On Wednesday, February 20, 2013 5:11:33 PM UTC, David Horne wrote:
Surreyman wrote:



On Wednesday, February 20, 2013 12:20:24 PM UTC, David Horne wrote:

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Ah, good tip. A little OT but we're visiting Israel/Jordan in April and



I'd wondered about spending a night in Petra just for that...

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Do it - an experience we've never forgotten. It gives you time, too, to

get up onto the heights (Monastery etc.) where the guided tours never go -

in fact they rarely get beyond the amphitheatre a third of the way along

the valley! More than happy to discuss further if you wish.



Still doing a bit of research. Flying to Tel Aviv from Mancester, then

after a few days plan to fly to Eilat, but will probably stay in Aqaba

instead, 3-4 days, beach stuff/relaxation. Would make sense to stay in

Petra on the way up north, looking to have a somewhat circular trip

(e.g. Dead Sea) ending in Jerusalem, then back to airport etc.- 14 night

trip, would prefer not to stay in more than 5 different hotels. Public

transport/taxi only. It's all a bit undecided at the moment, other than

the dates of the flights to/from Tel Aviv.



David



--

(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate

www.davidhorne.net (email address on website)

"[Do you think the world learned anything from the first

world war?] No. They never learn." -Harry Patch (1898-2009)

Eilat/Aqaba is a great centre for all.
Eilat is more 'developed concrete' but has better transport links throughout area than Aqaba. The surrounding mountain scenery from both is delightful.. Aqaba is good old L of A country of course! :-)
Egypt/Israel/Jordan border crossings were easy, but that was some time back - best to check current situation. (A local, easily obtained visa was then needed from Israel into Egypt).
Day journeys easy into southern Sinai (St. Catherine's, Mount Sinai etc. - plus, particularly, beautiful desert areas).
Petra possible on an organised day trip but leaves short time, as above.
Overnight (or longer if you choose) trips possible from Eilat to Jerusalem, Jeddah, Dead Sea, Masada, Negev, Bethlehem, Suez/Cairo/Pyramids (again, I'm not sure re current travel hang-ups). Even Luxor/Aswan is possible, I believe but, as you're probably aware, that's far better done within its own entity.
So an Eilat/Aqaba hotel could be a one-stop for much.
Re Petra we took a normal day trip coach from Eilat, but let them return without us, joining another day trip coach for the return journey next day. We could have (should have, in retrospect) stayed 2 nights to investigate Wadi Rum far more.
I think it was the Movenpick hotel we stayed in, right by the Petra entry gates, which I think opened around 6 a.m. (We were the only people in the hotel, let alone the Petra valley!). It's very much day trip country, so staying locally beats all the crowds.
Suggest, in the early morning, you walk right through the Petra valley (alone, absolute magic) to the far end - there, donkeys are available for the (quite precarious!) climb up to Monastery etc. But more than well worth it!

Regards,
Alan