Petra Tourist Traps

This little bdool kid told me to take his picture, so I did. Then right after I took it, he yelled out: "One picture, one dinar!!!" The angry look on his face and how he did it made me laugh so hard I gave him a half dinar because of the entertainment value. I know this is a negative reinforcement...but oh well. It was funny.

At the gate you would be offered a horse ride to take on site. Make sure to agree on going all the way to the safe location as most horse rides ends before the long path starts...

Unique Suggestions: Make sure to take you all the way down...

Fun Alternatives: Make sure you start early in the morning as it is a long walk and the site takes time to go through. Also, different time of the day you'll get to see the surrounding mountains in different colors! Magificient sight. You need at least 2-3 days in Petra

Opportunities are everywhere. You can ride horses down the Siq. You can have your picture taken with a camel. Donkeys can take you up the hills. If you haven't had your experience with any of these beasts then you can do it here... for a price.

Fun Alternatives: Get off your butt and walk ya' lazy ...

At Petra, you aree encouraged to have an official guide, no probelm as they escort you through the magnificent sights. Watch out for the two tier pricing system. You pay about 20 Jirdanian Dinars, about £19 GBP but bewrae that the guide then tries to charge a surcharge as "I want to show you my Petra!" This extra can cost more than double the readies and isn't worth it . Watch out too for the throngs of locals who harrass you at every opportunity to purchase so called geniune 1,000 year old coins found at the historic site.

Unique Suggestions: A firm but polite "No" ought o put most of them off but beware of stragglers and the pickpockets amongst them

Fun Alternatives: Having said all that, the coins though worthless are quite good to look at and are intersting so if you want some then go ahead and buy, they cost very little.

When visiting with a group a horse ride is mandatory. It is only 500 meters and the horse men expect a big tip (2 JD). Then you have to tell them what time you will be back so they can take you back to the entrance.

Unique Suggestions: Don't pay your tip or only pay 1 JD. There is also a ride back and (I guess) they will also expect a tip for the ride back. If they horse man is persistent say that you have pay for only half a horse so you will give half a tip.

I you decide you take the horse trip back make sure to be back in time otherwise there won't be any horses waiting for you.

Fun Alternatives: I paid for my horse and walked, so no discussion about tips, there are also some interesting sites to see on your trip to the entrance.

With no horse you don't have to be back at the beginning of the siq because they are expecting you.

Beware in Petra and other place in Jordan, Petrol station attendants are trying very hard to cheat the tourists.
The master of that is the owner or attendant of Petra petrol station.
They have several trick in their pocket and the most common is to simulate a break down of the petrol dispenser, start it again but at the end charging you an extra 5 or 10 JOD. Just watch the info on the gas dispenser and the manipulation of the attendant.
Also, wait as much as needed to get your money back !! Do not leave anything as tip !!!!

One of the nice things that you find in Petra are children selling pieces of stones. These are very nice, but they ask you 1 euro, 5 euro and one time also 100 euro!!! You can find a lot of strange stones in Petra and it's not necessary to buy them because beduins catch the same stone that you find on the ground!!!!

There are essentially 5 official methods of transport once you have passed through the gates:
1: Walk
2: Horse
3: Horse & Cart
4: Camel
5: Donkey

1: You have complete control, its the cheapest option but be prepared to be exhausted at the end of the day -:)
2: The biggest tourist trap. Horses are to be found at the entrance of the site, some 500 metres from the entrance to the Siq. Horses can only take you as far as the Siq.
3: Horse & Cart - also to be found at the entrance to the site - at least they can take you from the entrance, through the Siq and as far as the Treasury (the beginning of the ruins). Probably more interesting as an option at the end of the day LOL.
4: Camels are to be found at the Treasury and can take you all round the site on the level
5: Donkeys also to be found at Treasury - usually used to ascend and descend all or part of the route up to the Monastery (and it can be terrifying!).

There appears to be no set price - you simply need to haggle.

Unique Suggestions: Part of the delight of Petra is the air of expectation as you walk through the Siq, sheer cliff faces towering above you. To experience this to the full, walk it. From my mind, best thing to do is to walk the entire site. If you need a little bestial help, take it at the end. If you plan to go to the Monastery, take a donkey part or all the way up. It is an exhausting and pretty sheer climb. BUt remember to hold on to that donkey! It is scary going up - if you chose to come down, believe me we saw people white with terror!!