Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting Around
It's not possible to travel the length of the King's Highway by public transport. This is be-
cause Wadi Mujib gets in the way. Minibuses serve the communities on either side of the
wadi, but through traffic uses the Desert Hwy. Chartering a taxi for the day, however, is
feasible.
The most convenient way to explore the King's Highway is to hire a car. You can drive
the whole route from Madaba to Petra in a day. Allowing time to stop at all the places of
interest and with a return along the Dead Sea Highway takes four to five days.
Hotels in Madaba and downtown Amman run minibus tours that stop in Wadi Mujib
and Karak (and sometimes Dana and Shobak) en route to Petra.
If all else fails, hitching is possible but be prepared for long waits on deserted stretches
- not advisable in the extreme temperatures of summer or winter.
Madaba
05 / POP 152,900 / ELEV 800M
The amiable market town of Madaba is best known for a collection of Byzantine-era mo-
saics. The most famous of these is the mosaic map on the floor of St George's Church, but
there are many others carpeting different parts of the town, many of which are even more
complete and vibrant in colour.
Wonderful though they are, the mosaics are not the only reason to pay Madaba a visit.
A traveller in the early 20th century described being shot at by the people of Madaba just
so they could bring him back to town as 'their guest and to eat their food'. No-one is
likely to shoot at you today but the town remains one of the most traveller-friendly in
Jordan.
Madaba has an interesting cultural mix. One third of the population is Christian (the
other two thirds are Muslim), making it one of the largest Christian communities in
Jordan. The town's long tradition of religious tolerance is joyfully - and loudly - ex-
pressed on Friday. This is one day when you shouldn't expect a lie-in. The imam sum-
moning the faithful before dawn leavens the sky. Then the carillon bells bid the Orthodox
Christians to rise, and finally Mammon gets a look in with the honks and groans of traffic.
The rest of the day is punctuated with yelps to buy apricots, and friendly greetings from
children.
