Got a few weeks of free time before my next job starts. I'm traveling through Israel for the next 2 weeks and Jordan for about 5 days after that. If you've got any suggestions for either, holler at me.

Guy that did our small group tour in Israel does individual type excursions as well, if I recall. He is a Christian and also volunteers in the Israeli Police, so might be a nice person to have guiding if safety is a concern. Not sure what something like that would go for cost wise or if you're interested. We hit all the typical highlights.

I would recommend staying at the Ein-Gev right on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. We set up camp for a few days and explored the area. Lots of things to see, also some beautiful areas to hike. Go up into the Golan Heights. Check out Ceasarea Phillipi and Nimrod's Fortress.

Caesarea is a nice stop for a few hours to half a day.

I enjoyed stopping in the Elah Valley where David fought Goliath.

We stayed at the Dan Panorama Jerusalem, which I would also recommend depending on your budget. Obviously a ton of things to see here.

I wish we could have stayed longer in the Dead Sea region. It is obviously a must to go swimming. I would also highly recommend some time hiking En Gedi (location where David fled Saul in the Psalms). There is also Masada right there which is pretty neat to visit.

I am sure I am missing some highlights but there is a ton to see and do. We did not spend much time in Tel Aviv, however. Good luck!

I also have a co-worker who is from Jordan if you have any specific questions I can definitely ask him.

Bumping this, headed to Jordan for a week in June, pending what happens in Syria. Any recommendations/tips?

Petra and Mt nebo

I live in Jordan. Awesome place.

1) Petra - You can get a one, two, or three day pass. Unless you love long hikes in the desert in the summer, I don't recommend the 3 day. You can do the big spots in one day but it will be an all day thing. I recommend getting the Jordan Pass online as it covers your visa and Petra ticket. Saves money.

2) Wadi Rum - Maybe my favorite place in Jordan. It's not that far from Petra. You can book a tour and park in Rum Village. Overnight stays are available in the desert which is a cool experience and allows you to see more of the desert. However, it's not exactly a 5* hotel. Basic accommodations kind of like you're camping. Great food though. I went with Rum Stars.

3) Dana Biosphere Reserve - If you haven't heard of it, google it. Beautiful. There are a few places to stay in Dana Village and in camps overlooking the reserve. I recommend booking a tour guide to take you on a sunset walk. During our hike, my wife and I met a local Bedouin shepherd who made tea for us, played his flute, and gave us some fresh goats milk. He didn't speak any English.

4) Dead Sea - a lot like the Israeli side. The drive around the Dead Sea is more beautiful in Jordan as the cliffs come right up to the water throughout most of it. I recommend going to a western hotel - even if you aren't staying the night for their day pass. The public beaches probably won't meet your standards, and if any females are with you, they won't be that comfortable around the local guys. They would be safe, just lots of staring.

5) Jerash - Beautiful Roman ruins and home to the biblical "Gerasa". Never knew there were this many wonderfully preserved Roman ruins in Jordan. Fantastic day trip from Amman.

6) Madaba/Mt Nebo - It's a cool place, but in my opinion not as cool as the rest. If you have a car Mukawir/Machaerus is close by. Herod's summer palace where John the Baptist was supposed to have been beheaded. It's just ruins now but its really cool. If you have the time alongside a Madaba/Nebo trip, you should go. Short hike up the hill to the palace from a parking lot.

7) Amman - Cool town. The Citadel, Roman theater, Downtown, Rainbow Street, and Royal Automobile Museum are cool.

Jordan is safe and super welcoming of westerners. You're going to hear a lot of "Welcome to Jordan!" from locals. Lots of English spoken. Highly recommend eating mansef, shawarma, and kanafeh (desert).

Good luck!

Also, just be aware that most of June is Ramadan. Eating/drinking in public is prohibited even in your car on the road. There's a fine if caught and technically people can go to jail. They probably won't make you pay it but I wouldn't risk it. (Petra probably has different rules as its almost entirely tourists). Some things may be closed, but after the sun goes down everything opens and people are everywhere. Check to see if what you want to do will be open. Contact local hotels.

Also towards the end of the day, driving can be dangerous with people who haven't had anything to eat or drink all day and are rushing to get to dinner. I would avoid busy highways at the end of the day during Ramadan. Be careful.

After 10 days in Israel we crossed into Jordan for an afternoon and evening at the Dead Sea. The beach is now 15 meters below where it was located 15 years ago due to evaporation and water drawn from the Jordan River. They have a plan to divert Red Sea water to help refill it. Huge tourist area for both Israel and Jordan.

Mt. Nebo which has a very interesting church under renovation. Charlton Heston had a better view of the promised land due to contemporary pollution. Then we went to Masada which was well worth the trip, and Jerico which is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world with 20 civilizations on top of each other.

Then down to Petra for a full day looking around there. The best photos are around 9 in the morning so that is when you want to be exiting the Sig. Absolutely mesmerizing, but do go soon. The sandstone facades will all be erased from wind and sand in 2000 years. A lot of it is gone already. The Indiana Jones tomb is resistant due to its protected location.

Ran out of time so we missed Wadi Rum, and we regret that.

Finally, it was on to Philadelphia (The City of Brotherly Love), otherwise knows as Amman (really). Very interesting place from the Palestinian refugee camp (now a permanent neighborhood), huge medical complexes, great food, great shopping district and very good hotels. We even had a pretty good meal at the Cinco de Mayo restaurant. The ruins of Jeresh are North of here and are spectacular - another Hadrian's Arch. I guess I have seen four of those plus his wall over the years all over Europe.

You need to be careful what you take photos of. Any military or governmental facility is a no - no. They are very worried about any kind of trouble. Jordan has no oil or minerals and is quite poor. Primary export is Bauxite. Only bottled water for everything.

They do not want to admit it, but the area is Asia so I can scratch that continent off the list.

If anyone wants the Israel information I can post later.

craigernaught said:

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I live in Jordan. Awesome place.

1) Petra - You can get a one, two, or three day pass. Unless you love long hikes in the desert in the summer, I don't recommend the 3 day. You can do the big spots in one day but it will be an all day thing. I recommend getting the Jordan Pass online as it covers your visa and Petra ticket. Saves money.

2) Wadi Rum - Maybe my favorite place in Jordan. It's not that far from Petra. You can book a tour and park in Rum Village. Overnight stays are available in the desert which is a cool experience and allows you to see more of the desert. However, it's not exactly a 5* hotel. Basic accommodations kind of like you're camping. Great food though. I went with Rum Stars.

3) Dana Biosphere Reserve - If you haven't heard of it, google it. Beautiful. There are a few places to stay in Dana Village and in camps overlooking the reserve. I recommend booking a tour guide to take you on a sunset walk. During our hike, my wife and I met a local Bedouin shepherd who made tea for us, played his flute, and gave us some fresh goats milk. He didn't speak any English.

4) Dead Sea - a lot like the Israeli side. The drive around the Dead Sea is more beautiful in Jordan as the cliffs come right up to the water throughout most of it. I recommend going to a western hotel - even if you aren't staying the night for their day pass. The public beaches probably won't meet your standards, and if any females are with you, they won't be that comfortable around the local guys. They would be safe, just lots of staring.

5) Jerash - Beautiful Roman ruins and home to the biblical "Gerasa". Never knew there were this many wonderfully preserved Roman ruins in Jordan. Fantastic day trip from Amman.

6) Madaba/Mt Nebo - It's a cool place, but in my opinion not as cool as the rest. If you have a car Mukawir/Machaerus is close by. Herod's summer palace where John the Baptist was supposed to have been beheaded. It's just ruins now but its really cool. If you have the time alongside a Madaba/Nebo trip, you should go. Short hike up the hill to the palace from a parking lot.

7) Amman - Cool town. The Citadel, Roman theater, Downtown, Rainbow Street, and Royal Automobile Museum are cool.

Jordan is safe and super welcoming of westerners. You're going to hear a lot of "Welcome to Jordan!" from locals. Lots of English spoken. Highly recommend eating mansef, shawarma, and kanafeh (desert).

Good luck!

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Stellar rundown...Jordan is a beautiful country. I'd add the Wadi Mujib hike to this list (YouTube it)

Great suggestion. Wadi Mujib is awesome. Highly recommend. The Canyon Trail is fantastic, but you have to have a guide and its closed during Ramadan.

You can get info about booking at http://www.wildjordan.com/eco-tourism-section/mujib-biosphere-reserve

Thanks for the tips, we leave in a month

I loved Wadi Mujib and also Madaba. I agree with the point on Madaba though - unless you're driving by it, don't go out of your way. But it's a cute little side trip for an afternoon if you have it!

I lived in Amman for a few months of 2010. Know that just bc the people are frowning and speaking intensely, they might be saying very pleasant things! Cultures are so different.