2023 World Cruise wrap-up + details of independent tours

[Aus Traveller]

A couple of days ago I disembarked from the Coral Princess world cruise in New York. A few comments might help people on future world cruises.

1. Money. I took some AUD + US$ + a small amount of Singapore dollars in cash. I didn't bother with Euro or other currencies, but relied on my credit card. Some Euro would have been useful but I got by OK with the credit card.

 

2. Credit card. Because I had arranged several independent tours that required credit card payment, I got a credit card that has no foreign currency conversion fees. Mine is the ANZ Travel Rewards Card that is set up to be paid automatically from my normal bank account. Another option is the Latitude card that you could load up with cash before the trip so it doesn't go over the limit. I also suggest that you should have at least one additional credit card as a back-up. On some occasions, businesses said they would accept a credit card, but emphasised that they would not accept an American Express card.

 

3. Cash card. A couple of people I spoke to had their travel money on a cash card. One of these is Wise. There were a couple of occasions when this proved to not be the wise thing to do. In Singapore I came across a couple who only one a cash card (not a credit card) and the taxis wouldn't accept it. They would accept a credit card. I had cash and we shared a cab. Later in the cruise, a man who was relying totally on his cash card (linked to his phone) lost his phone. The cash card company froze the cash card and he had quite a delay until he could access his card again.

[Rassa]

@Aus Traveller

Thanks for all your info on credit cards, we have referred to your table abit.

 

We are flying into Dubai and need to catch a taxi from the airport to the cruise terminal area (staying overnight) can I use my Latitude card to pay for the taxi?  I have a Bankwest credit card as well.  We are also thinking of getting a HSBC card.   Hate getting local currency, we always have some left over.

[sewgood]

Thanks Aus Traveller, this is really useful information for those of us who have overseas cruises booked.

Overall how did you enjoy your cruise? How was the entertainment ?

What was your most enjoyable port of call ?

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, Rassa said:

@Aus Traveller

Thanks for all your info on credit cards, we have referred to your table abit.

 

We are flying into Dubai and need to catch a taxi from the airport to the cruise terminal area (staying overnight) can I use my Latitude card to pay for the taxi?  I have a Bankwest credit card as well.  We are also thinking of getting a HSBC card.   Hate getting local currency, we always have some left over.

I agree with your comment re left-over currency. I am pretty sure you would be able to use your Latitude card to pay for a taxi in Dubai. The city is very modern I am think credit cards would be accepted everywhere.

[Aus Traveller]

39 minutes ago, sewgood said:

Thanks Aus Traveller, this is really useful information for those of us who have overseas cruises booked.

Overall how did you enjoy your cruise? How was the entertainment ?

What was your most enjoyable port of call ?

I really enjoyed the cruise - thanks for asking. For me, the world cruise had a different focus when compared with, for instance, one to the Pacific islands or to New Zealand. For these, we go for the cruise and don't do much in the ports, if we get off the ship at all. For me, the world cruise was all about the different countries we visited and the ports. There was also a different atmosphere on the ship, where we all knew that we were in each other's company for an extended period of time. We got to know many of the other passengers and also some of the crew more than we would on a short cruise.

 

The most spectacular country we visited was Iceland. Absolutely amazing scenery. I will soon post information on the tours. I will add the ports in chronological order so I don't miss any.

 

Entertainment - Mostly good, some excellent and a couple not so good. The usual production cast left the ship in Dover and we got a smaller troupe - four singers and four dancers. It was an advantage that they do different shows. They aren't elaborate, although one called 'Ever After' had several costume changes. It was based on children's stories like Alice in Wonderland etc. but seemed disjointed.

 

Because we were in a different part of the world, most of the guest entertainers were ones we don't usually see on the Australian-based cruises. Some were excellent (example Max Himmelreich), others were OK or good, although there were two that were not at all good. One was two brothers who tap danced for 45 minutes and another one was a juggler/comedian who kept dropping his props. The Cruise Directed moved them to the Universe Lounge for their second shows.

[sewgood]

11 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

The most spectacular country we visited was Iceland. Absolutely amazing scenery. I will soon post information on the tours.

This is great to hear as we are presently working out what tours to do for next year's WC and it has three stops in Iceland.

Sounds like you had a marvellous time and the entertainment was a little more interesting than our normal cruises from Australia with different entertainers to what we usually get year after year here on our cookie cutter cruises. 

Looking forward to your tour reviews when you have the time to post.

If you are still in NY have fun and a safe flight home.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, sewgood said:

This is great to hear as we are presently working out what tours to do for next year's WC and it has three stops in Iceland.

Sounds like you had a marvellous time and the entertainment was a little more interesting than our normal cruises from Australia with different entertainers to what we usually get year after year here on our cookie cutter cruises. 

Looking forward to your tour reviews when you have the time to post.

If you are still in NY have fun and a safe flight home.

Yes - I had a marvellous time and have some fantastic photos.

 

I am back home now. My cruise ended when the ship arrived in New York. I blew home that night. My husband didn't go with me on this cruise so I didn't see the point in spending time in NY on my own we were there together a few years pre-COVID. I did a half day sightseeing tour before going to the airport.

[sewgood]

Glad to hear you are home safely.

I hope you don't have too much housework awaiting you.😮And your husband did the dishes while you were away, just kidding.

 

I did my first solo cruise this year for 14 days and enjoyed having the whole room to myself.

I did miss my husband at meal times but otherwise I filled in the day quite well.

How did you go sailing solo for so long and would you do it again?

[Aus Traveller]

Suggestions on clothes for woman in particular - Obviously we needed hot weather clothes for the Asian ports and in the Mediterranean where it was surprisingly hot. Add into that the requirement in (for instance) Oman for women to wear long sleeves and long pants to be able to go into the Mosque. The same applies if someone takes a tour to Abu Dhabi. These clothes not be see-through.

 

In the UK, layering is the best option and rain gear is a must. We didn't have to use it. I, and a few friends I spoke to about it, felt we didn't have enough long sleeved-shirts/tops. I saw several people buying more while in the UK.

 

When we got further north our maximum temp in the day was in the single digits. Inside the ship it was much warmer than that, but we definitely needed to wear long sleeves or a light-weight jumper. A warm jacket is needed for outdoors. Most people used puffer jackets because they are light and easy to pack and can be scrunched up. A warm hat or beanie is needed for these colder areas and warm socks (available from a ski shop) are a good idea. Some people without them were wearing two pairs of socks to try to keep their feet warm. I was glad I took warm underwear, long johns and spencers (both long sleeved and short sleeved). I wore long johns under summer weight slacks rather than taking heavy winter slacks that I could only use for a limited part of the trip. One pair of my warm underwear was proper thermals and the others were synthetic ones from KMart.

[Aus Traveller]

8 minutes ago, sewgood said:

Glad to hear you are home safely.

I hope you don't have too much housework awaiting you.😮And your husband did the dishes while you were away, just kidding.

 

I did my first solo cruise this year for 14 days and enjoyed having the whole room to myself.

I did miss my husband at meal times but otherwise I filled in the day quite well.

How did you go sailing solo for so long and would you do it again?

The house was pretty tidy and clean. The dishwasher had obviously been run and everything put away.

 

I missed my husband a bit, but probably not as much as he missed me. I had so much to distract me with the interesting places we were going and all the activities on the ship.

 

I would sail solo again although on a shorter cruise I won't have the advantage of establishing such a network of friends on board as happened on this long cruise. I had met several WC people before the cruise by going to the lunches organised in Brisbane.

[Aus Traveller]

Ports of call - Brisbane. After boarding in Sydney, Brisbane was our first port of call. Around 460 passengers boarded in Brisbane.

 

Komodo Island - Before the cruise, Princess advised that everyone had to pay US$60 for an Indonesian visa, even if they weren't going ashore. The amount charged was AUD$60. The Indonesian government also stipulated that only passengers who were booked on an accredited tour either with Princess or independent, could go ashore. 

 

I went on a tour organised by one of my friends (cost A$100).

We went ashore by tender and had to climb a set of concrete stairs to reach the long jetty. The stairs were less than 50cm wide, uneven heights, and made of crumbling concrete with no handrail. Three crew members helped people up the stairs - a very slow process.

 

We walked in groups of 10 and saw around half a dozen Dragons. The first was a mid-size male, then a female (much smaller), and a baby about 40cm long. The dragons are like monitor lizards, but larger and much heavier in the body. Their diet is other dragons, deer and water buffalo.

 

As we walked through the bush we saw birds including a sulphur-creasted cockatoo that made our guide rather excited. Further along in the walk we saw a few more dragons, but no really large ones.

 

Around midday I decided to go back to the ship as it was very hot. I joined the queue about half way along the 350 metre long jetty. 75-80 minutes later I reached the man with the counter who was deciding who would get on the tender. He called a halt immediately in front of me. I smiled nicely and asked if they could "fit one more". He got approval by radio and I hustled off to the tender. This involved going down that awful flight of stairs (around 7-8 steps) once again with a couple of crew ship helping. Because of the difficulty with the stairs, it took about an hour to load each tender. The queue grew until it extended all the way to the beach.

 

CONCLUSION - I am glad I went. I saw several dragons but nothing spectacular as others have reported on occasions. If I am on another cruise that calls into Komodo I might not go ashore.

I realize that neither the 2024 nor the 2025 World Cruises have Komodo Island on the itinerary, but If anyone wants to organise an independent tour there, I can get the name of the tour operator that my friend booked through.

 

 

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

Thanks, Evon. I am taking detailed notes of your comments as we're doing the world cruise next year. 

 

Now where did I put those thermals ...

[arxcards]

10 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I really enjoyed the cruise - thanks for asking. For me, the world cruise had a different focus when compared with, for instance, one to the Pacific islands or to New Zealand. For these, we go for the cruise and don't do much in the ports, if we get off the ship at all. For me, the world cruise was all about the different countries we visited and the ports. There was also a different atmosphere on the ship, where we all knew that we were in each other's company for an extended period of time. We got to know many of the other passengers and also some of the crew more than we would on a short cruise.

 

The most spectacular country we visited was Iceland. Absolutely amazing scenery. I will soon post information on the tours. I will add the ports in chronological order so I don't miss any.

 

Entertainment - Mostly good, some excellent and a couple not so good. The usual production cast left the ship in Dover and we got a smaller troupe - four singers and four dancers. It was an advantage that they do different shows. They aren't elaborate, although one called 'Ever After' had several costume changes. It was based on children's stories like Alice in Wonderland etc. but seemed disjointed.

 

Because we were in a different part of the world, most of the guest entertainers were ones we don't usually see on the Australian-based cruises. Some were excellent (example Max Himmelreich), others were OK or good, although there were two that were not at all good. One was two brothers who tap danced for 45 minutes and another one was a juggler/comedian who kept dropping his props. The Cruise Directed moved them to the Universe Lounge for their second shows.

I am glad that Iceland is worth looking forward to and thanks for your thoughts so far. We are really looking forward to Iceland in 2025, so are keenly awaiting your review of those ports.

[Aus Traveller]

Singapore -

Before arriving in Singapore, we all had to fill out a Singapore Arrivals Card (this name is from memory so apologies if it is not correct). This had to be done on line in the 48 hours before arrival. Those without internet access were assisted by Lesley, the Internet Cafe Manager. Be warned that there was a long queue so time your visit to the Cafe with this in mind. Lesley had additional help for this task.

 

Singapore was very hot and very humid. We all had to do a full Immigration check in the terminal, and the ship used a disembarkation ticketing system so people could wait in the air-conditioned ship rather than in the hot terminal. The slow process was delayed further when an elderly woman passenger fainted and broke her leg when she fell to the floor.  

 

I shared a taxi with three others to the Gardens by the Bay. To reach the reasonably-priced taxis, walk out of the terminal and continue straight ahead for around 100 metres. It will be obvious when you reach the correct spot because it is the last line of vehicles, not the ones underneath the building. A person was there directing passengers to the next taxi. It is there that I joined with three others.

 

Entry to the Gardens by the Bay is free and there is a lot to see. I had decided to go into the Cloud Dome. There was an Avatar exhibition of animatronics (maybe increasing the entry price - but what the heck? I won't be going back). The entry fee was 51 SGD (A$61.16). Ouch! The Dome is incredible. A simple description is that it is about 10 stories high with the exterior consisting of a metal framework with glass (or maybe synthetic) panels. Walkways spiral up to near the top and an enormous waterfall provides constant moisture to the millions of plants inside. The exit leads through very futuristic Theatres that are difficult to describe.

 

I didn't do much else in Singapore, having been there several times. I shared a taxi with a couple from the ship who only had a cash card, not SGD cash or a credit card. The taxis wouldn't accept the cash card but they would accept a credit card. I had cash from a previous visit to Singapore.

 

[sewgood]

I'm enjoying reading about your tours but really feel for the poor lady who broke her leg at the beginning of the world cruise.

The gardens by the bay are wonderful and are a cool way to get out of the heat.

You surprised me by the sulphur-crested cockatoo I wonder if had been a pet or got blown off course.

[By The Bay]

36 minutes ago, sewgood said:

I'm enjoying reading about your tours but really feel for the poor lady who broke her leg at the beginning of the world cruise.

The gardens by the bay are wonderful and are a cool way to get out of the heat.

You surprised me by the sulphur-crested cockatoo I wonder if had been a pet or got blown off course.

This is from Wikipedia:

 

The sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. 

[Aus Traveller]

18 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

This is from Wikipedia:

 

The sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. 

Interesting. Thanks for posting that info. Where I live I often see flocks of a couple of dozen sulphur-crested cockatoos. Our guide on Komodo was really excited about seeing the bird. He might also have been puzzled why none of us were equally excited about it.

[sewgood]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

He might also have been puzzled why none of us were equally excited about it.

Too funny

 

23 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

 found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. 

I learn something new everyday. Here I thought it was only native to Australia.

[By The Bay]

2 minutes ago, sewgood said:

Too funny

 

I learn something new everyday. Here I thought it was only native to Australia.

I too am amazed that I am still learning new stuff daily.😉

[Aus Traveller]

We were due to arrive in Colombo at 8am on Tuesday 20th June. On Monday morning we were advised that the ship was experiencing technical difficulties (their catch-all phrase) and that we would not arrive in Colombo until 1.30pm on Tuesday. I had a tour for 60 people (four 15-seater vans) booked for 8.30am. The cost was A$20 for a half day tour.

 

 

This tour wasn't getting off to a good start. Last September I booked with another company and had several email exchanges as the number in the group increased. However, as the time approached, they didn't answer my emails. The week before the cruise I cancelled. After a lot of research, I found a company that would do a similar tour - payment 48 hours prior to the tour.

 

 

When I heard our arrival into Colombo would be delayed, I was worried I had  'done my money'. I emailed the company asking for 2pm pick-up. They answered within a couple of minutes that it was OK. I was extremely relieved. I dropped a note at the relevant cabins with the new start time.

 

 

 

We had to take a free shuttle bus to the wharf gates, a 20 minute drive. Outside, the situation was chaotic with dozens of tuk tuk drivers and guys with cars all trying to get passengers. They were all trying to yell louder than the others. I couldn't see my four 15-seat vans.

 

 

Then relief, I saw someone with a sign with my name on it. My tour group was assembling but with the delay in getting shuttle bus tickets etc we were missing quite a few. We had two 30-seat buses with a driver and guide in each. They were more comfortable than 15-seat vans and had better air-con. I felt these buses were better, but one of the passengers complained that it took too long for people to get on and off the larger bus. Keep in mind that this was a $20 tour. I suppose we can't please everyone!

 

 

The guide in my bus was excellent. We drove past the Galle Face Green, a 5-hectare ocean-front park (lovely), then to Gangaramaya, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Colombo. Many of us went inside here. We went past Colombo's biggest park. A large lake had tiny man-made floating islands that provide habitat for birds, many of them pelicans.

 

 

In our three hours of driving we also saw a gorgeous conference centre (a gift of the Chinese govt). We were supposed to go inside, but the Prime Minister was there so it was closed to visitors. We got out at the Independence Memorial Hall and again at the Lotus Tower (a gift from China). At a few sights we drove past very slowly because there was nowhere to park. One of these was the stunning Red Mosque.

 

 

My overall impression of the city was that there is more wealth than I expected. There are numerous luxury hotels and several high-rise apartment buildings that are obviously very expensive. The traffic is chaotic with thousands of tuk tuks competing with cars and buses for road space. In the area around the Red Mosque (the older area of the city) the streets were teaming with people. The roads were lined with very tiny shops and market stalls.

 

 

Our guide was expecting the tour to go for another couple of hours and he wanted to take us to a hotel for tea (Ceylon being famous for tea). I asked the others and no-one wanted to do this so late in the day. By 5.30 I asked everyone if they had 'had enough'. The consensus was to go back to the ship. We were dropped off at the wharf gates at 5.30 and shuttle buses were waiting.

 

On the wharf beside the ship there were numerous market stalls. No prices were evident. I decided not to look very closely because if I showed any interest in an item, the stall holder would be very persistent. 

 

I felt we had excellent value for money with this tour and saw the highlights of the city. Quite a few other passengers from the ship toured in a tuk tuk. They can be fun, but it was hot and humid so I appreciated the air-con in the bus. We also didn't have to contend with vehicle fumes in the heavy traffic. Some tuk tuk tours cost around US$100 pp for an hour or so, but others where the passengers haggled, cost much less than that.

 

The tour operator I used was Asni Tours. I would rate them as excellent.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

Dubai - Because of the Coral Princess' mechanical problems, we sailed slowly and had to miss the port of Muscat in Oman. We arrived in Dubai at 9am instead of noon. Engineers were waiting with parts to effect repairs to the ship's generator that had been causing the problem.

 

I booked the standard desert safari/BBQ dinner and show tour with Badshah Tours. Cost was AUD$50pp. The company owner, Mr Adil Badshah picked us up in a fleet of nearly-new 4WD 8-seater vehicles. We drove nearly an hour into the desert where we went to a base camp. There were all sorts of activities to separate people from their money. Then we set off into the desert in our convoy of 12 4WDs. Those who wanted a more sedate drive were seated in a couple of vehicles. I sat in the front passenger seat of one of the other vehicles and I have to admit, on a few occasions I closed my eyes and held on. One time was when the driver aimed the vehicle down an impossibly steep slope. On one occasion, he spun the wheel so the red sands flew over the top of the 4WD, totally obscuring the windscreen for a short while. This part of the tour was an unforgettable experience. They offered sandboarding down the sand slopes, but no-one took up the offer.

 

Then we went to a camp for a buffet dinner and show. We could ride a camel, have henna designs painted on our hands or try on local clothing for photos. Our dinner was a plate of pork crackling as nibbles followed by a fairly extensive buffet of several salads, chicken and beef. We had priority front-row seating for the show. Everyone sat on low cushions. By now the temperature had dropped to mid 30s.

 

Our show was Tanoura (like a whirling dervish but with multiple variations), belly dancing and fire dancing. The fire dancing was incredible. Because the Coral Princess was in Dubai for two days and this was the first night, we could stay for the whole desert show.  The tour had started at 3pm.

I got into the cabin at 10.20pm. We all loved the tour.

 

I can thoroughly recommend Badshah Tours. 

 

For the next day I booked a morning sight-seeing tour. It took us to several different areas of the city, both old and new and was very good. It was hot - 45-46 degrees with 85% humidity. 

 

 

New Dubai is stunning with the most incredible array of high-rise buildings with amazing architectural styles. We visited Palm Island and  had photostops near the Burj Al Arab, the Burj Kalifa, the Dubai Frame and outside the Zabeel Palace.

 

In the old part of the city we went for a ride on a traditional boat (an abra).

Old Dubai has markets (known as souks). We walked through the spice market to get to the gold souk. The windows of the dozens of jewellery shops display incredible pieces including enormous necklaces that reach down to a person's waist or well below. These are priced in the range of US$7 million - US$13 million.

 

This tour was operated by ABC Tourism LLC. When the bus turned up I found that we were sharing with several others, although it didn't make much difference because we got on the bus first. In hindsight I feel it would have been better if I had booked this tour with Mr Badshah. For one thing, the price would have been better.

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

Aqaba and Petra. We got an early start from the port of Aqaba for the 2.5 hour drive on a highway through the desert. Bedouin encampments were near the road and we saw herds of goats and some camels and we drove through several villages.

 

Our visit to Petra started with an 800metre walk in the full sun to reach the Siq (a slot canyon where mercifully there is some shade). The Siq is 1.2km long. Then we reached the Treasury - the iconic site of Petra. The 4,000 year old city was carved out of the rock faces that line the main trail. Everything is rose pink. Absolutely stunning.

 

I had planned to walk to the ruins of the Byzantine Church (around 3.5km from the entry) where intricate mosaic floors still remain. The walls of the church collapsed in two catastrophic earthquakes close to 2,000 years ago.

 

I walked past what is known as "the Street of Facades" and went as far as the Amphitheatre. Here I had to face reality. It was already 1pm and I knew that the next couple of hundred metres didn't have much of interest. I would have to go another 500 metres, then up a fair slope to reach the Byzantine Church and the remains of the other churches. I had to be back at the bus by 2.45pm and I felt if I went much further, I wouldn't get back at all. So I turned around and slogged back, now slightly uphill. The trail was in the full sun and it was 42 degrees C. It certainly felt like it. I drank plenty of water. The more I drank, the less weight I had to carry.

 

Golf carts operate a shuttle service from the Visitor Centre, through the Siq, to the Treasury. The cost for the 2km ride was US$23pp - the best $23 I ever spent. The queue for the carts was 1.5 to 2 hours' long, mercifully in the shade.  

 

After a late lunch in a restaurant, we drove back to  the ship with a photo-stop near Wadi Rum. This is an area of amazing rock formations in the desert. Five years ago I went on a full-day tour of Wadi Rum. It was interesting, but I wouldn't bother going back.

 

I got back to the ship at 6.55 and went to a local Folkloric show that I would describe as the second-worst show I have ever seen. The worst was at the same port in 2016. 

 

Our visit to Petra in Jordan was to be one of the highlights of the cruise. It is one of the wonders of the world. Even people who only got as far as the Treasury commented that it is fantastic.

 

I booked through Yaseen of Wonders Tourism. He was very easy to deal with and at short notice was able to move my booking to the next day when the ship's itinerary changed. The cost for the day was US$135 pp.

Edited August 22, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

Suez Canal - After the hot weather in Dubai and Petra, once we got into the Suez Canal the temperature dropped. Blessed relief. It was comfortable to stand out on the Promenade Deck. 

Around 4pm on the day before we went through the Canal, we anchored in an assembly area off the Southern end. Ships travel in convoys in the Canal because most of it is one-way only. There is a precedence - military ships go first (none today), then usually cruise ships second (only us today) then other vessels.

 

The timing of the Canal transit was as follows -

4 am - Convoy of 38 ships started entering the Canal

4.15am - passing Suez City

7am - in Great Bitter Lake

9.15am - Ismailia (town originally built when the canal was being built)  

11am - Al Qanrarah Bridge

2.15pm - Port Said

3.30pm - clear of the Canal

 

We were accompanied through the Canal by a tugboat that Princess had to pay for. At his talk, the Captain said that the Egyptians take every opportunity to get money. This was the Coral Princess' first time through the Canal, and even though her identical twin the Island Princess went through only a few weeks before, the Coral had to be inspected at significant cost to see that it was suitable. 

 

Princess also had to pay for a team of men to install a searchlight in the bow. These were used years ago when ships made night-time transits but now transits are in daylight. The total cost of the Suez transit was around US$650,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

Messina - Because we 'lost' a day with mechanical problems a week ago, our port visit to Mykonos was cancelled and replaced by a short visit to Messina. We arrived at 3pm.

 

The weather was fine, around 31 degrees. Because it was a Saturday afternoon, the city was nearly deserted.

 

First I went to the Town Hall - a magnificent building then to the  main square and the magnificent Cathedral that was decorated for a wedding. A feature of the Square, a massive elaborate fountain was covered in scaffolding, but I have seen it before - without scaffolding.

 

I wandered around a few streets close to the main square and took some photos, but wasn't tempted to walk up the steep hill to a lookout in front of another church. I did that last time.

 

[sewgood]

Aus Traveller, are the horses and carts still used in Petra?

There were plenty of them in 2019 and only a few golf carts but we were told they were trying to end the era of the donkeys and horses and no " new" horses would be allowed to start working there. But authorities were turning a blind eye to "old" horses not looking the same as they did yesterday.