We have just booked a Viking river cruise in Egypt, and are considering two extensions, but we can’t afford both. So if you have been to these places, which would you recommend: three days in Istanbul or four days in Jordan, visiting Petra, the Dead Sea, and Amman?
The details for each are here. Scroll down to the section that says “Pre and Post Cruise Extansions.”
We were inclined toward Istanbul, but in light of the horrific things that Erdogan, the Trump of Turkey, has been up to, we are troubled about supporting his regime in any way. Yes, withholding the few thousand dollars we’d spend in Turkey isn’t going to change much, but you can make that argument about any boycott, or even about voting.
On the other hand, we’re 70 and 65 years old, and might never have the chance to visit a post-Erodgan Turkey. Do we set aside our principles for the sake of our personal enrichment?
But although you may feel free to address the ethical issues, we’re primarily interested in hearing from people who have visited both places and their opinions of the relative value of seeing each. Once we’ve heard some of your ideas, we’ll bring the ethical question back into the mix.
I’d say Istambul (I am a huge people-watcher to get a feeling for everyday culture ) and the Suks there are just so big, it’s great to “get lost” there.
Lots of friendly casual interactions of people nodding back when they see you with an interested smile on your face.
I’ve never been to Amman but I have been to the other two. Petra is very cool but you’ve pretty much seen the whole thing in a hour or two. Istanbul has way more history and way more to see and great food. It’s a fantastic city.
Edit: I missed that Amman and Petra would be one visit together so I not completely qualified to answer. I really loved Istanbul though.
I really loved Istanbul. On the European side, it’s like stepping back in time. The mosques on the side of the hills and the suk (bizarre) with all the vendors (the largest covered market in the world) are great, and so is the food. I haven’t been to Petra, although I’d like to see it, but my understanding is that it’s as hajario describes.
Istanbul seems a bit off your itererary for the cruise itself, so while you’re in the area why not arrange a pre or post trip independently? It’s one of the worlds most ancient and inexhaustible cities, like Rome or Paris. It was there before Erdogan and it will be there long after he has gone. I found it fascinating, and enjoyed time I spent there.
And you can visit it more or less as a casual travelor, whereas sites like Petra may be harder to reach without official permission?
Istanbul is an amazing city, everywhere you look is something beautiful and interesting; it’s almost overwhelming. I do understand your point about supporting the regime, consider off setting the visit with a donation to a charity supporting journalists, or civil rights activism in Turkey. I like Amman alright, but even with Petra, there is no comparison to Istanbul.
I don’t off the top of my head, but do it from home not in Turkey to avoid complications. I bet a little google search would find some worthy recipients.
I haven’t been to Jordan (have heard great things). I loved Istanbul - a vast, historic, culturally rich (and very diverse) city. Everyone should visit it at some point if they can - a real cultural crossroads.
I have, whoever, been to the Dead Sea (Israeli side), and really wouldn’t recommend it. A long drive through the dessert to arrive at a tired resort full of old and overweight people looking to soak their tired bones, a rather unpleasant experience in the actual sea itself (better hope you don’t have any sore or broken skin) and the whole place felt like the surface of the sun. A deeply physically uncomfortable experience.
I have actually taken a taxi from Amman to Petra, but, IMO, it was not worth the money, and you may as well take the bus. Watching the cabbie chain-smoke a ridiculous number of cigarettes was horrifyingly amusing, though.
There are resorts on the Jordanian side, too… unless you are into that, I would recommend renting a car and going where you want, hiking in Wadi Mujib, swimming at a low-key public beach instead of at a resort.
I spent just over two weeks in Turkey a couple of years ago — we visited Cappadocia and Izmir, and then finished with several days in Istanbul. Re the Jordanian alternative, we had the option to travel there on another occasion, but the prospective itinerary felt like a whole lot of transit time to get from one highlight to the next, so on that trip we opted for Tunisia instead (and were not at all disappointed: Tunisia is a seriously underrated tourist destination).
I enthusiastically echo the general sentiment of the thread on how incredible Istanbul is. No question, it’s one of the most fascinating and stimulating cities we’ve ever visited. It’s like Paris or Rome or Tokyo, the kind of place you can return to over and over, scratching deeper and deeper, finding more and more to see and do. The history is rich and complex (the Hagia Sophia will flatten you), the city itself is fairly accessible (public transit is better than you’d expect), and the food is phenomenal. Also, the tourist infrastructure is fairly well developed, with widely available options for advance timed-ticket purchases, lots of guided tour groups, and so forth (though based on the “pre extension” description, it sounds like most of that will be pre-selected for you).
My only reservation is that per that description, you’re basically rushing through a handful of Istanbul highlights. I would want to give you a half-dozen must-see places in addition to those, neighborhoods to explore, and a list of dishes to hunt down, but that would require two or three further days than the three you’re getting. The listed itinerary is okay, but there is so much more.
Simply on that basis, I would be therefore tempted to go against the current, and maybe choose the Jordan extension. It seems well suited for a four-day highlight trip, especially because it’s the sort of destination you probably wouldn’t get to at any other time — whereas Istanbul really deserves a dedicated visit, and a solid week all on its own.
Istanbul is great, but my advice would be to make sure you are staying somewhere centrally located, because traffic is TERRIBLE and you can spend all your time in taxis if you don’t plan carefully.
Well, all the fake Rolex watches were pretty bizarre.