Angkor Wat vs Petra

Having visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Petra in Jordan, I couldn't help asking myself which one I like more. Reason is because both ancient wonders share similar characteristics like ancient monuments and temples that leave traces of the great civilisations they once were.

If you're not sure what's Angkor Wat and Petra, here they are:

Angkor Wat in Cambodia

Petra in Jordan

Both are equally breathtaking, huh?

Looking at the photos I couldn't help reminiscing the time I stepped foot onto the grounds of Angkor Wat and Petra for the first time. Being physically present in those places just blew my mind.

I also came up with this comparison table:

Having looked at the photos, reminisced my experiences and comparing both places from various aspects, I realised I can't decide which I like more because despite their similarities, both Angkor Wat and Petra has its own mesmerising spell that will hook any visitor who steps foot there. It's an exprience that cannot be described in words.

So there you have it - I remain a person undecided.

What about you? Which do you like better - Angkor Wat or Petra?

6 Tips Before Visiting Petra

Petra is one of the most magnificent sites in the Middle East.

It was built by the Nabatean people who were ancient Arab tribes originally from the Arabian Peninsular. They created this city of temples and tombs by half-building and half-carving it into the reddish sandstone.

Situated at the crossroads between the East and the West, Petra was a major trading centre for incense, silk and spices. It began to prosper from the first century BC and had a population of more than 30,000 people in its glory days.

Petra is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and was voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007.

If you're planning to visit Petra to marvel at how ancient carving and building skills could create something so outstanding, read these 6 tips to make the most of your time there.

1) One day is not enough

It would be a shame to travel all the way to Petra and spend only one day marvelling at the main sites like the Treasury and the Monastery (Ad-Deir). Get the 2-day pass so that you'll have ample time to explore the main sites, tombs, museums and trails. And if you're really gung-ho, then get the 3-day pass.

Tickets are sold at the Petra Visitors Centre at the entrance of the park.

There are various passes available depending on the duration of your trip. Click here for the latest ticket prices. I was lucky to visit Petra in October 2010, cause prices went up one month after that.

The centre only accepts cash. So you can't depend on Visa or Mastercard if you're cash strapped.

Remember to bring along your passport for the ticket seller to print your name on the ticket like this.

2) Arrive early in the morning

Try to get to the Treasury early in the morning cause this is where visitors love to take photos while standing in front of it. In case you don't know, this is the Treasury:

If you can reach the Treasury early, you'll have the whole place to yourself and can snap as many photos as you want without too many people in it.

The main trail from the entrance of the park to Qasar al-Bint is 4km long, with the Treasury smack in the middle. So plan your time accordingly.


3) Wear sturdy sandals

Petra is a sandy place, so sandals are a better option compared to covered footwear. We all know how irritating it is to have sand in our footwear, which is even more difficult to get rid off.

If you're planning to do some hiking, make sure your sandals are sturdy enough to endure the terrains and long walks.

I wore a pair of ballet flats and regretted it. But when I saw some ladies wearing heels, it made me feel better, hahaha.

                                          The sandy terrains of Colonnaded Street.


4) Be prepared to walk, walk and walk

See how far we walked. Photos courtesy of Aud.

A complimentary horse ride from the park entrance to the Treasury is included in the ticket. However, the guide told us that we would need to give baksheesh (tips) to the horse owner when you reach the Treasury.

Note that if you take the 2-day or 3-day pass, only 1 ride is complimentary. However, there are many horses and carriages for hire. A ride is approximately JD 25 (depending on your barganing skills).

5) Explore the hidden trails

Most people would just follow the main trail from the park entrance to the Treasury and then to the museums which are located towards the back of the park. But let me tell you a secret - the offbeaten trails are the ones that gives you the best views like this: 

It was a torturous 2-hour climb to this spot cause there were no proper paths (or so we thought). On our way down we found a defined trail that we had overlooked. Talk about irony. Look at my ballet flats. Pathetic, right?

Click here for a list of trails you could explore in Petra.


6) Bring your own food and drink

Hiking the offbeaten trails may take a couple of hours which may eat (no pun intended) into your meal times. So bring your own food and drinks to quell hunger pangs. You can sit and admire the sights and wonders of Petra as you chomp into your food.

Packing your own meals is also an economical option, especially for budget travellers.

Petra Trail

If you're researching for a trip to Petra, you may find this map useful.

This map is distributed to all visitors at the Petra Visitor's Centre when you buy the tickets.

More to come about my adventures in Petra ...

Review of Valentine Inn in Petra, Jordan

Valentine Inn seems to be one of the more popular backpackers hostel in Wadi Musa, the area closest to Petra. This is probably due to it being mentioned in Lonely Planet that helps to sell its rooms and dorms like hot cakes.

Facade of Valentine Inn

The inn offers travel services like daily return transfers to Petra, tours to Wadi Rum, transport to Amman, etc.

But what sucks about the place are the people who run it, especially the lady boss who runs the place with an iron fist. She's the second wife of the owner, a bitch of the highest order and a racists. From my observations and experience, she tend to favour Caucasian tourists compared to Asians tourists whom she treats like low lifeforms.

Click here to read more negative comments about Valentine Inn posted by other travellers.

Ok, enough about bitchy innkeepers, and let's get back to the story.

We stayed in the 10-bed mix-dorm that costs JD 5.50 /pax/night:

The beds were so close to each other we didn't have any place to put our stuff. A side table for each bed would have been nice.

A guy was sleeping in the bed beside me and his girlfriend slept in the bed that was at the foot of his.

She kept staring at me that I wanted to ask if I had borrowed money from her. She probably thought I wanted to shag her bf cause our beds were so close.

But he snored like a jet plane taking off, and I don't think I wanna shag a guy like that, wth.

There was a common shower in the room for all 10 of us to fight it out.

Bathroom was clean.

If you wanna see Petra at night, you may opt for the Petra by Night tour that costs JD 12 each and you can book it through Valentine Inn. However, a few of the travellers who participated in this came back disappointed.

According to fellow traveller Kana, all the participants would gather at the entrance of Petra and walk together to the Treasury. The entire path from the entrance to the Treasury would be lit with candles.

Upon reaching the Treasury, everyone would be asked to sit down on the ground and local folk music would start blasting from the speakers. Of course the entire Treasury would be lighted with candles and combined with the folk music blasting from the speakers, well ... it adds to the atmosphere.

For some ... it was daylight robbery because they were expecting much more for that price.

As for myself, I was on a budget and therefore couldn't spare JD 12 for something like that. Moreover, visiting Petra during the day was enough for me.

Petra and the Movies

You must be wondering why did I name this blog post "Petra and the Movies".

Well, for starts, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was partly filmed in Petra.

And recently, even Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was also filmed there.

Those 2 movies probably created more awareness about this ancient Nabatean city. But what catapulted its popularity is because Petra has been voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007. So everyone wants to see a world wonder since the previous seven wonders (with the exception of the Pyramids at Giza) has all been destroyed one way or another.

Now coming back to the movies. Since Petra has Indy to thank for letting the world know of its existence, the people pay homage to Indy by naming their shops after him a.k.a. jumping on the business bandwagon. Take a look at these shops:

They even sell hats ala Indy for visitors who want to feel like the famous archeologist approaching the Treasury:

I didn't see anyone wearing any of these hats in Petra though. Maybe they didn't want the other visitors to laugh at them.

And amidst all the hype about Indy, the people have not forgotten to pay homage to other movies as well, like the most popular ship:

But my all time favourite has got to be this:

Guess who? Captain Jack Sparrow on a camel - in Petra!

If you don't know who Captain Jack Sparrow is, you must either:

1) not love movies; or

2) you were living on Planet Mars for the past decade

So now you know why I named this blog post "Petra and the Movies".

If you visit Petra, remember to keep your eyes open and notice all these popular movies, characters and memorabilia. They are all around you; you just need to be observant.