The DON'Ts of Visiting Jordan & Petra

Hey there fellow travelers, Mark and Jocelyn with Walters World. Today we're here at Petra in Jordan. And today we have for you are the don'ts of visiting Petra and some other don'ts visiting Jordan. And I think Jocelyn should do the first don't of just visiting Jordan in general. One don't expect toilet paper everywhere. The Jordanians use water. That's what that hose is by the toilet. So you can choose to do that or you can choose to bring your own toilet paper. You might find it in some places, but just don't count on it. And also you might need to pay a lady for it. Like when you come across the border. So do be aware of that. Also, if you do use toilet paper, what do you not do? You do not flush your toilet paper here. You put it in the bin next to the toilet. Now when you come to Petra, one thing I got to tell you is don't sleep in. You want to get here early so you can beat the really hot weather in the afternoon, but also beat a lot of the crowds because the tour groups are really coming in full strength, like about noon, 10 noon. So you want to get here a bit earlier. It does open up at six. You know that. Honestly, don't wait. Don't wait to go in the afternoon because the cruise ships come in. It's not a, it's just a tour, but the cruise ships just coming in wave after wave after wave. I saw buses one through eight go through. I mean, they just come in blow. It's about noon, 11 noon, something like that. They're really starting to pack it in. So do get that morning one. Like I said, okay, it's, it'll make a difference. Another thing I would tell you is when you're coming here, don't expect to get a lot of free time in July and August. That is the peak time when people come here, even though it's the hottest time to come here, it is the most popular. So if you can come in the spring and fall, you really can reduce the crowds quite a bit. So you're not kind of like rush through things or having people walk through your pictures all the time. So somebody kind of think about, I'm going to tell you now, don't be deceived by the maps of Petra. This place is huge. It's a giant complex and yes, you can do it in a day, but don't think you shouldn't stay for two or three days to really explore everything when you're here. Especially if you get the Jordan pass, you can get it where it's a couple of days here or three days here, you know, and you can visit more and really see all the sites because honestly you can't see it all in one day. It's just too long because doing it all, if you're just doing it quickly, it's like seven or eight hours of hiking and it's really tough and really dry. So you want to be safe with it and enjoy it. So maybe do like one day, Hey, we're just going to seek and we're going to do the treasury and see that, and then maybe go up to the, you know, to the theater. And then the next day we're going to do the monastery, kind of split it up because otherwise you're going to get worn out and it can be unsafe, you know, cause it just wears you out with the heat and the sun and all the hiking. So do be aware of that because we should be safe and have a good time when you're here, but don't just do a day, spend as much time as you can here. You're like hotels are really nice for you're staying here. Yeah. Don't, don't think they don't have good hotels here. You can get some good hotels and you're staying here. So that can be a nice experience as well. Also, if you're here in the evening on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, they do have Petra at night where they basically candles lit up and it's kind of a cool thing. I mean, don't think like a huge light show or anything, but it is kind of a cool experience to have. If you are, when you do have, when you're here, unfortunately we're not here when it's there. So I can't show any of our pictures from it cause we don't have any cause we weren't here for it. But that is one of the reasons why it might be good to stay a couple of nights when you're here. So you come to Petra, you don't have to have a guide to go through. You can, there's plenty of books and things that can educate you on this. You can watch lots of videos for it, but honestly don't pass up getting a guide, an official guide when you are here. I can actually get them when you come into the complex. There's actually guides you can hire there and, or you can arrange your guide beforehand because honestly the guides really bring out more of the history. Instead of just looking at this, they give you the history behind it. They tell you what's here. They explain the flash flooding that can happen here. And they talk about the canals on the side. Well, I don't have the, there you go. The water canals, how they got water down here. They do a really good job of really making it come alive. So don't pass up a guide. I mean, what I'd recommend if you're gonna be here a few, a few days, do your first day, have a guide take you to some of the spots, like the first part, just so you have a good feeling of what this is all about and how it was made. And then come and explore and hike the other days you're here. But yeah, don't, don't pass up a guide. You don't have to have one, but don't think you don't, don't have to have one either. You are going to take so many pictures and so many videos when you're here from the SIG to the treasury, to like just everything. It just like, you can't help yourself. You're gonna take a lot. So don't forget to bring a backup battery because you'll burn through your phone a couple of times. So bring a good backup charger, just so you know that you can actually keep taking pictures and keep taking videos and you don't run out before you even get to the treasury. This is so cool. Like you will be so pumped. Everybody, honestly, don't, don't crack your face when you have the big smile on your face. When you come around the corner outside the Canyon here and you walk into the treasury because dude, it's so cool. Sadly though, don't expect to be able to go inside the treasury. It's really cool from the outside. You can see all this, but you don't get to go inside as a tourist. Another don't I have for you is don't forget there's actually two paths you can go up. If you want to get that picture from above, if you're not very good with steps and uneven steps at that, maybe don't get it. I mean, it's a cool shot, but if you don't think your knees can hold up or you're unsteady with the, with your footing, I don't recommend doing it, but you can do that. There's two ones. One, you get a guy that'll take you up about 20, 30 minutes, but how slow or fast you are. Then there's the long, long one that can take a long time, but it's a free one. You don't need to do it. The guide. So there are those options. You want to get that above the treasury view, but even from down here, you can't go wrong with those views. Huh? No, nothing. You should realize you can ride a horse when you are here, but don't think the horse takes you very far. You just come to this seat. You come to the entrance to the main Canyon. That's all it does. So do be aware of that. And though they say it's free, you do have to tip the person that helps you get there. And sometimes the horses go a little bit fast. And for someone like myself, I could never do that to a horse where I would like totally smush them. And you see our friends here, you have a golf cart. So if you have troubles walking, they do have a golf cart. You can hire, um, you can have a driver take you and take you to some of the spots. So you have that. If you do have limited mobility, so that can be a big, that can be a game changer for a lot of people. Whereas they can't come here because honestly, don't forget good shoes when you're walking around. I think I talked about that before, but this is one of those things. Okay. Don't forget to watch out for the donkeys that might be running by. Um, also trotting camels, cause those are a thing. Um, but with all the sand, you don't really hear them until they're like right up on you. So kind of keep an ear out and maybe check behind you now and then. So when you come into Petra, you have your ticket and they'll scan it. But one thing I gotta tell you is don't forget to bring your passport when you come here. Cause you do need it when you get scanned in. So do be aware of that. Okay. Don't forget your passport. Don't forget this. La Shokran. La Shokran means no thank you. Okay. Shokran is thank you and La is no. So La Shokran is no thank you. You're going to need that because I don't want you to be pressured by the sales people here because they'll come up and again and again and again, offer you a guide to take you on a hike, take you on a side quest, if you will, explain more stuff for you, have you do a horse ride. All kinds of stuff. Don't feel pressured by them. Okay. They'll be there. You can just go on by to say La Shokran and they'll be okay with it. All right. So just know that, that you might be dealing with some high pressure sales tips and stuff and people coming up quite often, but it's okay. La Shokran will go a long way to show that you learned a couple of words and to show respect, but also that, hey, thank you, but no thank you right now. And one of the things I got to say is don't believe all the promises. Those people do promise you whether it's a guided tour or a free trip or a free walk or a free horse ride or whatever. Cause tipping will be involved. And I've talked about that or I will talk about that. So, uh, just have a heads up. One thing I got to say is don't think that Petra is just the treasury. There's a lot of other places you can go to. There's the, you got the theater over here. You've got the monastery, which is really cool though. That's like about a 90 minute, keep on hiking from the treasury, but there's a lot of other things to go do like hike up some of the side trails and go through there, check out some of the caves. I mean, I know you can't go into the treasury, but there's so many other things you can do when you're here that it isn't just seeing the treasure and going, wow, Indiana Jones and walking back. No, you're going to explore more. I mean, seriously, the treasury is cool and all, but the tombs, dude, this is so cool. You can't go wrong when you're here in Petra. Now I know I talked about the aggressive sellers and people trying to offer you service and stuff, but don't pass up the conversations with the sellers. Cause some are pretty funny. The guy was offering tea, coffee, come have a Kit Kat. You look like you need a break. I mean, the people are pretty funny with it. Whether they're little kids bringing into the shops or adults, you can have some fun conversations with them and they play along with the tourists. That can be kind of a funny thing, but yeah, it is kind of a cool thing. And if you talk to him for a while, why not pick up a souvenir for when you're here? Okay. I think another important don't to have when you come here to Jordan is don't think Jordan is just Petra. I mean, Petra is UNESCO world heritage. It's gorgeous. You want to come here. That's number one thing to do, but going to Wadi Rum, the desert where you have the sandstone kind of like shapes and though when you're hiking around, I mean, it's just incredible. If you want to see Roman rooms, you go up to Jerash and we were up there and it was fantastic just to see the incredible size city that is there that you can see going to Oman or maybe you're just going down to the coast with all the Jordanians to enjoy the coast and the Kaaba. I mean, there are other things to do when you are here than Petra, so don't forget about those too. Also, specifically looking at Wadi Rum, I would tell you this, don't just show up without a tour. When you go there, you're going to want to take a tour to do the hikes and go explore through the desert, but you needed a tour with it. If you come in a busy season, there might not be anything available for you, so to give yourself that peace of mind, don't forget to book your tour of Wadi Rum before you go so it's all set up, okay? Because you get a chance to sleep underneath the stars. Oh my God, it's one of the best places in the world to just sit there and stargaze at night, even here by Petra. I mean, there's so many great places you can stargaze here in Jordan, so don't miss that opportunity by not making a reservation to get your tour set up. I got a little bonus for you if you're here in Jerash. Don't think that you can walk and film and walk and take pictures at the same time because all these Roman roads and things, it's a little bumpy, and you might twist an ankle or two or three, and you only have two of them, so do keep your eyes out when you are walking around. Just a, just FYI from your friend Mark. One thing to realize, when you're coming to Jordan, they have this thing called the Jordan Pass, which could be really helpful as a traveler because it gets you to like 40 sites, gives you a couple days at Petra, pays for your visa to come in, so that's kind of nice, but my don't for that is don't get the Jordan Pass if you're only going to come for Petra. You're only coming for one night from Israel over to Jordan going back. It's not really worth it that way. You can get your visa at the border and not have to worry about that. It goes pretty quick, but that's just one of those things that the Jordan Pass is super helpful if you're going to explore Jordan. Don't pass up getting it, but if you're only doing the overnight or just a day or so in Petra, it might not be as good. If you're going to be exploring more, you're going to Oman, you're coming here to Jerash, yes, it's worth getting, but if it's a quick trip, maybe you don't need to get the Jordan Pass. Another thing I'd say for you if you're going to explore Jordan, you know, you have that Jordan Pass, you're going to go around. There's not a ton of highways you're going to use. There's two main roads to go from the north to the south that you're probably going to be using whether you're going from Petra to Oman, but the driving here is actually pretty simple to do, pretty easy, so that's kind of helpful when you are here, so you can rent a car and explore. Don't rent a car in one of the other countries around here. You're going to have to rent it here in Jordan and do it, but honestly, driving around, not bad at all, so don't think you can't rent a car and explore Jordan. Now, some other driving don'ts when you are here in Jordan. Don't drive at night because with the animals going across the road and how people come on and sometimes lack of lights on some people's cars, it can be a bit dangerous, so try to stay driving during the day. Also, don't forget if people are past you, move over a little bit because it feels like the shoulder is another lane you're going to use when you're here in Jordan. Another don't here in Jordan, no matter where you're exploring, don't forget to bring your sunblock, have a hat, maybe have some long sleeves sometimes because the sun can be pretty intense when you're walking around, especially when you're going to see archeological sites like here in Jordan, but honestly, it's just an important, safe thing to have. I've got a hat and sunblock in my bag, got stuff for the kids. You do want to have that just so you can enjoy yourself and not worry about turning into a purple tourist and, you know, a farmer tan version. And when you're going around and you're seeing the markets or you're going to buy souvenirs, don't forget you can negotiate here and you should negotiate here, especially at major tourist places, whether you're in Petra or here in Jedesh or other places. If they're trying to sell you stuff and there's no price tag on there, just know that first price, shoot for half what they offer at first to give yourself a good idea of what you probably should be paying when it comes to the negotiation side of things. Going along with the sun protection, another don't I have for you is don't forget to bring something warm. I know this sounds silly because you're thinking, Jordan, isn't it like deserty and hot there all the time? Well, no, it's not. If you're in the wintertime, you know, there's places it does snow here in Jordan, but also if you're going to be on the desert and things, it gets chilly at night and even in the summertime, you might want to throw on a jacket. I know our kids, when we're down in Petra, they're like, uh, dad, can we go back and get our sweatshirts? I mean, these are things you need to think about if you're going to be out, especially we're going to do like the, if you go to Petra and you go to Petra at night, I would definitely bring some, a cover up for that just so you have something to keep yourself a little bit warm because though it feels hot and sunny all day long, that heat doesn't stay with you in the evening time, or at least not every evening time. No, another thing that's important to remember when you are here in Jordan is you don't forget to tip. If you went out to a restaurant, it's going to be 10% is fine for a tip. You can, of course, go more than that, but you do want to tip. Also, you're going to tip your guides when you go around and I know some people feel, well, I paid for the guide service. Why do I need to tip them? Well, you do tip them, tip them about 10% of your tour. That's usually kind of a nice thing to do, but of course, tipping is up to you if you want to do it or not, but it's just one of those things you have here. And when you pay with a credit card, what you'll do is just tell them like the final price or sometimes you'll say, hey, how much do you want to tip? You just tell them. It's not like you hide it like in America where you write it down later so they can never see what you actually tip or if you did tip, but it is something to kind of think about when you are paying. So what you'll get is just a final credit card receipt that has the total like check you paid and tip included. So you know exactly what to expect to come out of your, your account. So you do have that. All right. So don't forget to tip your waiters and your guides when you are here. Now, if you're going to go into the Dead Sea when you are here in Jordan, you can go there. It's not a big deal. I do have some don'ts when you go there. One, don't shave or wax before you go to the Dead Sea. Take my word for it. It will burn, burn, burn. Also, do not dunk your head. Don't dive. Don't splash at people when you are there because the salt content in the water of the Dead Sea is so high. It burns your eyes. It burns those cuts. You get it in your mouth. You swallowed it. You're probably going to throw up and get a little sick. So don't do those things as well. Also, don't wear your favorite swimsuit or wear any jewelry when you're going in because the high salt content will basically ruin your jewelry and probably might ruin your swimsuit as well. So pack an extra one when you are there. Now, when you're here in Jordan, don't forget to eat Jordanian food. This right here, this is mansaf. And this is a very, very typical dish. You have this on Fridays. And what you do is you put a little of the yogurt in. Okay, you take the yogurt. You pour it in where you're going to be eating. And then this is very hot. So come in close so you can see. And you kind of mix the yogurt in with the rice. Okay, mix that in there. Let it cool off a bit because don't be surprised your hands are dirty. That's why don't forget to wash your hands before you eat. Hands get messy, not dirty. The hands get messy. And you make a ball. Okay, it's too hot. Yes, you can put it on the plate. I'm not from here, so it's a little bit difficult. But you make your ball. But also you take a little bit of the meat. Now here, this is lamb. And so it's lamb rice in this yogurt. And you make a ball, a little bit more. Obviously, my friend can do it better than I can. But you make this ball. And then eat up. Now I'm totally messing it up. It's totally messy. And yes, you can use fork and knife and spoons. It's okay. But this is something you really want to have. Also, if you're looking for other Jordanian food. Have you ever watched on Instagram where they flip over the pot with the rice and the meat? Yeah, that's one thing. Shawarma, falafel, hummus. A lot of great food right here. But we got to eat. Now as a hungry traveler, I think there's some don'ts I need to tell you about food here in Jordan. One, don't expect lunch to be the time you're used to, like noon. They eat at different times here. Breakfast between 9 and 10. That's kind of like a breakfast time here. Lunch is at 3 p.m. And that's the big meal of the day. And then dinner is like 8 or 9 o'clock at night. It's kind of a smaller affair. So be aware of that. Also, don't be too concerned about your Jordanian friend's love affair with olive oil. You really love olive oil. Like, really love olive oil. Like, you'll see sometimes a meal might be bread with a bowl of olive oil. And then some of the zaatar, which is wild thyme. And they'll dip the bread in the oil. Put some of the zaatar on there. And that's dinner, okay? But don't be upset. Don't think they're unhealthy. Just know that they do love their olive oil here. So we hope this helps you know a bit more what to know before you come to Petra in Jordan. What are some other don'ts to help people enjoy Petra in Jordan more? Please put in the comment section below so we can help out other travelers have a better time when you're here. And Jocelyn, anything else you want to add? Not really, other than don't miss it. Yeah, this is a fantastic place. UNESCO, they usually do a pretty good job choosing those World Heritage sites. Bye!