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5 Stars - 214 Opinions
Ayemx IMAX 3D - Eilat
The "City of Kings", Eilat, Israel
Travel the city of Eilat, Israel
Patrick looking, Havat Arundel, near Eilat, Israel
I am planning on taking a day trip to Petra from Eliat on June 9. I have found various websites offering day trips but nothing I could really book and it seems using taxis/buses on our own is also an option but wanted to get some opinions of the following options:
1) Book ahead as soon as possible. I haven't really found anywhere I could email a reservation via a website. I could try and call or attempt to contact our hotel (Herods Vitalis Spa) and book through them.
2) I will arrive in Eliat on June 8 in the afternoon. Could I book for the next day in person during the afternoon in Eliat right before the trip?
3) Has anyone made this trip on there own using taxis or buses? I like the idea on not being on a "tour schedule" but am not sure how easy this trip would be on our own. There are 2 of us and it seems taxi is 20 JD each way from Border to Petra plus the taxi from Hotel in Elat to the border (and of course border fees).
Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
I was there on my own. We drove a car from Amman to Petra and hiked there on our own. It's quite easy. The place is very crowsed and there is only one way to go, so just follow the crowds. There are of course "off the beaten path" hikes you can do there, but I doubt if an organized tour will take you there.
1. Herods is a Sheraton hotel, so try one of the Sheraton sites:
www.sheraton.com
www.sheraton.co.il (local site).
From my experience, you might get an imaginary fare in those official sites, since in Herods they believe all tourists are millioners (they charge hifg prices from the local markit too, but not that high), so it is reccomended to book them through an agent that specialises with incoming tourism in Israel. As for now the Herodas is vacant only 8 and 9th of june, being fully booked starting at the 10th (10-13 is a long weekend including the Shavuoot holliday, so it would be harder to find places.
2. Going to Petra alone is reccomended - Petra looks much nices when you are on own. A taxi to the border should be cheap, a Taxi to Aqaba might be cheap or not - it depends on supply and demand. Dont tell the taxi driver you are heading to Petra, for he will convice you to hire him (and pay much more). While in Aqaba, ask for a random taxi to take you to Petra (actually Wadi Musa) and argue for the price. I heavent been there since 1999 so Im not uptodated with the fare. Buses are slow, so dont use them for short trips (they seem to stop near every lonely Beduin house and hut...).
3. I didnt quite get the 2nd question. What do you intend to book in person - Hotel? tour?
Eilat is very close to the Jordanian city of Aqaba, so when you are in Eilat you can have some great views of Aqaba and if you have spare time you can visit it, even if it just for a few hours. From Eilat you can also pass the border to Jordan and visit beautiful Petra where there is amazing engraving in the huge rocks. One of the ways to get to Aqaba is to take a boat and have a short visit.
During the winter months you will need a light jacket, pants and sometimes even an umbrella. During summer, you will need your lightest clothes because it gets very hot in Eilat. Don't forget suntan lotion for the summer.
YEP, thats me, the biggest bird in Eilat, it is such an exhillirating feeling to be floating there in the air with no motor or plane "strapped" to your back, just you and your funny suit...
They accomplish this by use of an enormous fan under you..that huge donut shaped yellow pad that you see is to save you from your blunders and in the center where the instructor is standing is a large grid through which the fan blows...they control the speed and strength according to your body weight. As you become better they increase the speed and you fly higher...many of the very good "fliers" rise up above the surrounding walls and you can see from outside the building suddenly a body "floating" overhead....
...who doesn't like the beach life???sun, surf, snorkelling, scuba diving in the red sea??Nice cold beer to top off the day's activities??...However, Eilat, like most tourist areas in and around the world, has all of the above to offer, and more!!!BUT - if you are looking for a secluded beach, with next to nil inhabitants, you will be sorely mistaken..Eilat in the height of summer is a high priority destination for Israelis themselves, and other wanderers from around the globe..you can literally ask your fellow beach neighbour to rub sunscreen on your body, whilst trading cigarettes, and fumbling for lighters...this is one of many sights you will be able to experience, while trying to hide behind your latest copy of your favourite author..you can always expect a beach 'waitress' to ask you whether or not you would like a refreshing beer/ice slurpy, but be warned, if tempted to go to the bathroom after downing a few, padlock your sunchair to your kind neighbour and profusely explain through broken hebrew, 'i need to go to the bathroom', 'it is your fault if my chair has been taken through my absence!!!'..but do not expect him/her to care if you are going to meet the queen, Israeli's simply go to the beach to partake in the many available watersports, have a quiet beer with maybe a token 'shakta', with an added game of 'shesbesh'..(backgammon)..they are not there to accomodate a lost tourist, or play 'security guard' over a plot of sand space..They will merely use this as an oppurtunity, to take precious 'centimetres' of sand space you had graciously fought for, two hours previously..so, smile, have fun...and enjoy the life...Israelis have many beautiful people to look at, and are a very boisterous culture, so if you don't mind listening to other people talk about their latest aquisition, or don't mind the whiff of mother natures many herbal products...go to eilat in israel..your beach sardine in a can!!!
Just by the outskirts of the city near by the Jordan border crossing there is unique birding center. At this places which is a tiny reservation you can see waterbirds, song birds and some birds of prey, depends on the season of course. Try to get as early as possible in the morning for this, I went there early and only afterwards I returned to my hotel for breakfast.
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Address: North Beach, Eilat, 88000, Israel
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