Do we need walking sticks?
Hi fellow Taucktorians, I am packing for our Oct 23 tour and wonder if we need walking sticks.
Also, my husband has a heavy camera and several lenses. Wonder if the 44 pounds check in and 11 pounds carry on weight limits are strictly enforced. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
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Do you use walking sticks anywhere else? If not, you don't need them on J&E unless you plan to make the climb to the Monastery or the High Place of Sacrifice in Petra and think you'll need something to steady you.
From our experience last March luggage weights weren't checked except hold baggage by the international carrier (we flew Turkish), that can always change. I don't recall if our main luggage for the charter flight from Aqaba to Aswan or our personal item (purse/camera bag) for the charter flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel and back, were weighed but don't believe so. Remember, those weights are per person. The only flight you could have problems with if your bags are overweight might be the commercial flight from Luxor to Cairo. Depends on how overweight. It might cost a little extra if overweight.
Thanks Alan! I have read and enjoyed all your Petra and Egypt posts and really appreciate you sharing the experience and adventures. I am agile but out of shape so probably can't race up and down the Monastery like you did. Will take your advice and leave the sticks so my husband can bring one more camera
The climb to the Monastery, while not easy for some people in the Tauck demographic, it is well within the capability of most. You have all afternoon to do it, and it is not a race. I stopped to take photos, made a slight detour to see and photograph the Lion Triclinium, and could have spent a lot more time at the top, but I had a lot more I wanted to see and do. As many articles say, you really need to spend two days or more there- so I tried to squeeze a day and a half's worth into one day.
As I mentioned, I trained by walking several miles per day a few months before we went, but it was all on flat terrain, so not really the best prep for climbing - I say climbing, but it is really a mix of walking up inclines and hand cut steps. Except for a brief but mostly sandy, level area at the beginning (which in itself is hard to walk in) the trail is solid, no gravel or sand. The biggest hazards were the 'presents' left by the donkeys!
While my legs were in good enough shape it would have been better if my waistline had been smaller! 
But, hey I'm 73 and I like to eat.
Also, as I mentioned, to see what will be in store, you can virtually walk the entire site of Petra in Google Maps Street View including the climb to the Monastery and even my 'back country' trek to Wadi al-Farasa and climb to the High Place of Sacrifice (lower left loop in image below). I have used this to prep for other walks, general sightseeing, etc. Also, the real life distances are not as far as they seem in Street View.
You can 'stop' anywhere on the blue line and rotate your view 360°. Check it out. If you need help figuring out how to do it PM me, if you are not already enroute. Have great trip, it is a fantastic tour.
Flying on Qatar Business in 21 hours. We don't exercise much but will attempt to scale the Monastery. The High Place of Sacrifice will probably be too challenging for us
. This is our first international trip since our Tauck Antarctica excursion in Dec 2019. We are really excited and looking forward to it. Thanks again for all your guidance and help.
no! it is actually worst to walk with them.. the terrain it's not as bad as I was told, but you do have to be aware & precise on where you're stepping, specially in Petra.
The Amazing Race was in Jordan this week. Lots of views of Wadi Rum and Petra.
Maybe it's because of Covid, but I find Amazing Race a lot less interesting than it used to be. They spend most of the time focusing on the silly challenges, rather than showing the areas they visit, local culture, etc.
We caught it
I found it interesting but not surprising that, except when they arrived at the Treasury, they appeared to be in areas with less tourists especially when they did the puzzle and water challenges. I couldn't figure out where they were, but it must have been near where the camels are corralled and/or down by the basin restaurant. I also found it interesting how the TV camera positions, angles and lenses really have an affect. The Great Temple looked different at the finish, especially in the overhead photos (drone?), than what I remember. I saw it from both sides- from the Colonnaded Street and from slightly above and behind from the trail to Wadi al-Farasa and it sure looked different. I wonder if they got to spend the night at the Mövenpick
We've used Amazing Race for ideas for several places to see on our trips- one was Craigmillar Castle and Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh.
Rosslyn was covered in scaffolding when I was there in 2008. The local guide told us that the number of visitors increased markedly after the publication of "The DaVinci Code" (which was where I first heard of Rosslyn Chapel).
If you are an Amazing Race fan as much as I’m I am, watch season 3 and 4 of the Australian version. I was riveted. I believe it was filmed on the Outback. You got to really know and understand the lives of the contestants, their personalities and their upbringing and family lives. I felt more of a connection with that show than the US version.
The scaffolding had been totally removed a few months before our 2013 tour- the first time in 14 years!!!
Thanks for the tip on the Australian version, now to only have time or watch it.
There is a British series cape, I think Race Across the World. Similarly to Amazing Race. We watched two seasons and I have not checked whether there are any more since Covid. I’ll take a look, I think it was on Netflix
Yes, it’s coming back
https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/race-across-the-world-returns-newsupdate/
I forgot they have to travel without going by plane!
Since we are talking about the Amazing Race. The prior week's episode that ended in Florence was in the piazza in front of the hotel we stayed in on our tour of Italy. It's the Westin Excelsior.
I've lost track of the places we've been and also seen on Amazing Race. My wife said she recognized the camel herder and the camel she rode in Petra. I was off in the boonies, so can't verify
I want to stumble onto the contestants, Phil or crew or a least a clue box during a filming. Kinda like running into Rick Steves. 
Again, if you can watch season 3 and 4 of the Australian version of Survivor (not Amazing Race).
Alan S....thx for Petra map. Reading Tauck's day 4 itinerary for J &E , was not sure we had time to trek to the Monastery. Is 2 hours round trip somewhat accurate for 70 year old in decent shape ? Are you on your own, or does Tauck have a local guide with you ?
It's a must see while in Jordan.
It's a must see while in Jordan.
On Petra Day, in the morning, you walk with a guide from the hotel across the street to the main entrance, to and through the outer siq, then through the inner siq to the treasury where have time to gaze in awe and pause for photos, etc. You continue on with the guide down the Street of Facades, stop at vendor across from the Roman amphitheater for refreshments, then continue (all downhill) to the great temple, Colonnaded Street and then to the Basin Restaurant where you will have a nice buffet lunch at approx 1130. Our group was about the only people eating lunch at that time. You are free after lunch to do what you want- take the provided camel back to the Treasury or continue wandering on your own. A two hour round trip will give you plenty of time to do the Monastery climb. Remember it will be easier and quicker coming down. You must also remember you still must walk back to the hotel, unless you can arrange for a later camel- that may have been possible, but since I was adding a trek to the High Place it wouldn't work for me.
There is still plenty of stuff to see. If you decide not to make the climb to the Monastery, right after you leave the Basin Restaurant, you can visit the ruins of two ancient churches with mosaic floors in one, which are just off to the left side of the main street (between "toilets" and "Petra" on my map) or continue and take the short trail to the impressive Royal Tombs.
The bus departed the Movenpic for Bedouin dinner at Little Petra at 6:00 pm, so you have plenty of time. Also, if you didn't take the time to visit the Petra Museum which is across the street from the hotel, adjacent to the Main Entrance, you could stop in to see that as well. Figure out what you want to see, then enter your route on Google maps to see how long it will take and just keep track of the time. In late March we were there we visited the new museum the previous evening after we arrived in Abu Musa.
Since I was pushing the limits on time, I made a spreadsheet. (see it in my post at the link below) I didn't allow time for photos, etc. but I always knew how much time it would take from any point along the way to arrive back at the hotel if I bailed out of my treks and headed directly back.
There is more detail, including other maps in my trip report. https://forums.tauck.com/discussion/15494/on-the-road-again/p1
Alan S. Wow ! stellar detail. truly appreciate the info. Absolutely plan to visit the Monastery - once in a lifetime opportunity. Hopefully, several Tauck travelers plan to take the trek. thx so much !!!
cuzin - When I took this tour in 2007 (a long time ago) a group of us (8) walked up to the Monastery which is not to be missed, on our way down out TD arranged for donkeys to take us back to the hotel as if we had not gone to the Monastery. It was a lot of fun.
cuzin GJ...My December 2021 tour was a group of 12. Six of us trekked to the Monastery together. It was great!
I lobbied folks at the welcome dinner. Tauck provided camels to retrieve us from the base of the hike to take us back to the Treasury. There were gold carts to take us back to the entrance (shopping area) after we took photos atop the camels in front of the Treasury.
Thx Pure Luxury. Welcome dinner would be great time to coordinate this super experience!