If there is a Shangri-La in the Middle Eastern Deserts, it is Petra, a fabulous city lost in time and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra is about 133 Km from Aqaba, and 260 Km from Amman. But, one of the best ways to approach is from Israel, from the Aravah border crossing. A drive takes you across Wadi Rum where you can admire its local attractions before proceeding to the ancient and historic site where time appears suspended.
The approach itself is the most impressive. You have to travel on horseback across a narrow pass for one kilometer. All of a sudden, you walk into a clearing and stare open mouthed at the majestically carved Treasury. The glorious Treasury is the starting point of a fantastic tour that will take you to over 800 monuments comprising of tombs, halls, temples, streets and water reservoirs all cut out of the local pink rock. Allow sufficient time for your Jordan Petra tour, because the site is quite extended and you will want to examine each monument in detail. Two days is the minimum you should allot for the Petra excursion, arriving there late evening and then starting the tour in the morning before sunrise, staying until the sunset. Both sunrise and sunset are glorious spectacles not to be missed when the monuments are bathed in a rosy light. You marvel at how the Nabataeans could have lived and worked in this seemingly inhospitable place and created a magnificent system of water supply, a testament to their engineering skills.
There is more to Jordan Petra tour than just the site itself. A visit to the nearby Wadi Rum is mandatory to know about Bedouin settlements, and to view some of the ancient Nabataean structures. After this is done, you can come back to the present and enjoy some wonderful moments in Aqaba, Jordan’s port city that offers plenty of adventure activities or relax on the beach.
For those on a budget, there is a one-day tour, but the best is a three-day Jordan Petra tour that gives you ample time to explore the vast site and also visit the other places in this ancient country.
Traveling on your own in any Middle Eastern country is full of hassles, and you could have trouble in communication, transport and accommodation. Your Jordan Petra tour becomes easy and a delightful experience when you join a guided tour organized by Mantis Tours.