Middle East Travel

» hughtaylor - Cheap holiday

I've got lots of tips for budget travelling.
As a travel writer I have to check out accommodation and restaurants for various budgets.
On my last trip to Jordan I spent a couple of nights in the new five star Kempinski Ishtar on the shores of the Dead Sea. Then I moved to the Hotel Miriam in Madaba. It charges a mere US$18 a night but it's one of the best budget hotels in the country. It's clean and tidy with a nice courtyard pool area, excellent food and the friendliest of proprietors. Then it was the great outdoors and living like Lawrence of Arabia I spent several nights in the desert of Wadi Rum sleeping on the sands. My Bedouin Guide called it his 'hotel with millions of stars.' And he was right. I drifted off to sleep looking up at the Milky Way. Then I returned to hot showers, air conditioning and room service in the five star Movenpick Aqaba.
I'll be writing about them all here so keep returning on a regular basis.

-- posted by hughtaylor

» Joni Rose - Cheap holiday

Wow...you've certainly intrigued me to keep coming back for your budget travel tips! You paint a glorious picture!!

» Mike Gerrard - Jordan Budget Travel

Hugh's right. I've only travelled in Jordan and Egypt, in the part of the world he covers (oh, and in Uzbekistan in Central Asia several years ago). But the first time I went to Egypt I was amazed by the quality of the hotels. I just hadn't expected top-quality four and five star hotels, with the added bonus of the Middle Eastern friendliness - and food of course. Same thing in Jordan. Budget travel is easy too, and the whole range is there. I've stayed in cheap places in Egypt and in Tunisia and Morocco, but they've all been terrific - clean, friendly, atmospheric. Meeting the people more than makes up for the lack of one or two so-called modern amenities.

» hughtaylor - Jordan Budget Travel

I find that a lot of the budget establishments are family owned and operated. The proprietor is almost always on hand and delighted to share his or her wealth of knowledge with guests. Charl al Twal of the Hotel Mariam in Jordan is a prime example. He was a great help to me when I was researching my latest book. For a small fee he'll even come and pick you up from the airport. No small thing when your flight lands about midnight.

-- posted by hughtaylor

» Keith64 - Cheap holiday

(My Bedouin Guide called it his 'hotel with millions of stars.' )

Did you have the same guide as we did? Or, do they all say that?(G)

Like you said, though, it's true!

-- posted by Keith64

» hughtaylor - Cheap holiday

Keith I suspect that they all say it.

There was another occasion when I was working on a feature about Wadi Rum for the BBC. We were out in the desert where we'd arranged to stay overnight and have a Bedouin feast.
However some organisational wires had got crossed and what we got instead of Bedouin was two Egyptians. While they were preparing the food we lay on a couple of mattresses and looking up at the Milky Way. It was magnificent. Then the food arrived.
It wasn't sheep eyes, or any of the traditional Bedouin foods. It couldn't even have been described as Middle East cuisine. It was fish and chips, deep fried and nicely battered.
Fish and chips, cooked on a gas stove in the middle of an Arabian desert and tasting much better than anything my local chippie can produce.
Then there was the tent. Not the traditional goat hair tent of a nomad but a 21st century Vango tent made in Scotland.
But the Egyptian guys were nice, the food was excellent and the stars plentiful.

-- posted by hughtaylor

» Keith64 - Cheap holiday

TENT? You wimp! (G)

We got a crash-mat and a sleeping bag, and that was it! We had chicken on the first night, and a sort of stew on the other ... all prepared and wrapped up in tinfoil. He just chucked it on the fire and left it awhile. But, it was delicious!

-- posted by Keith64

» hughtaylor - Cheap holiday

When I spent a few nights with the Bedouin last June I was supposed to be sleeping in one of their tents but it was so nice outside that I just pulled my mat out into the desert and slept there.

All this is making me feel like going back. As a colleague once said 'travel writing would be a great job if it wasn't for the writing.'

If didn't have as much writing to do at the moment I could go. My editor is flying there at the weekend from johannasburg and I am envious.

-- posted by hughtaylor

» Keith64 - Cheap holiday

Did you get to stay at the campsite at Umm Atawagi? The one with the faces of TE Lawrence and some of his followers engraved on the rock?

When we were there, there were some Bedouins in the shelter, and a Lebanese family ... and both were among the nicest people I've ever met.

And, that's one of the best experiences I ever had ... I only wish I'd had a sound recorder with me, to capture the guide playing his flute, the Bedouin singing and the chant at morning prayers.

-- posted by Keith64

» hughtaylor - Cheap holiday

No but I visited the rock and have some pictures of the carvings. I'll try and find them then I can write an article about it.

When I was there there were some Bedouin women selling figs and I tried to buy a few. I handed over a few coins and she gave me the whole box.

I ate several but in the morning there were stacks left so I fed them to my camel. It ate them double quick.

I hope it didn't have problems with its bowel movements.

I have recordings from that trip somewhere in my archive. I have a few Bedouin running about shouting 'Aqaba!' and 'No prisoners!'. I added the theme to David Leans film, Lawrence of Arabia in the background, a few interview snippets and some voice overs and produced a nice wee feature on T.E.Lawrence.

I also recorded one of our guides singing some traditional Bedouin songs.

-- posted by hughtaylor