Petra - Jordan - page 383

Minibuses leave from the bus station in central Wadi Musa. Most minibuses won't
leave unless they're at least half full, so be prepared for a wait. If there are insufficient
passengers, they may not leave at all, or you may be approached to pay for the empty
seats. This is not a scam: it's just an attempt by the driver to cover the cost of the journey.
You should establish the fare you are being charged before departing. There are far fewer
services on Fridays.
Regular minibuses travel every day between Amman's south bus station (Wahadat) and
Wadi Musa (JD5, four hours) via the Desert Highway. These buses leave Amman and
Wadi Musa when full every hour or so between 7am and 4pm. Timings change frequently
so ask at your hotel for the latest information.
Minibuses leave Wadi Musa for Ma'an (JD1.500, 45 minutes) fairly frequently
throughout the day (more often in the morning), stopping briefly at the university, about
10km from Ma'an. From Ma'an there are connections to Amman, Aqaba and (indirectly)
Wadi Rum. Minibuses also leave Wadi Musa for Aqaba (JD5, 2½ hours) at about 6am,
8.30am and 3pm - ask around the day before to confirm or check through your hotel.
For Wadi Rum (JD5, two hours) there is a daily minibus around 6am. It's a good idea to
reserve a seat the day before - your hotel should be able to ring the driver. If you miss this
bus, or the service isn't operating, take the minibus to Aqaba, get off at the Ar-
Rashidiyyah junction and catch another minibus or hitch the remainder of the journey to
Rum. You may well be charged extra for 'luggage' (around JD3), especially if it takes up
a seat that could be used for a paying customer. Buy water for your journey in advance
and make provisions for a Wadi Rum tour either from your hotel, a travel agent or on ar-
rival in Rum to avoid falling victim to opportunistic touts at the station. Cleopetra Hotel,
among other hotels, organises overnight tours to Wadi Rum.
To Karak, a minibus sometimes leaves at around 7am (JD3), but demand is low so it
doesn't leave every day. Alternatively, travel via Ma'an.
Car
Hertz Rent-a-Car ( 2156981; 8am-6pm) rents out cars from JD30 per day. A 4WD
costs around JD160 per day.
Petra and Wadi Musa are well signposted along the main highways. The road from
Petra to Little Petra extends to the Wadi Musa to Shobak road offering a scenic alternative
route out of town. A spectacular road winds into Wadi Araba for direct access to the Dead
Sea Highway (see the boxed text, Click here ) . The road to Tayyibeh is also particularly
scenic.