Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Taxi
Private (yellow) taxis are easy to find in Wadi Musa. A few 4WD taxis are available for
much the same cost, but they are not of much benefit as you will still have to join a 4WD
tour from the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre if you want to explore the protected area. One-
way taxi fares cost JD40 to Wadi Rum (one hour) or Aqaba (1½ hours); JD7 to Shobak
(JD12 return including a one-hour wait); and JD50 to Karak (1½ hours). If you want to
travel to Madaba or Amman via the King's Highway, with stops at Shobak, Dana and
Karak, the fare is around JD90.
BEDOUIN HUMOUR
While you're in Petra, look out for the funny side of your visit. Locals are famous for their mischievous sense of hu-
mour, offering camels as 'air- conditioned taxis' and donkeys as 'Mercedes Benz'. Handicrafts are often prefaced
with the words 'buy one for the wife and one for the girlfriend'. Beware, however, that 'Happy hour prices' charged
for souvenirs in the evening may well mean they cost double!
Siq al-Barid (Little Petra)
Siq al-Barid (Cold Canyon) is colloquially known as
Little Petra
and is well worth a vis-
it. It was thought to have served as an agricultural centre, trading suburb and resupply post
for camel caravans visiting Petra. The surrounding area is picturesque and fun to explore,
especially as it is home to some of the oldest settlements in the world, including Al-
Beidha.
Sights
RUINS
Little Petra Siq
( daylight hr)
From the car park, an obvious path leads to the 400m-long siq,
which opens out into larger areas. The first open area has a
temple
, which archaeologists
know little about. Four
triclinia
- one on the left and three on the right - are in the second
open area, and were probably used as dining rooms to feed hungry merchants and travel-
lers. About 50m further along the siq is the
Painted House
, another small dining room,
which is reached by some exterior steps. The faded but still vivid frescoes of vines,
