If you arrive by bus, wake up at 4 am in Amman, hopscotch across town onto a beautiful modern-day road liner, and take a nap. Around 11 am you will be dropped off in Wadi Musa, a cosy mountainous town that is the gateway to Petra. You will then have roughly 6 hours to cover the approximately half-marathon that is the Petra historical complex. If you arrive by car, drive down the King’s highway, get waved on at police checkpoints by speaking English (insert native language other than Arabic), and arrive in Wadi Musa. Follow the locals guiding you to your parking spot (it’s free), then walk past them to the visitor centre as they try to sell you a shorter guided tour that takes half the time (it’s not free). Arrive at Petra and try to complete the half marathon to get to the Monastery (and as far as you can go beyond). The Jordanian government says you need 3 days to explore but trust us, the entirety of Petra can be done single-handedly in one (long) day.
The ancient city of Petra is a wonder of the world and jaw-dropping in every sense of the word. We wouldn’t blame you if you wished to spend 3 whole days wandering around in awe. Established as a trading post in the 4th century by the Nabateans, a historic Bedouin tribe native to Jordan, Petra soon thrived as a centre of wealth and culture. The city survived an attack by the Greeks in 312. B.C before succumbing to the Romans in 106 A.D who then ruled the city for more than 250 years. Around the middle of the fourth century, an earthquake destroyed much of the city. What remains, however, is a testament to the craftsmanship of the bedouin architects who built the city, which to us can only be described as otherworldly.
Comments