Sights around Irbid + Sheikh Hussein border (in Ramadan!)
Replies: 2 - Last Post: Aug 12, 2012 2:57 AM Last Post By: Shuming
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Sights around Irbid + Sheikh Hussein border (in Ramadan!)
I am planning a Jerash/Israel border crossing THIS Thursday/Friday and would appreciate your advice on my plan and a few particular questions:1. How may Ramadan affect my plan, specifically in terms of availability of minibuses to/from Irbid and Jerash/Ajlun/Umm Qais? I have lived in the GCC countries, so I am familiar with shops being closed, no public eating, etc during the day.
2. How early does the Sheikh Hussein border crossing open on a Friday morning during Ramadan?
3. Will it be possible for me to reach Jerash/Ajlun/Umm Qais all on Thursday via public transportation? I dont mean to short shrift Jerash, tho the heat and my personal approach to visiting ruins suggests 2+ hour visit may be enough. This may be my only chance in this area for a while so I want to see as much as possible. I have no problem getting to Umm Qais at 5-6 PM (close to sundown), though I am concerned if there will be transport back to Irbid once iftar/evening arrives. Advice?
4. Are there sights instead-of/in-addition-to Jerash/Ajlun/Umm Qais you would recommend for a 1-day excursion like this from Irbid (in the heat of Ramadan summer)?
5. Advice on where to stay (for cheap) in Irbid for Thursday night? LP seems to recommend al-Ameen al-Kabeer Hotel - any alternative suggestions?
My plan:
- Thursday morning, 7 AM, Bus/Shared-taxi, Abdali station, Amman to Irbid. (600-900 fils, 2 hours).
- Check into 1-night stay in a hotel in Irbid - LP seems to recommend al-Ameen al-Kabeer Hotel
- Minibus (South station), Irbid to Jerash. (500 fils, 45 minutes). in Jerash, to South station, minibus (100 fils) from Radna al-Hindawi St.
- 2-3 hrs in Jerash
- Bus, Jerash to Ajlun (300 fils, 30 minutes)
- 2+ hrs in Ajlun (also, Abila?)
- Bus, Ajlun to Irbid (320 fils, 45 minutes)
- North bus station, minibus, Irbid to Umm Qais (250 fils, 45 minutes)
- Bus, Umm Qais to Irbid.
- Friday morning, From Jerash West bus station (Mujamma al-Gharb al-Jadid) arrive via bus from Palestine St, west of the roundabout, minibus to Sheikh Hussein Border (750 fils, 45 minutes).
Shuttle, Sheikh Hussein border 5 JD
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A few quick post-visit comments for future travelers:I followed the plan and visited Jerash/Aljoun/Umm Qais, starting the day in Amman and ending in a raucous ramadan evening in Irbid. Transport was very low cost as advertised, very few visitors due to the summer heat and ramadan, and only transport snafu was Umm Qais to Irbid at 7 PM, because the regular bus was no longer running and no one wanted to make the 30 minute drive so close to Iftar AND the service-taxi from Irbid to the Sheikh Hussein border on Friday morning, with no other passengers around due to Friday prayers and Ramadan.
The Sheikh Hussein border is open 24/7, including Fridays, Saturdays and all during Ramadan. It gets very few travelers (not quite sure why it needs to be open 24/7) and took me less than 15 minutes to cross from one side to the other.
I took my time visiting Jerash/Aljoun/Umm Qais and still easily visited all three in 1 day. I found Umm Qais, with its Roman ruins, no visitors, and grand views across the Golan Heights, Syria, the Sea of Gaililee...and if you walk for 2 km due west, you come to a ridge guarded by Jordanian soldiers where you can see the entire Jordan Valley of Israeli set before your eyes. There is a quaint cafe next to the ruins in Umm Qais that one could easily while away hours by watching the three (or 4 on a clear day, when Lebanon can also be seen) countries over tea.
