Crossing the Middle East by train [stage 2]

Tom Hart (left) decided to follow his dream to travel in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia. Not the classic trip you see advertised in tour brochures, but the authentic way - overland through Egypt, Jordan and Syria then across Europe back to the UK. As he travels across the Middle East, he's reporting back to GreenTraveller on how he does it. Here's his second report, from Aqaba to Petra, Jordan...

Jordan Aqaba, Wadi Rumm, Wadi Musa and Petra My first port of call in Jordan was Aqaba and it cost 3 JD (about £2) to get from the port to my hotel in a taxi. That was haggled down from 10 but I'm sure it was possible to get it cheaper - but where do you stop with haggling. It's a tough call...

The Jordan Flower was 10 JD (£7) for a room and not very clean or good value. I met someone who slept on the roof which is a better option so I’d recommend that. There isn't much to do in Aqaba apart from snorkel and dive. Aqaba Castle is an interesting place to wander round. I booked a local tour to drive around the dessert viewing amazing rock formations. I booked the tour with Wadi Rum Tour company in Aqaba for 50 JD. I was driven to Wadi Rum where I met my Bedouin friend who showed me round the rock formations in the dessert and the places of interest that Lawrence of Arabia visited. He spoke very good English and answered all my questions comprehensively. The desert is very peaceful and I would highly recommend a trip. I slept under the stars on a mattress which was a great experience. An amazing plant to catch sunset and sunrise. He then dropped me off at a bus stop for Wadi Musa and Petra. It is possible to travel to the Wadi Rum visitor centre by bus from Aqaba (3-5 JD) and sort a night in the dessert there. Would probably be cheaper but whether it would be better is hard to tell. I took the bus to Wadi Musa for Petra, costing me 5JD, which again was probably a bit expensive so tried to haggle but didn't get very far! I stayed in the Valentine hostel which was good value for money - 10 JD for a lovely room. They provide a buffet in the evening for 4JD which is very good. The female owner is very helpful. I set off for Petra which is only a short taxi ride away. The whole operation is much better organised than my experience of the pyramids, and interestingly is regulated by the government. My first day I wandered down and had a look around. Walking down the siq is an excellent build up to the famous treasury – as seen most famously in Indiana Jones. A fantastic sight, one of the most spectacular I have ever seen. I then walked up to the high place of sacrifice. Fantastic views but a tough climb in the heat. I had organised a guide who was recommended by a friend for the second day. He spoke perfect English and was an archaeologist and expert on the Nabataean civilisation. I started at 6am, something I would highly recommend because it is cooler and quieter. I was the only one there when we set off and it makes a big difference to the experience. My guide showed me all the sites of Petra and there is much more than just the treasury! He was with me for 3 hours, just the 2 of us, and charged 35JD. This relatively quite expensive but I didn't mind at all because he was such a good companion. (I have his contact details if anybody would like them.) I then climbed to the Al-Deir monastery, which is a touch climb (more so than the one I did the day before) but well worth it for the views. My only gripe is the use of horses, donkeys and camels to bring people up and down. If people with the ability to do so cannot be bothered to walk down and back to Petra then they should not have the privilege of seeing this amazing spectacle. It's also more rewarding to make the journey by foot and feel every step of the way.

Read about Tom's first leg of his journey: From Cairo to Dahab.

You can follow Tom's overland trip across the Middle East on his Google Map. Tom's trip was planned with help from Your Safe Planet.