Ask Lonely Planet: Magical ancient city and so much more

NZ Herald

18 Sep, 2009 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Jerash, in northern Jordan, is one of the country's many cities with Roman ruins. Photo / Alan Gibson

We have a one-week window of opportunity to visit Jordan. We're not sure whether we should base ourselves in one place or try to move around the country a bit to see more of what it has to offer. We're obviously keen to visit sites such as Petra, but we'd

For many people, Jordan begins and ends with the magical, ancient Nabataean city of Petra. And it's true, Petra is without a doubt one of the Middle East's most spectacular, unmissable sights. But there's so much more to see in Jordan that it would be a shame not to explore the country a little further, regardless of the limited time you have available.

A wealth of ruined Roman cities, Crusader castles, desert citadels and powerful biblical sites will appeal to lovers of all things archaeological and historical. Jordan's capital Amman is a modern, culturally diverse Arab city that's light years away from the typical cliches of Middle Eastern parochialism. The country also offers some of the wildest adventures in the region, as well as an incredibly varied backdrop ranging from the red desert sands of Wadi Rum to the brilliant blues of the coral-filled Gulf of Aqaba.

A potential itinerary might be something like the following. Having toured Amman, spend the afternoon and sunset at the Dead Sea. The next day, take an early morning bus to Petra. After a couple of days visiting this amazing ancient city, take another early morning bus to Wadi Rum. Next day swap the desert sands for the sea by travelling to Aqaba, from where you can easily return to Amman.

Jordan is so small that you can drive from the Syrian border in the north to the Saudi border in the south in just over five hours. Taking a taxi or share taxi, or hiring a private car with driver is another option, given Jordan's size.

Public minibuses and, to a lesser extent, public buses are the normal form of transport for locals and visitors. Bigger private bus companies such as JETT (jett.com.jo; Amman to Aqaba) are often the most reliable and fastest option because they generally don't stop en route to pick up passengers.

Tickets for public buses and minibuses are normally bought onboard, where it's every frail old man, woman and goat for themselves. Tickets for private buses are usually bought from an office at the departure point in advance, making them a more comfortable option.

For more detailed transport information, take a look at Go 2 Petra.

Also, read what MFAT has to say about Jordan in its travel advisory.

Savouring gourmet Paris

My wife and I will be holidaying in Paris for a week this coming October and we'd love to do some kind of foodie guided or self-guided tour. Could you recommend any companies that specialise in food tours of the city?
Bill Walters

There are several foodie tour options available in a gourmet city like Paris, and tours range in price from about $150 upwards.

A good option that allows you to tailor an itinerary around your particular foodie interests is Edible Paris. Run by food critic and foodie author Rosa Jackson, Edible Paris organises personalised self-guided tours with itineraries that can run from half a day through to three days.

Armed with your itinerary and accompanying map with all your restaurant, cafe and shop listings, you can hit the streets at your own leisurely pace. The great thing about these self-guided foodie tours is you can wander off course, and resume the tour later on at your leisure. Prices start at $216 for a half-day personalised itinerary.

If you'd rather pick up a guided tour, Viator can book you on a reasonably priced three-hour gourmet food tour, which includes tastings.

The tour takes in local bakeries, pastry shops, and cheese and wine shops, as well as fresh produce markets.