Angkor Wat vs Petra

Having visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Petra in Jordan, I couldn't help asking myself which one I like more. Reason is because both ancient wonders share similar characteristics like ancient monuments and temples that leave traces of the great civilisations they once were.

If you're not sure what's Angkor Wat and Petra, here they are:

Angkor Wat in Cambodia

Petra in Jordan

Both are equally breathtaking, huh?

Looking at the photos I couldn't help reminiscing the time I stepped foot onto the grounds of Angkor Wat and Petra for the first time. Being physically present in those places just blew my mind.

I also came up with this comparison table:

Having looked at the photos, reminisced my experiences and comparing both places from various aspects, I realised I can't decide which I like more because despite their similarities, both Angkor Wat and Petra has its own mesmerising spell that will hook any visitor who steps foot there. It's an exprience that cannot be described in words.

So there you have it - I remain a person undecided.

What about you? Which do you like better - Angkor Wat or Petra?

Review: Farah Hotel in Amman - Friendly English-Speaking Staff, Good Tour Packages

Farah Hotel was one of the hotels we stayed in during our trip to Jordan. The hotel is located in Downtown Amman and within walking distance to the Citadel, Roman Theatre, shops and restaurants. All its staff can speak English and are helpful.

A flight of stairs leads to Farah Hotel.

We were attracted to stay at Farah Hotel mainly because of the various tour packages it offers. Sure saved us a whole lot of trouble had we travelled to these places on our own.

       We joined the Dead Sea tour (JD 17.00) that took us to Madaba, Mt Nebo, Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan and the Dead Sea. Can you spot the tour in the photo above?

                          Write your name under the tour that you wish to join one day before.



Farah Hotel offers a range of rooms from privates to dorms. Because the Jordanian Dinar is super huge (equivalent to the Euro!), we had to save every penny for Petra. So we opted for the female dorm that costs JD 5.00/person/night.

Since it was a female dorm, I could sleep soundly cause no one farted or made funny noises like when I slept in a mix dorm in Bath, England.

We stayed in the female dorm for JD 5.00/person/night.

Bathrooms and toilets were located outside the dorm. Most of the bathrooms were clean with the exception of a few toilets that stank with human excrement.

One guest even yelled at the staff for not cleaning up the mess. The mess was left there throughout the couple of days that we stayed there! So yeah, the guest had every right to yell.

                                          This is one of the cleaner toilets in Farah Hotel.


Like most hostels or backpackers joint, the hotel has internet, laundry, international phone calls, etc. They also sell hot and cold beverages. Take a look at the list of services and items and their prices:

If you feel that the prices are too expensive, there's a small shop opposite Farah Hotel that sells hot and cold beverages and sandwiches for a cheaper price.

But don't tell them I told you.

                                  Enjoy a cup of coffee at the little shop opposite Farah Hotel.

6 Tips Before Visiting Petra

Petra is one of the most magnificent sites in the Middle East.

It was built by the Nabatean people who were ancient Arab tribes originally from the Arabian Peninsular. They created this city of temples and tombs by half-building and half-carving it into the reddish sandstone.

Situated at the crossroads between the East and the West, Petra was a major trading centre for incense, silk and spices. It began to prosper from the first century BC and had a population of more than 30,000 people in its glory days.

Petra is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and was voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007.

If you're planning to visit Petra to marvel at how ancient carving and building skills could create something so outstanding, read these 6 tips to make the most of your time there.

Tip 1: One day is not enough

It would be a shame to travel all the way to Petra and spend only one day marvelling at the main sites like the Treasury and the Monastery (Ad-Deir). Get the 2-day pass so that you'll have ample time to explore the main sites, tombs, museums and trails. And if you're really gung-ho, then get the 3-day pass.

Tickets are sold at the Petra Visitors Centre at the entrance of the park.

There are various passes available depending on the duration of your trip. Click here for the latest ticket prices. I was lucky to visit Petra in October 2010, cause prices went up one month after that.

The centre only accepts cash. So you can't depend on Visa or Mastercard if you're cash strapped.

Remember to bring along your passport for the ticket seller to print your name on the ticket like this.

Tip 2: Arrive early in the morning

Try to get to the Treasury early in the morning cause this is where visitors love to take photos while standing in front of it. In case you don't know, this is the Treasury:

If you can reach the Treasury early, you'll have the whole place to yourself and can snap as many photos as you want without too many people in it.

The main trail from the entrance of the park to Qasar al-Bint is 4km long, with the Treasury smack in the middle. So plan your time accordingly.


Tip 3: Wear sturdy sandals

Petra is a sandy place, so sandals are a better option compared to covered footwear. We all know how irritating it is to have sand in our footwear, which is even more difficult to get rid off.

If you're planning to do some hiking, make sure your sandals are sturdy enough to endure the terrains and long walks.

I wore a pair of ballet flats and regretted it. But when I saw some ladies wearing heels, it made me feel better, hahaha.

                                          The sandy terrains of Colonnaded Street.


Tip 4: Be prepared to walk, walk and walk

See how far we walked. Photos courtesy of Aud.

A complimentary horse ride from the park entrance to the Treasury is included in the ticket. However, the guide told us that we would need to give baksheesh (tips) to the horse owner when you reach the Treasury.

Note that if you take the 2-day or 3-day pass, only 1 ride is complimentary. However, there are many horses and carriages for hire. A ride is approximately JD 25 (depending on your barganing skills).

Tip 5: Explore the hidden trails

Most people would just follow the main trail from the park entrance to the Treasury and then to the museums which are located towards the back of the park. But let me tell you a secret - the offbeaten trails are the ones that gives you the best views like this: 

It was a torturous 2-hour climb to this spot cause there were no proper paths (or so we thought). On our way down we found a defined trail that we had overlooked. Talk about irony. Look at my ballet flats. Pathetic, right?

Click here for a list of trails you could explore in Petra.


Tip 6: Bring your own food and drink

Hiking the off beaten trails may take a couple of hours which may eat (no pun intended) into your meal times. So bring your own food and drinks to quell hunger pangs. You can sit and admire the sights and wonders of Petra as you chomp into your food.

Packing your own meals is also an economical option, especially for budget travellers.

Petra Trail

If you're researching for a trip to Petra, you may find this map useful.

This map is distributed to all visitors at the Petra Visitor's Centre when you buy the tickets.

More to come about my adventures in Petra ...

Review: Valentine Inn in Petra, Jordan

Valentine Inn seems to be one of the more popular backpackers hostel in Wadi Musa, the area closest to Petra. This is probably due to it being mentioned in Lonely Planet that helps to sell its rooms and dorms like hot cakes.

Facade of Valentine Inn

The inn offers travel services like daily return transfers to Petra, tours to Wadi Rum, transport to Amman, etc.

But what sucks about the place are the people who run it, especially the lady boss who runs the place with an iron fist. She's the second wife of the owner, a bitch of the highest order and a racists. From my observations and experience, she tend to favour Caucasian tourists compared to Asians tourists whom she treats like low lifeforms.

Click here to read more negative comments about Valentine Inn posted by other travellers.

Ok, enough about bitchy innkeepers, and let's get back to the story.

We stayed in the 10-bed mix-dorm that costs JD 5.50 /pax/night:

The beds were so close to each other we didn't have any place to put our stuff. A side table for each bed would have been nice.

A guy was sleeping in the bed beside me and his girlfriend slept in the bed that was at the foot of his.

She kept staring at me that I wanted to ask if I had borrowed money from her. She probably thought I wanted to shag her bf cause our beds were so close.

But he snored like a jet plane taking off, and I don't think I wanna shag a guy like that, wth.

There was a common shower in the room for all 10 of us to fight it out.

Bathroom was clean.

If you wanna see Petra at night, you may opt for the Petra by Night tour that costs JD 12 each and you can book it through Valentine Inn. However, a few of the travellers who participated in this came back disappointed.

According to fellow traveller Kana, all the participants would gather at the entrance of Petra and walk together to the Treasury. The entire path from the entrance to the Treasury would be lit with candles.

Upon reaching the Treasury, everyone would be asked to sit down on the ground and local folk music would start blasting from the speakers. Of course the entire Treasury would be lighted with candles and combined with the folk music blasting from the speakers, well ... it adds to the atmosphere.

For some ... it was daylight robbery because they were expecting much more for that price.

As for myself, I was on a budget and therefore couldn't spare JD 12 for something like that. Moreover, visiting Petra during the day was enough for me.

Swimming in the Dead Sea

When I saw that the Dead Sea was going to be the last destination in the day-trip we booked through Farah Hotel in Amman, I didn't want to swim. I thought I would just sit and watch the rest of the people do so. Moreover I didn't bring my bikini.

But Audrey convinced me that since we were already there, might as well take a dip. After all, not many people can say they have swam in the Dead Sea.

So I went searching for a bikini the day before our trip. After much bargaining and drinking coffee with a friendly Palestinian shopkeeper in Amman, I managed to get a made-in-Italy bikini and pair of shorts for JD 6.

After visiting Madaba, Mount Nebo and Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan, we headed for one of the public beaches in the Dead Sea called Amman Beach Tourist Resort.

Entrance to the Amman Beach Tourist Resort is JD 15, which is freaking expensive. Moreoever we spent only 3 hours there. If you want to make your money's worth, spend an entire day there! But the risk is coming out looking like a prune, hehehe.

 

For the cut throat entrance fee of 15 JD, you also get to swim in a pool, and enjoy facililites like showers and changing rooms, which were quite clean.

Nice palm trees, don't you think?

The shore opposite is Israel. If I had the stamina I would have swam across the Dead Sea into Israel. But I would get arrested couse I wouldn't have my passport. And even if I had my passport, it's not valid in Israel :-) 

Now let's talk about swimming in the Dead Sea.

First of all, you've got to remember the 4 important instructions when swimming in the Dead Sea.

These instructions are extremely important that the authorities put them up at the entrance of the resort. Points number 3 and 4 are essential, trust me.

Because the salinity of the Dead Sea is extremely high, the water feels "thick" like sugar water - the kind that Starbucks serves in a small jug for you to add to coffee or whatever beverage you wish. 

You also can't possibly sink and drown. The only way you can drown is when someone holds your head down in the water.

If you have any cuts or open wounds, you will feel a stinging sensation.

And it's extremely painful when water gets into your eyes. If that happens, quickly come out of the water and shower. That is why I underscored Points 3 and 4 on the notice board - protect eyes and mouth from the water, and swim on your back.

That's me literally standing in deep waters. Only in the Dead Sea can I do that.

When I first entered the waters, it took me some time to get use to its thick consistency. And then I started wondering deeper into the middle of the lake (the Dead Sea is a lake, not a sea as its name suggests). Suddenly my feet couldn't feel the bottom and I started to panic!

But somehow I didn't sink. I looked down and could see that I was literally standing in deep waters like in the photo above. So imagine how salty the waters are.

Before we headed home I collected salt rocks which can be found along the shore. These made good souvenirs, and they are free. I always love free souvenirs!

The white powder are salt deposits on the shore of the Dead Sea.



Now I can cross off "Swim in the Dead Sea" from my "been-there-done-that" list.

Petra and the Movies

You must be wondering why did I name this blog post "Petra and the Movies".

Well, for starts, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was partly filmed in Petra.

And recently, even Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was also filmed there.

Those 2 movies probably created more awareness about this ancient Nabatean city. But what catapulted its popularity is because Petra has been voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007. So everyone wants to see a world wonder since the previous seven wonders (with the exception of the Pyramids at Giza) has all been destroyed one way or another.

Now coming back to the movies. Since Petra has Indy to thank for letting the world know of its existence, the people pay homage to Indy by naming their shops after him a.k.a. jumping on the business bandwagon. Take a look at these shops:

They even sell hats ala Indy for visitors who want to feel like the famous archeologist approaching the Treasury:

I didn't see anyone wearing any of these hats in Petra though. Maybe they didn't want the other visitors to laugh at them.

And amidst all the hype about Indy, the people have not forgotten to pay homage to other movies as well, like the most popular ship:

But my all time favourite has got to be this:

Guess who? Captain Jack Sparrow on a camel - in Petra!

If you don't know who Captain Jack Sparrow is, you must either:

1) not love movies; or

2) you were living on Planet Mars for the past decade

So now you know why I named this blog post "Petra and the Movies".

If you visit Petra, remember to keep your eyes open and notice all these popular movies, characters and memorabilia. They are all around you; you just need to be observant.

Damascus to Amman by Bus

Travelling from Damascus to Amman by bus is an economical option for budget travellers who are planning to travel between Syria and Jordan. The journey is approximately 3.5 hours long with hardly any hassle at the border.

Tickets must be bought one day in advance from Al Qadam station which is a short taxi ride from Damascus Old City. I don’t think we could have walked there as it looked quite far from Damascus Old City.

A one-way bus ticket from Damascus to Amman costs SYP 500 and we had to show our passports when purchasing them.

There are 2 buses to Amman in a day: 8.00am and 2.00pm. We chose the 8.00am bus cause we wanted to get to Amman when it’s still bright to navigate our way to Farah Hotel where we had reservations.

Al Qadam bus station

The next day we left Al-Kindi Hotel (where we stayed throughout our stay in Damascus) at 6.45am and took the cab to Al Qadam station. We were early and goofed around while waiting for the bus to arrive.

The bus arrived pronto at 7.30am and after loading our stuff into the luggage compartment, we were on our journey by 8.00am.

The bus that took us from Damascus to Amman 

At the Nassib Immigration Passport Centre, we got off the bus to fill up some forms; the usual stuff required at most borders.

Nassib Immigration Passport Centre at the Syrian side

All travellers had to pay SYP 500 for the Departure Coupon. I didn't have enough cash because I didn't expect to pay anything at the border. Didn't do enough research, I guess!

But thankfully Audrey had some Syrian Pound left and we managed to dig up enough to pay for the coupons.

At the Jaber Border (Jordan side), we had to get off the bus again and complete the usual border procedures.

My ticket agent said Malaysians usually don't have to pay for any visa upon entering Jordan. But he was wrong cause we had to pay JD 10 for a Visa-on-Arrival. Damn my agent!

Thankfully there were a few foreign exchange booths beside the immigration office where we changed our US Dollars into Jordanian Dinars.

In Amman, the bus dropped us off at a bus station that was under renovation. There were hardly any signages, so I can't tell which bus station it was. And we were too tired to ask around.

When we exited the station, a gentleman (whom we assumed to be a taxi driver) approached us and asked if we needed transport. He offered to take us to Farah Hotel for JD 1 each.

When he lead us to his car, I thought he was gonna rob us or something cause it was not a proper taxi but a private car. He could sense the confusion and informed us that he's a licensed tourist guide who's been licensed to ferry tourist from the bus station to wherever they wanna go.

Whether he was telling the truth or not, I don't know. But we arrived at Farah Hotel safely, and that was what's important.


Important to Remember ...

If you’re travelling from Damascus to Amman by bus, you’ll need to take note of the following:

1) The bus from Damascus to Amman leaves from Al Qadam bus station in Damascus.

2) A one-way ticket costs SYP 500 and must be bought one day in advance. You’ll need to show your passport and/or other travel documents to the ticket officer.

3) There are 2 buses in a day: 8.00am and 2.00pm and the journey is approximately 3.5 hours long.

4) There is a Departure Coupon (by Sea or Land) that you’ll need to fill up at the Nassib Immigration Passport Centre at the Syrian border, and you'll have to pay SYP 500 when you submit it to the officer.

5) Visa-on-Arrival at the Jasber Border in Amman costs JD 10.

Tickets to Syria and Jordan Bought at Matta Fair

Yesterday I spent the entire day at Matta Fair and Popular BookFest. Both fairs were held in separate locations - Matta Fair at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) and Popular BookFest at KL Convention Centre. But thanks to a comprehensive public transport system in KL, travelling between both places was a breeze.

My aim at Matta Fair was to get the cheapest tickets I could find for my upcoming trip to Syria and Jordan. It's usually my practise to get 2 or more quotations before deciding to buy anything. So I enquired at Dhesu Travel & Tours, World Discovery Travel, Emirates counter and finally Triways Travel Network.

I went to Dhesu Travel & Tours simply because there were not many people at their counter. The reservation & ticketing agent was helpful. After telling her my travel dates and destinations, she told me Emirates has a promo fair of RM2,130. I noted it down, took her business card and said I'll return after browsing around.

The agent at World Discovery Travel was not helpful and the girl at the Emirates counter could not speak English properly. She thought I wanted to go to Manchester after I clearly said "Damascus". Finally she had to call another staff to attend to me.

I cannot comprehend anyone in the tourism industry who is unable to speak English properly. But maybe the dumb pussy is a temp staff specially employed during Matta Fair. And if that's the case, then Emirates is making a huge mistake. But anyway, the price quoted by Emirates including Triways Travel Network were rather expensive compared to Dhesu - all more than RM3,000. Moreover tickets were not available on my intended travel dates.

So I headed back to Dhesu and in the process of finalising my booking, I realised that the agent had got the destination wrong. She keyed-in Dammam in Saudi Arabia instead of Damascus in Syria. But can't blame her lah cause the code for Dammam is DMM and code for Damascus is DAM, only one letter difference. 

No wonder lah the price she quoted earlier was only RM2,130 cause it was to Dammam. I mean who goes to Saudi Arabia but the Arabs themselves. No wonder lah so cheap.

But I can imagine myself boarding a flight thinking I'm going to Syria and landing in Saudi Arabia instead, bang balls man ... It won't come to that lah, but it's worth imagining - part of travel risk management :-)

So all in all, it costs me RM2,623 for a return ticket (including RM30 agent fee and 1.5% credit card charges). When I say return ticket, it means entry via Damascus in Syria and exit via Amman in Jordan.

Now I can relax a bit cause buying flight tickets which is the most basic and fundamental task of planning any trip is completed. Now I just have to make sure my arse is on that plane when it takes off in the wee hours of 27 September.

Planning for Syria and Jordan

It's finalised - I'll be travelling to Syria and Jordan next month, and I'm bloody excited about it!

I plan to make Damascus my point of entry. After a couple of days exploring the oldest continuously inhabited city, I'll travel north to Aleppo.

After Aleppo, I'll hop onto the direct bus south to Amman in Jordan. Using Amman as my base, I plan to join ground tours to places like Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan and Mt Nebo.

After Amman I'll travel further down south to Wadi Musa, the nearest town to Petra, another awe inspiring place that will take your breath away, or so I heard and read about. When I return from my trip I'll tell you whether Petra really lives up to its name as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

After Petra I'll head back north to Amman for my flight back to KL.

If you're not sure what Petra is, look here:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Pic from the internet)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Pic from the internet)

Both movies were shot on location in Petra. Now I can hear all the 'Aaahhhh ...s'  :-)

So my journey would look something like this:

(A) Damascus - (B) Aleppo - (C) Amman - (D) Wadi Musa (Petra)

I know I proclaimed to the world about Royal Jordanian offering cheap tickets to the Middle East. But recently I discovered that Kuwait Airways has the cheapest flights instead. A return ticket with taxes would cost around RM2,400 only. Also, Matta Fair is on from 3-5 Sept 2010 at the Putra World Trade Centre and hopefully I can get a damn good ticket deal there. Keeping my fingers crossed.