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I'm currently living in Istanbul and am tentatively planning a trip to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan for when my contract ends in June. I'm an ESL teacher and I want to keep my options open as far as teaching in the Persian Gulf region goes so I had initially intended to fly into and out of Amman and enter Israel/Palestine via the Allenby Bridge to avoid any evidence of a trip to Israel. Unfortunately, after looking into the price of flights it seems like flights from Istanbul to Amman are at least $400 more expensive than Istanbul to Tel Aviv so now I'm starting to rethink that plan. I've read that the Israeli authorities no longer stamp passports at the airport and getting into and out of Jordan via the Allenby Bridge should still keep my passport clean as far as that goes but I'm concerned about having an exit stamp from Turkey without a corresponding entry stamp from any other country. Would that set off red flags anywhere or am I worrying about nothing? As far as the trip itself goes, I was thinking Tel Aviv-Jerusalem (with side trips to Bethlehem and possibly Ramallah)-Jericho-Amman (with possible side trip to Jerash)-Petra, then back for a total of two to three weeks. I'd also like to visit the Dead Sea at some point but I'm not sure which side would make for the best experience. Anyone have any other must see sites or any advice on the places I've listed?
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Mar 25, 2014 13:39
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 19:49 |
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stereobreadsticks posted:I'm currently living in Istanbul and am tentatively planning a trip to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan for when my contract ends in June. I'm an ESL teacher and I want to keep my options open as far as teaching in the Persian Gulf region goes so I had initially intended to fly into and out of Amman and enter Israel/Palestine via the Allenby Bridge to avoid any evidence of a trip to Israel. Unfortunately, after looking into the price of flights it seems like flights from Istanbul to Amman are at least $400 more expensive than Istanbul to Tel Aviv so now I'm starting to rethink that plan. I've read that the Israeli authorities no longer stamp passports at the airport and getting into and out of Jordan via the Allenby Bridge should still keep my passport clean as far as that goes but I'm concerned about having an exit stamp from Turkey without a corresponding entry stamp from any other country. Would that set off red flags anywhere or am I worrying about nothing? Unfortunately you can't do what you want to. It's true that Israel no longer stamps at Ben Gurion (they give you a little printout sheet), but it is impossible to enter Jordan from the Allenby Bridge (unless you have a prearranged visa, or are Palestinian, or unless you previously EXITED out of Allenby bridge). The only way to do what you want is: 1. Fly from Tel Aviv to Amman 2. Fly to Amman, enter Israel through Allenby, exit Israel through Allenby 3. Get a new passport I'm also surprised that a flight from Istanbul to Amman is $400. Have you checked Pegasus Air? It's only $500 to fly from Geneva to Tehran, which is like five times further. Petra is loving rad. Absolutely make sure you spend 2 days there, it's enormous and there's nothing like it except maybe in Saudi Arabia. The Israeli side of the Dead Sea is nice because it's next to Masada. The Jordanian side has nothing particularly close to it except Machaerus which is not particularly remarkable. Note that there are very few places you can actually get into the Dead Sea from. I'm not sure how the Israeli side is, but I've driven the entire Jordanian side and most of it is like a 20 m cliff from the road into the water. Also see this thread, which is like 4 posts down from yours: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3602117
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Mar 25, 2014 16:27
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Thanks for the info. I did actually look at that thread but since it didn't mention Israel I didn't want to take the risk of derailing it with the Israeli passport stamp issue. I hadn't checked Pegasus Air but have now and it looks like they don't fly into Amman. I'll continue to shop around because I would definitely prefer going that route. So knowing the Allenby Bridge is off limits, what about the Sheik Hussein border crossing between Tiberias and Irbid? From what I'm seeing visas are available on arrival there but it looks like if I take that crossing I'll have to bite the bullet and get my passport stamped after all.
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Mar 25, 2014 17:07
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stereobreadsticks posted:Thanks for the info. I did actually look at that thread but since it didn't mention Israel I didn't want to take the risk of derailing it with the Israeli passport stamp issue. I hadn't checked Pegasus Air but have now and it looks like they don't fly into Amman. I'll continue to shop around because I would definitely prefer going that route. So knowing the Allenby Bridge is off limits, what about the Sheik Hussein border crossing between Tiberias and Irbid? From what I'm seeing visas are available on arrival there but it looks like if I take that crossing I'll have to bite the bullet and get my passport stamped after all. Sheik Hussein and Aqaba allow you to cross both ways for visa on arrival, and Israel does not give you an exit stamp (they stamp your landing card) buuut... the Jordanians do give you an entry permit that is obvious to anyone who speaks Arabic and gives a drat that you've been to Israel. I've heard Lebanon and Syria always notice the Jordanian crossings that mean you were in Israel, while most other countries don't notice or know what it means. Not that it's worth taking the chance particularly.
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Mar 25, 2014 17:59
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I just went to Jordan for a few days. We visited the Dead sea for a few hours via one of the resorts at the northern end - it's true not too much is nearby in terms of nice villages etc, but the atmosphere there is so hot and heavy that I don't think you'd want to hang around too long. There's also Bethany nearby if you're religious or interested in that - the Jordanian side is where it actually is (or where the Romans thought it was at least and where the Bible describes) regardless of what the Israelis say about their rival baptism site. Petra was amazing and you need to go but the best day I think we had was actually at Wadi Rum, a jeep tour of various interesting sites in the desert, we went with Green Desert tours, and stayed overnight in their camp. It meant we could only spend one full day at Petra, but I wouldn't change it. I don't know if it's worth visiting Amman. It's a big city but we couldn't find much of actual interest in it. Jerash is great and very impressive, unfortunately I don't know if the Roman Army and Chariot Experience is still going, it wasn't when we visited, which was a dissapointment.
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Apr 26, 2014 12:07
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I stayed in Israel for two weeks back in 2012 of June/July. I went to Amman, Jordan via Sheikh Hussein border crossing because I didn't have an entry visa from Jordan. I was however able to return to Jerusalem from Allenby Bridge with no problems whatsoever. Be careful, because The Allenby Bridge is also known as King Hussein. Just be aware of that when you want a taxi to either of these border crossings. You are from Turkey, expect going under scrutinize from Israeli Border Crossing authority. I traveled on my own, had Arab looking features due to coming from a Mediterranean background and because I was looking around suspiciously while waiting on line for passport stamp and because of that, I was flagged by customs and isolated into a small room where I underwent questionings from a head of security. The first question he asked me was " What is my religion" to which I replied "none". Go with that answer if you are ever asked that question and say it like you believe it if you are indeed a religious person. Amman is boring. Do not stay there no longer than three days max. That's how long I stayed and that was the only time I did have to fit into my schedule. Amman is very boring, there are absolutely nothing to do there. It is not even safe to walk around because of lack of pedestrian walkways. I never saw any public transportation other than taxi cabs. The taxi drivers there are clueless about your destinations, they don't go by street addresses, so expect to direct them. At least the fares are dirt cheap even though they'll try to rip you off. You'll be able to travel around Israel and West Bank without a problem. The crossing from West bank territory to Israeli's Jerusalem is a simple toll looking booth. The security there never checked my passport, they simply waved the taxi through traffic. After that it is free sailing. I highly recommend going to Mount Scopus for a fantastic view of the sunrise over the West Bank. Good luck and enjoy!
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Apr 29, 2014 13:37
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Hingehead posted:Amman is very boring, there are absolutely nothing to do there. It is not even safe to walk around because of lack of pedestrian walkways. I never saw any public transportation other than taxi cabs. Public transport is done by shared taxis and minibuses. No idea if there are buses in the city, only seen them on longer distances. Hingehead posted:You'll be able to travel around Israel and West Bank without a problem. Unless you look too Arab or are travelling on a passport from an arabic country. 
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Apr 29, 2014 18:09
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If you're American, and probably a lot of other countries do this as well, you can get a separate thing for the Israelis etc. to stamp (though maybe this has changed). When you're in Jordan, absolutely spend at least a night in Wadi Rum, it's beautiful. You can visit Lawrence's Canyon (I'm a little biased because I worked there and loved it) where Lawrence of Arabia kept his prisoners, climb absurd bas relief mountains, and see the entire milky way. I personally really liked Amman, but that might have been because I had friends who grew up there to take me to concerts and such. When you're there, although you should still be somewhat wary of people trying to take advantage of you, try and be open to just talking to people and making friends. I was able to hitchhike a lot of the places I went, and got to do a lot more thanjs to the people I met than I would have by myself. That said, if you're a woman disregard that entirely, and be smart about it.
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May 14, 2014 20:34
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RIP ZEEZ
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I did 2 months in the area (plus Syria and Lebanon in 2008) so can answer some questions. I have a feeling I crossed at Allenby at some point but I'll have to check if they stamped my passport. The crossing at king hussein from Amman gave me a piece of paper. But I structured my trip so the only Arab country I would be going to after Israel would be Egypt and Jordan (later in 2010 I went to Turkey with Israeli visas, no troubles) Definitely go to Bethlehem, I didn't get to the West Bank however. Jericho was interesting for a few hours (as part of a day trip to Masada). From Tel Aviv I got a train to Haifa and Akko which was really beautiful. I'm going to have to break out my trip book for more info but that's what I can remember in my head.
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Jun 26, 2014 07:49
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I thought Amman was alright. Without Arabic skills or a guide it does feel a bit inaccessible, though. Not dangerous or overwhelming or anything -- just, yeah, a little bland for a city its size. I imagine if you befriended some locals or something your take might change. I did ride a local bus once, so they do exist, but you'll probably be cabbing around.
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Jun 27, 2014 10:05
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I'm making Amman/Israel a part of a Round the World ticket I'm planning out, planning to do a little over a week in each place respectively. Did anybody use an unlocked GSM phone in either area? If I stay anywhere longer than a few days, I usually pick up a data package and use Google Maps to help with directions, apps to help with communication when things go a bit off the rails. So far, the only limits I found was when the iphone 5 was new and it was a little difficult to find the nanoSIM.
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Jul 6, 2014 23:04
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Blinkman987 posted:I'm making Amman/Israel a part of a Round the World ticket I'm planning out, planning to do a little over a week in each place respectively. Did anybody use an unlocked GSM phone in either area? If I stay anywhere longer than a few days, I usually pick up a data package and use Google Maps to help with directions, apps to help with communication when things go a bit off the rails. So far, the only limits I found was when the iphone 5 was new and it was a little difficult to find the nanoSIM. Don't spend a week in Amman, unless by Amman you meant Jordan. I used my phone there and while every SMS was like 50 cents it was still cheaper in the end than getting a SIM, unless you think you're really going to use it a lot. Also you might want to bring a SIM card cutter assuming you can fly with one of those. They're pretty easy to cut yourself too--I've done it several times with a razor blade--but airport security won't like seeing those.
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Jul 7, 2014 11:37
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I'm planning to spend about 10 days in Israel at the beginning of the year (early January), probably something like 3-4 days Haifa/Acre and 4-5 days Jerusalem. Any particular suggestions? We were there last summer and spent 3 days in Jerusalem, 2 in Tel Aviv, and 3 way down in Eilat (then like 10 days in Jordan), but it was really not enough at all for Jerusalem and we didn't make it to the north at all. So anyone have recommendations for Acre/Haifa -- maybe Nazareth for a day? Or recommendations for the Jerusalem-area beyond the major things that everyone sees immediately (Western Wall, Dome of the Rock, Church of the Holy Sepulchre)? Neither of us is religious at all but we do like historical stuff, scenery/views, architecture, and nice cafes or restaurants. We'd be up for a day trip somewhere too if anyone has a good idea for something a little further out. It's January, so no Dead Sea, although we went there last summer anyway and not sure I'd want to do it again. We spent a day in Bethlehem (would not repeat) and a couple days just walking around the Old City in Jerusalem last time, but our only time outside the Old City was to get a drink in that new shopping mall just outside the west gate, and to walk through Mea She'arim and discretely gawk at the superjews.
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Oct 15, 2014 21:37
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Looki it into a little more, it looks like we'll fly into Tel Aviv at about 10am on Friday, and I'd want to be in Jerusalem on the next Tueday night, so it'd give us like 4 days to check out the Haifa/Acre/Nazareth area, then about 5 days in Jerusalem. Anyone been around northern Israel and have cool recommendations up there? The Bahai center and gardens looks pretty awesome, and Nazareth looks interesting to just walk around. Still, are Haifa and Nazareth close enough to do in a day trip? We'd probably like to stay in one place the whole time (in the north) and one place in Jerusalem.
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Oct 17, 2014 19:39
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 19:49 |
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I'm not replying to anyone in particular, but here's what I did a few years ago when I did an Israel-Jordan trip for about 3 weeks: We flew in and out of Tel Aviv. If you're arriving at a decent time and are more adventurous there are bus and train options to get into the city, otherwise take a taxi (it's not very expensive). We spent about 2 or 3 days in TLV in total, how much time you want to spend there really depends on what you want to do. Old Jaffa is quite nice for a little bit, and the waterfront all along the coast was redeveloped a little while ago, and it's really, really nice to walk up and down. If you're interested in Bauhaus there is a bauhaus centre that leads tours to important buildings around the city, which were actually very interesting and informative. If you want to shop there are a few major shopping streets, although it's the same stuff as any major european/american city. Nightlife is pretty good (The Block is a really, really good club), and there are some art galleries and whatnot you can check out as well. Jerusalem is a city where you should almost dedicate a week. While the old city is packed (mostly with tourists) it's an amazing area full of thousands of years of history. Generally I'd recommend just walking around the old city for a day, then doing specific things on other days. Recommended: There are 2 major archaeological museums in the old city (one showcasing the city, the other the temple mount), both are great. If you book ahead you can get on tours under the western wall, which are also very interesting, as is the citadel. The church of the holy sepulcher isn't to be missed (and you'll need to spend a lot of time in it to see it all), and on certain days you can go onto the temple mount itself, which is really great. Outside of the Old City there's all the modern Israel stuff; the national museum (with an amazing art collection and a great dead sea scrolls exhibit) shouldn't be missed, and there's also a good museum of Islamic art. Yad Vashem (the holocaust memorial) is a really sombre and sobering experience, but worthwhile as well. Haifa/Akko are nice, but also kind of bland compared to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Visiting all the baha'i stuff is nice, but not on the level of the other holy sites in that country. The Acre old-city/citadel are interesting and are good for a day. There are plenty of old crusader castles in the area, in case you were worried you won't see enough. One thing I really enjoyed was visiting the Megiddo site; this is an old stone-iron age town, which was fought over so much that the name "Armageddon" comes from here. You really shouldn't miss south Israel. Masada is an amazing site, especially if you're willing to spend some time there. If you drive up from the back side you can hike up the old roman siege ramp (the romans literally built a massive ramp of stone to siege the mountain), and then you can visit the site, walk down the front, and walk back along the old roman siege wall (which is still there) and up the cliff (note: due to extreme heat this path is closed may-September). The dead sea is better from the Jordanian side, but if you want to do some nice hiking you can head to ein bokek. What should be noted is that all over Israel are historical sites operated by the israeli national parks service, and they're amazing; you can pick up maps of the country with these marked on them all over. Often these sites are really quiet on weekdays, and visiting old stone-iron age hillforts/towns is really cool, especially when some of them are over 5.000 years old and you're the only one there. In Israel you need to be careful of Shabbat, nothing happens on saturdays, many towns completely just shut down. Just a note. Jordan: We spent like a week visiting this country, you could probably do more. The highlight obviously is Petra in the south, which is probably the coolest historical site I have ever seen, and I've been to a lot of historical sites. You'll either have to go south from Amman or up from Aqaba, which takes a few hours either way. I'd recommend dedicating 1-2 days here. If you want to see a cool desert with beautiful landscapes Wadi Rum is nearby, you can either do a day there or camp overnight. There are a fair amount of large crusader forts in Jordan, I'd recommend Al Karak if you want to see one of the best. That being said, the Israeli ones are usually better maintained with wayyy better interpretive signage. Around the dead sea/Amman I'd say go to Jerash for a day, and then maybe pick and choose another attraction. Downtown Amman can be interesting, although the city is nowhere near as nice as Tel Aviv (if you just want to spend time in a major urban centre). If you have any specific questions about stuff I can try and help.
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Oct 26, 2014 20:48
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