An adventure to the Middle East ( Part 12 ) Jordan - Taybet Zaman

When our group reached Jordan... we immediately left for Petra. It was a 3 1/2 hour ride.

We had a short stop between Amman and Petra.... called the Midway Castle ... in order to buy some souvenirs, food and also a pit stop.

Upon entering --- I noticed that it was an expensive souvenir shop.... here are some of the items being sold at the store.

Our next stop.... Taybet Zaman Hotel and Resort

( courtesy of Elizar Masucol ) 

It is a hotel that is 20 minutes drive away from Petra. It was like you were staying in a small village.. The resort consists of small buildings. The hotel has a feel like it was an Arabic village. The whole complex--- including the building and walkways were made of stones, giving it a traditional feel. There were warning signs that the walking surface was not even, to avoid people from falling. All the buildings are one-storey high, the rooms were clustered in different levels... you will need their map to move around the place.

When we got to the front desk to get our room number and key... They also gave us a map of the place... I was wondering WHY WOULD they give us a map..... When we were on our way to our rooms.... it seemed like we were going around in circles.... it took long before we could find our room. The hotel layout is like a maze--- even with signs posted on strategic places around the hotel, it took some time before we found our room.

Here is our room in this resort. Our room looked like a converted village home with a comfortable sitting room, bedroom and bathroom. There was no  air con unit in the room (  or maybe I didn't notice it) but it didn't bother me since it was chilly at night.... we slept with our windows opened .... Yes, two mosques high up in the hills woke me up early the next morning with their loudspeaker blaring woke me up with their call to prayer.

Here is the view from our room..

That afternoon we tried out their much talked about Turkish Bath. I opted to try that rather than take the sunset that day.

But I was able to get some sunset shots from my friend, Kerr, who had a fabulous sunset view from his room. According to our tourist guide Petra is known for having the best sunsets in Jordan.

( all sunset photos courtesy of Kerr Hernandez )

This is a view of their dining room which looked like a wine cellar and very romantic.

The dinner was excellent. The first time I was able to eat more than how I was eating in Cairo. The food looked fresh and nicely presented. Jordanian food is tasty and delicious. Some of their foods are kofta ( ground meatballs), kebab ( grilled meat), tahina ( tahini salad ), stuffed grape leaves, Hummus etc.

Here are some photos of the food we had that night. I am sure all my fellow travelers will agree with me that this was the best meal we had in our trip.

I would recommend this Taybet Zaman when you are visiting Petra. The night views of the Taybet village are simply beautiful with the Petra mountain range as a backdrop. I love the old world feel it has. Do not forget to try the Turkish Bath!!!!

SALAM ALEKUM HABIBIS!!!