Touring Petra

Tourists visiting Petra (Roderick Eime)

When we were there last year numbers to Jordan were down as much as 70 per cent and I can’t imagine much has changed given the current problems in the Middle East.

We were on Voyager of the Seas coming down to Dubai from Barcelona and the ship suddenly had a new port. I was told the Jordanian government had paid RC to berth at Aqaba.

I am sure the day will come when they get vastly more visitors than the site can accommodate. The horse and buggies will go - I imagine day visitors will be seriously regulated and there will be a system along the lines of if you book a nearby hotel for a night you get a pass. That of course, will create new environmental problems.

That said, I really liked the way the site is kept spotless by the tourism authorities by the way. As you would have discovered you really need all day to properly explore the site – and your own guide.

The long walk combined with the heat usually means most people do not get much further than the theatre. There are also warnings about heading off with a guide on your own – particularly women.