval plaza
Overlooking the oval plaza
Inside the south theater
Bagpipes and drums!
South theater
Jerash views
Along the colonnaded street
Nymphaeum
The cathedral
Arch leading to South Gate
Walkway beside the hippodrome
Hadrian’s Gate
Hadrian’s Gate
The oval plaza. Our guide referred to it as the round forum
The oval plaza
In the plaza
The acanthus leaf, which is carved into the top of the columns
Overlooking the oval plaza
Overlooking the oval plaza
Inside the south theater
Bagpipes and drums!
South theater
Jerash views
Along the colonnaded street
Nymphaeum
The cathedral
Arch leading to South Gate
Last edited by progol; Feb 19th, 2023 at 05:45 AM.
Feb 19th, 2023 | 12:33 PM
#14
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,398
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Monday October 24
Mosaics, stunning views and another castle
We’re off to Petra today - or more correctly out, to Wadi Musa, the village in which the star attraction, Petra, is located. But we have a long day ahead of us before we arrive at our destination.
Our first stop is Madaba, “the City of Mosaics”. We stopped to see the very popular mosaic map of Jerusalem and other holy sites on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of Sr.George. And it is very popular. There were a lot of crowds standing around the map (which is roped off) and it was very hard to read. The experience was sadly underwhelming.
We continued on to Mt. Nebo. This is thought to be the site where Moses is said to have seen the promised land before he died and is an important religious site. I found it surprisingly moving, though I’m not especially religious. But the location, with the views over the Jordan Valley, seeing where Jerusalem, Jericho and the Dead Sea are located, really touched me. There are some wonderful mosaics in the Memorial church of Moses Clare’s on the site. I’m so glad we visited Mt. Nebo; this stop surpassed expectations.
Driving down the Kings Highway, once an important ancient trade route in the Near East, the scenery becomes dramatic, hugging the curving road and overlooking the desert hills and mountains. We stopped at a well-sited viewpoint, had cups of of tea and enjoyed the vistas of this ancient land.
We continue on, stopping at Karak Castle, another Crusader stronghold when it was built in 1142. By the end of the 12th century, Saladin’s armies besieged Karak, and was then ruled by the Mamluk Sultan. The castle dates back to the Roman era, and was significantly expanded and fortified during the Crusader period in the 12th century. It was used by various rulers throughout the centuries, including the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the British.
After a long drive, we finally arrive in Wadi Musa, but known to us as Petra. We stayed in the Petra Elite Hotel, located at the top of one of the hills overlooking the valley and the town. I was initially disappointed as it’s nowhere near the site, and it’s too far to walk into town, but over the 3 nights we were there, I came to like and appreciate it. It’s a very well-run small hotel. The staff were outstanding and the personal connections we had made it very special. Dinner and breakfast was provided (huge buffets!).
I know I mentioned it before, but I truly was surprised to discover how busy the hotels were when I started to book 4-5 months before our trip.The popular ones closer to town were all booked or behind my budget. Having a driver who shepherded us around made this an excellent place to stay, though it is a little bit of a walk if you want to wander around.
Mosaics, stunning views and another castle
We’re off to Petra today - or more correctly out, to Wadi Musa, the village in which the star attraction, Petra, is located. But we have a long day ahead of us before we arrive at our destination.
Our first stop is Madaba, “the City of Mosaics”. We stopped to see the very popular mosaic map of Jerusalem and other holy sites on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of Sr.George. And it is very popular. There were a lot of crowds standing around the map (which is roped off) and it was very hard to read. The experience was sadly underwhelming.
We continued on to Mt. Nebo. This is thought to be the site where Moses is said to have seen the promised land before he died and is an important religious site. I found it surprisingly moving, though I’m not especially religious. But the location, with the views over the Jordan Valley, seeing where Jerusalem, Jericho and the Dead Sea are located, really touched me. There are some wonderful mosaics in the Memorial church of Moses Clare’s on the site. I’m so glad we visited Mt. Nebo; this stop surpassed expectations.
Driving down the Kings Highway, once an important ancient trade route in the Near East, the scenery becomes dramatic, hugging the curving road and overlooking the desert hills and mountains. We stopped at a well-sited viewpoint, had cups of of tea and enjoyed the vistas of this ancient land.
We continue on, stopping at Karak Castle, another Crusader stronghold when it was built in 1142. By the end of the 12th century, Saladin’s armies besieged Karak, and was then ruled by the Mamluk Sultan. The castle dates back to the Roman era, and was significantly expanded and fortified during the Crusader period in the 12th century. It was used by various rulers throughout the centuries, including the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the British.
After a long drive, we finally arrive in Wadi Musa, but known to us as Petra. We stayed in the Petra Elite Hotel, located at the top of one of the hills overlooking the valley and the town. I was initially disappointed as it’s nowhere near the site, and it’s too far to walk into town, but over the 3 nights we were there, I came to like and appreciate it. It’s a very well-run small hotel. The staff were outstanding and the personal connections we had made it very special. Dinner and breakfast was provided (huge buffets!).
I know I mentioned it before, but I truly was surprised to discover how busy the hotels were when I started to book 4-5 months before our trip.The popular ones closer to town were all booked or behind my budget. Having a driver who shepherded us around made this an excellent place to stay, though it is a little bit of a walk if you want to wander around.
Feb 19th, 2023 | 01:19 PM
#15
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Madaba
St. George church
Madaba Mosaic map, part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine Church of St. George
Madaba Mosaic map, part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine Church of St. George
Madaba Mosaic map, part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine Church of St. George
Church arch with mosaic
Some of the mosaics hung in the church
Some of the mosaics hung in the church
Some of the mosaics hung in the church
A poster showing the mosaic and what it depicts
St. George church
Madaba Mosaic map, part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine Church of St. George
Madaba Mosaic map, part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine Church of St. George
Madaba Mosaic map, part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine Church of St. George
Church arch with mosaic
Some of the mosaics hung in the church
Some of the mosaics hung in the church
Some of the mosaics hung in the church
A poster showing the mosaic and what it depicts
Feb 19th, 2023 | 04:03 PM
#16
Joined: Jan 2008
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Fascinating poster above Progol. Love that kind of History. Great also to see Jerash, a site that one does not find on forums every day.
Fave foto thus far: your shawled shopper woman in the market.
You also came away with a pair of really good 'couple' shots featuring the two of you.
Would love to have heard that olive-can stringed instrument. In your opinion, was he a skilled musician?
I am done. The dunez
Fave foto thus far: your shawled shopper woman in the market.
You also came away with a pair of really good 'couple' shots featuring the two of you.
Would love to have heard that olive-can stringed instrument. In your opinion, was he a skilled musician?
I am done. The dunez
Feb 19th, 2023 | 05:03 PM
#17
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Posts: 7,398
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Many thanks, zebec! We were overwhelmed by the many layers of history on this trip. I really was surprised by how much the connection to even the biblical history touched me as I am not at all observant.
And give me a market place and I’m happy taking photos! Happily, no one seemed to be bothered by my doing so, though, hopefully, I’m not in anyone’s face.
And we were both impressed by the music played on the olive oil can!
And give me a market place and I’m happy taking photos! Happily, no one seemed to be bothered by my doing so, though, hopefully, I’m not in anyone’s face.
And we were both impressed by the music played on the olive oil can!
Feb 19th, 2023 | 05:12 PM
#18
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The King’s Highway, Mount Nebo and oh, those views!
Welcome to Mount Nebo
View from Mount Nebo
View along the Kings Highway
Mosaics in the Memorial church of Moses
Mosaics
Mosaics
Mosaics in the church
Mosaics in the church
Mosaics in the church
Mosaics
Mosaics
Viewpoint stop along the Kings Highway
Viewpoint stop along the Kings Highway - M with our driver, Samir
Welcome to Mount Nebo
View from Mount Nebo
View along the Kings Highway
Mosaics in the Memorial church of Moses
Mosaics
Mosaics
Mosaics in the church
Mosaics in the church
Mosaics in the church
Mosaics
Mosaics
Viewpoint stop along the Kings Highway
Viewpoint stop along the Kings Highway - M with our driver, Samir
Feb 19th, 2023 | 05:29 PM
#19
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,398
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Karak Castle
(aka Kerak Castle)
Arriving at the castle
Just to say we were here!
Exploring the perimeter
Kerak castle viewpoint
Approaching the site
Its siting made it a good fortress and a great place to view the approaching enemy
Minaret viewed from castle
Interior
Interior
Saladin statue
Along the road
First overview of Petra!
(aka Kerak Castle)
Arriving at the castle
Just to say we were here!
Exploring the perimeter
Kerak castle viewpoint
Approaching the site
Its siting made it a good fortress and a great place to view the approaching enemy
Minaret viewed from castle
Interior
Interior
Saladin statue
Along the road
First overview of Petra!
