Eating and drinking my way around the world!
Travel – Where in the world should I go?!
A few of our photos taken while we were docked in Piraeus, Greece. Rather than going to Athens, which we had already seen, we opted to spend some more time in Piraeus, a place that is starting to feel like home! To read how, where and costs, check out my blog: Piraeus – Cruise Ship Port of Call Athens .
We arrived by cruise ship and have much info to share. If you arrive by cruise ship in Jordan, do not miss this world wonder under any circumstances. (Click to Visit our Photo Album) Come prepared (see Q & A below) and conquer this amazing UNESCO site, even if only for a short period.
Our ship, the Celebrity Constellation, docked at Port Aqaba and we were allowed to disembark by 10 am (time varies from ship to ship, but circumstances remain the same). Rather than taking the very pricey 10 hour USD$280 ship excursion, we hopped on the 15 minute free shuttle bus to town, where for the next 15 minutes we negotiated a taxi to Petra, also know as the Rose City.
After discussing with several drivers and comparing prices in a friendly, respectful manner, we settled on USD$120 both ways with our driver waiting 4 hours – we gave him a USD$10 tip on top of the payment as a thank you for a total transport cost of 93 Jordanian Dinar. The negotiation time was well worth it! I would recommend not paying more than 120 Jordanian Dinar (USD$170) for a round trip, including tip.
Tip: take a photo of your taxi number/plates so you can find it when you come back
The Taxi ride one way took around 1.5 hours (3 hours total transfer time both ways)
There are 2 atms on the right hand side on the way to Petra where, if you ask him to, the taxi will stop for you to pick up Dinar. Alternatively, there is an ATM in the Petra entrance.
Tip: download an offline currency converter like ‘Units Plus’ so you can figure out how much money you need
The Petra entrance fee was 50 dinar.
Once in, you have the option of taking a horse and carriage through the passage (Siq) to the Treasury for approximately $20. This we found a little confusing, as the back of the ticket implies it is included??? We walked; it took about 30 well spent minutes with lots to see and plenty photo opportunities.
The Treasury, carved from the glorious pink sandstone is where is opens up to the ancient archaeological city of Petra showcasing temples, tombs, theatres and more!
No matter what, if you have the opportunity of docking in Jordan, do not miss visiting this world wonder! I am fairly certain, you will not look back and say: I wish I had not visited Petra, or Petra was a waste of time.
Q & A
What currency can I use? Dinar – There are 2 atms on the right hand side on the way to Petra where, if you ask him to, the taxi will stop for you to pick up Dinar. Alternatively, there is an ATM in the Petra entrance.
Tip: download an offline currency converter like ‘Units Plus’ so you can figure out how much money you need
How much time will I need in Petra? Minimum 3 hours (4+ is better, of course 2 days would be awesome!)
What should I take with me to Petra? Take some fruit / bread / muffins to snack on and lots of water
Umbrella is great to shield the sun
Good walking shoes
Camera
Shoulder covers
Sun cream
How much does it cost to go to Petra? Our Cost:
Taxi plus tip: 93 JOD / USD$130
Petra entrance: 50 JOD / USD$70 each (100 Jordanian Dinar for 2 persons)
Our total cost for 2 persons: USD$270 – The ship excursion would have cost us USD$560, so we saved USD$290!!!
How much time total will I need for the complete Petra excursion? Approximate Time needed for the self excursion: 3 hours travel time, 4 hours Petra (3 if you are good on your feet), 15 minutes for the shuttle + 45 minutes buffer time (waiting for shuttle bus, negotiating prices, etc.) for a Total Time of 8 to 10 hours – less if there are no wait times and you are able to negotiate a taxi quickly.
Note: Times and costs are based on our experience.
Please feel free to visit my blog entitled Petra by Cruise Ship, the Rose City of Jordan to learn how much will it cost, currency and how much time do you need. The article finishes with a great Q & A and your input is welcomed and encouraged. For now, enjoy the photos!
Last stop or first stop, it will give you a going away party you will never forget, or set the mood for your upcoming backpack adventures, either way, you will not soon forget Khao San Road!
Following our super-geil stay in Koh Tao, and a long day of ferry boat and bus travel (read how to get from Koh Tao to Bangkok), we finally checked in to Cha Cha 2 Hotel on Rambuttri Road. By 10:45 PM, freshly showered and dressed we grabbed a late dinner at Gun Thai Food. For 360 baht / USD$10.50, we consumed 2 large Chang beers, 1 lemon shake, 1 fried chicken noodle, 1 basil chicken stir fry and an order of spring rolls. The food was very good, staff friendly and we were pleased with the prices after Koh Tao. Rambuttri Road is a charming place by night; big patio lanterns and one eating establishment after the next with extremely varied prices.
After dinner, we strolled one street over to the famous backpacker district Khao San Road. Wild, nuts, fun, busy, crazy! Music pumped into the street as people bounced and danced their way up and down the walking road. We bought a Bucket of Red Bull Vodka for 100 baht / USD$2.90 and joined the party.
Khaosan is bar hopping on steroids; the road is lined with drinking establishments, all portraying their own styles. Some have live bands, others DJs and some simply blare music from huge speakers and hawk drinks. Venues range between buy and go carts and street stalls with plastic stools to full blown bars with seating, tables and mood lighting. Prices are as varied as the venues and sometimes make no sense at all. Hawkers with sales boards wander the way, trying to lure you into their venue with promises of cheap drinks and ping pong shows.?
People dance in the pedestrian only thoroughfare and for the night forget about all their worries. The pleasantly surprising thing about the road was the absence of visible prostitutes / hookers. Somehow, it makes everything more relaxed. I even spotted a few families wandering through – well rounded education?.
Although bone-tired from the day of travel, it was easy to forget with the great vibe around us. Alas, exhaustion caught up and we gradually made our way back to our hotel at 1:30 am; Khao San Road, on the other hand, was nowhere ready to sleep!?Note: Taxis were backed up in a traffic jam which barely moved – if you need to get out by taxi or uber, go a few streets over.
Rambuttri Road looks much different by day; the walking street by night is open to cars again, most of the evening restaurants and shops are closed and there is no music. Definitely more charming by night! However, we did observe a huge, very loud verbal fight while eating between a taxi driver and a restaurant employee which ended in the police taking the taxi driver away. We had lunch at Samuel House, one of the only places open; 2 pad thai and 1 coke 195 baht / USD$5.70.
Hotel Note: The Cha Cha 2 on Rambuttri Road is in a fantastic location, so close to Khao San Road, but quiet enough to sleep. It was extremely clean and the rooms are spacious. It had a separate shower area, tv, comfy beds, fluffy pillows, clean smelling bedding, kettle, hairdryer, shampoo and soap. Cons: low water pressure (slow shower, but for some reason, only at night, it had lots of pressure during the day), no fridge, and the window faces a wall- very little light, but therefore quiet. Quiet is hard to find in this area. The Internet did not work in the morning, but they tried to fix it immediately (maybe). It worked for 10 minutes and was gone again. Cost: 1170 baht / USD$34.00 – Note: not wheelchair friendly
Share your Khao San experience or questions in the comments section below!
?Excerpt, The Beach: The Khao San Road is a decompression chamber between east and west. It's where you learn to breathe car fumes and tropical air for the very first time, or else carefully rearrange your memories before you catch your flight home.
This is a basic step by step of how to take the Lompraya Ferry from Koh Tao to Chumpon and Bus from Chumpon to Bangkok. Cost: 1100 Baht per person / USD$31.75
Read about our Koh Tao Experience
Planned Time Schedule: 10am to 8:30pm = 10.5 Hours Total
Hotel Pickup: (Skip this if you did not buy a ticket ahead of time). We were scheduled for pickup at our hotel at 8:15 am and the taxi truck arrived on time, however, we had to wait for one sleeping backpacker until 8:30, and then we were on our way. The pickup was included in our ticket price. Following one more pickup at another hotel, we arrived at the Mae Haad Port by 8:45 am.
Ticket: At this point in time, you have to trade your voucher for a ticket and a sticker, or buy your ticket. Make sure you are in the proper line for the proper destination. Unlike other destinations, there was no line up for Chumpon, so we could pass through quickly! With tickets and sticker on our shirts, by 9am we were seated in one of the town restaurants ordering breakfast.
Boat Boarding: At 9:45 AM we went back down to the port and were shuffled to the proper line, which they knew according to our sticker. Loading was fast and efficient; suitcases outside, backpacks inside at the front.
I kept a sweater with me as the last Lompraya boat ride (read how to Surat Thani to Koh Tao) was freezing – this time the air conditioning did not work.?. Within 30 minutes everyone was sweating and the body odour smells were everywhere. ?
Chumpon: We left promptly at 10 am and arrived in Chumpon at 11:52 am. Chaos ensued with everyone jumping up and scrambling for backpacks. Everyone was informed by loudspeaker to exit the back of the catamaran and everybody lined up there. Then they changed their mind 5 minutes later and opened the front doors!
People start pushing past and through others – such a shameful bunch of rude young adults ?.
Check In: After the walk down the long pier, people were instructed where to go based on final destination. We were corralled into another huge lineup in order to check in for the Bangkok bus. Eventually we got to the front, checked in, got another sticker and were told to be back by 1 Pm for the #2 bus. We had 45 minutes to kill. We decided to have lunch, but fyi there is a beach and lounge chairs and a few people took swims or just lounged around. Our meal of basil fried chicken with rice, and fried chicken noodles, each 80 baht (USD$2.30) were the worst Thai food we have ever consumed?.
Bus Boarding: At precisely 1 pm, 4 buses to Bangkok pulled up to the terminal. As informed, we entered bus # 2 and got shown to our assigned seats; we did not know we had assigned seats, but we got sent up the stairs to seats with zero leg room – right at the front of the double decker bus. Although we tried to change seats, it was not allowed, so we settled in for the 7.5 hours ride.
Rest Stop: At 3:45 pm, the bus stopped at a huge road side rest area for 1/2 an hour. In addition to washrooms, the huge building offered everything from candy, food, chips, snacks and drinks to souvenirs.
Arrival: The bus arrived behind schedule at 9:45 pm for a total travel time of 11 hours and 45 minutes. Not sure if it is always the case, but we were left off at the side of a street, not an actual station.
Where does the Lompraya Chumpon Bangkok Bus end? We were one block from the famous Khao San Road and just around the corner from Rambuttri Road, which is where we stayed.
If I have missed or forgotten anything, please feel free to add it in the comments below.
Arrival Address