Aqaba Travel Forum

Hi, can anyone help.. I am ariving in Aqaba (for the first time) at the end of October, travelling with a friend and two children; 1. has anyone any suggestions about a hotel in Aqaba, estimated prices etc?? 2. How long does it take to get to Petra and realistically what is the best method and what are the costs, when one only has a day to see Petra? 3. the same question for Wadi Rum,(I have read about the necessary guides in Jordan Jubilee!)

Any other suggestions/information, much appreciated.
Thanks
Jenny

We stayed in Aqaba but for the life of me I can't remember the name of the hotel! I will have a look in my papers and see what I can come up with, as it was very central and clean and so on. However, there is also a Golden Tulip Hotel and the Petra Hotel. It takes about three hours to reach Petra and you must leave very early in the morning as you need a minimum of a full day for the basic site. If you want to go further away from the main centre of the site, then you will need much longer. How old are the children? The best way once you arrive at the Petra site is to walk in and walk out but it is about 2 km. However, the walking in and walking out through the suq is part of the Petra experience. You can hire a carriage or do it on horseback/camelback and you will be let off at the Treasury. If you decide to do it that way, then book for a return trip and the conveyance will be waiting for you at the Treasury. If you don't book, then if you want to take a method other than your feet back to the entrance, you will then pay a premium. Don't buy a guidebook before you go in, as the ones on sale within the site are cheaper. Don't know about the gents' but visit the ladies' where the first cafe is - the rock colouration is quite superb!!
P.S. Just found my Jordan papers - we stayed at the Golden Tulip!

Dear Jenny,

I leave in Jordan, & i work in a travel agency. Note that in Aqaba are 3*Aquamarina 2 Hotel, 4* Golden Tulip Hotel, 5* Movenpick & the best Intercontinental.From Aqaba to Petra 2 hours by car.For more information & assistance contact me at this adress: liliana@discovery1.com, so i can provide you with all needen information in details & rates.

Regards

Many thanks for your help, so I need to allow between 2-3 hours by car to get to Petra. My children are certainly not small - 15 and 12 respectively, and I am sure the ladies will be visited (thanks Hawkeshead), we will look out for the rock formations! And I will contact you Lilliana..

It seems that everything needs to be early in Jordan!! perhaps we should go to Petra the night before and stay there...

Jenny

If you can, then I would go to Petra the night before and then you can go to the site for opening time. Make sure you have a hotel near the entrance - Petra town is on an extremely steep hill (and some of the hotels are a long way from the entrance to the site) and once you have walked in, done the site, and walked out, really the last straw will be to have to trek up to the top of the hill!!