Interested if anyone has any travel related observations or experiences about Jordan and Israel, particularly the border crossings. We’re going in late Feb for just shy of three weeks and so far we’ve bought the air tickets, 3 nights accommodation in Petra and nutted out a basic itinerary - 11 days in Jordan and week in Israel. At this stage we’re thinking of entering Israel from down South and restricting ourselves to Masada 2 days and Jerusalem and nearby for 4 days and then reentering Jordan through the West Bank if it’s possible.
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It’s been a few years so you might want to investigate further but Border crossings were very easy but rules and quirks change daily and often rules can be different between one official and another. Israel don’t stamp passports anymore but issue you with a piece of paper which is stamped however when going back to Jordan you must ask them to also not stamp your passport as any passport stamped with a Jordanian land stamp will alert authorities in other ME countries that you have been to Israel and you will be denied entry to some countries ( if you don’t plan on ever visiting other ME countries don’t worry about the stamp). Be aware that the Jordanian visa you get on arrival at QA airport is a single entry only and when we were there the border at the Allenby crossing doesn’t issue Jordanian visas but I believe it’s the only crossing where you can exit Jordan, visit Israel and return on the single entry Jordanian visa.
In your situation I don’t think you can enter Jordan from the West Bank but things may have changed
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We intend getting the Jordan Pass which waives the visa cost and allows reentry providing it’s within the allowable date, if I’ve read it correctly. The research we’ve done has been a little vague but the impression I’m getting is it’s easier to go from Israel to Jordan than vice versa, hence our attempt to reenter via the West Bank. The Allenby Bridge entry into Israel is apparently slow, hence our decision to enter from down south near Aqaba. If Allenby doesn’t work we’ll take the long way around, about 4 or 5 hours I’m told. No big deal, we’re basically planning on just spending the night in Amman and then flying back.
Incidentally we have a 5 and half hour wait in Doha on the way back. Any idea if there are ways to wangle your way into an airport lounge without paying through the nose? Is Doha an interesting airport? If it is, it’s new on me.
To the best of my knowledge the Jordan pass doesn’t cover multiple entries and you would need to get another visa to re-enter Jordan.
If that is still the case you won’t be able to re-enter from Allenby as they don’t issue VOA as technically they still don’t acknowledge the West Bank. You could go via the King Hussein crossing to return to Jordan.
As for Doha it’s a pretty cool airport but for 5 hours a lounge is good just to relax. There is atleast one lounge you can pay for entry and I think it was around $85 for 6 hours
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Back home today.
I’ll be back in 2022. Your accommodation better be ready by then @JohnRain
Have now spent 6 months of the past 6 years in Japan. Love it to bits!
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It’s ready now, dude. Just haven’t listed it as yet.
Good to hear you love Japan as much as I do.
See you in 2022.
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So…
Am I going to be able to find decent coffee in Japan (Shinjuku, Kyoto downtown, Kumano Kodo (clearly not), Osaka Dotonbori)?
Last time (2002) we resorted to Starbucks.
@JohnRain @mrjez @BAAKKEERRRR @Soulnet and others?
I took my own so wouldn’t know… I’d rather eat my own ■■■■ than go to Starbucks (made that mistake in the US… never again…)
On cursory evidence there didn’t appear to be many options, but I wasn’t looking for it.
There are always the pre-brewed cans from the countless vending machines (many of which are heated)…
I don’t drink coffee out of the house much (except for vending machines, see below), but as for Osaka, put these into Google Maps when out and about and see if one is near (some have a few branches):
LiLo Coffee Roasters
Brooklyn Roasting Company
Mondial Caffee 328
Muc Coffee Roasters & Peak Roast Coffee (both more midtown)
Coffee is generally not done well in most places, if nothing good is near and you really need one the mass chain places Doutor and Tully’s are passable.
Even though these are not great, at about ¥120 I end up drinking them often. Only a small percentage are tasty though, and as soon as you find one you like it gets pulled cos it was just a seasonal release or something.
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I don’t drink tea or coffee but @bugman5 doesn’t bother with coffee in Asia, just goes for tea. He tried one of those vending machine coffees and he’s pretty sure it gave him a migraine (he does get food related ones though)
Hmmm. Thanks folks. Not sounding too promising.
Shinjuku:
Kyoto (near Fushimi Inari station & Melbourne inspired):
Both those joints serve excellent coffee.
Kumano Kodo:
The minshuku or other accommodation you have sorted along the trail should have coffee (prolly not all that good, though). I’d take some drip coffee bags (which are ubiquitous here & taste pretty decent). Only need to add boiling water.
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Skip the coffee and get into the milk tea.
Thanks JR
Coffee was a big passion of ours when we lived in Tokyo. There is some genuinely great coffee in Tokyo. Here is a list of some of the best:
- Perch coffee roasters (Daikanyama / Ebisu border)
- Deus Ex Machina http://deuscustoms.com/cafes/harajuku/ (Harajuku)
- Saturdays http://www.saturdaysnyc.co.jp/ (Daikanyama/Aobadai)
- Switch (Meguro)
- The Roastery ‐ http://www.tyharborbrewing.co.jp/jp/roastery/ (Cat Street, Omotesando)
- Bear Pond Espresso ‐ http://www.bear‐pond.com/ (Shimokitazawa, now also Shibuya)
- Sidewalk Stand (Naka-meguro, on the river)
- Toranomon Koffee (Toranomon) (NB: the famous original Omotesando Koffee recently closed)
- Kiosk Cafe (Harajuku) – standing room only
- The Workers http://theworks.tokyo/ (Naka-meguro)
- Onibus (Naka-meguro) – behind the station
- Taste & Sense http://www.taste-and-sense.com/ (Naka-meguro)
- Little Nap Stand http://www.littlenap.jp/#1 (Yoyogi)
- Camelback http://www.camelback.tokyo/ (Yoyogi/Tomigaya)
- Fuglen http://www.fuglen.com/ (Yoyogi/Tomigaya)
- Blue Bottle Coffee – (Shinjuku) https://bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes/shinjuku
The staff in these cafes are often very interested to hear that you are from Melbourne as lot of the baristas have been/are going to Melbourne to learn about coffee - so always worth having a chat!
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Great - thanks j-w - I’ll keep this list handy…
Edit - Blue Bottle is 6 mins walk from our hotel so will probably be tested on arrival (we are on the overnight JAL flight).
Personally, Doutor or Excelsior were the two places who did close to local cappuccinos.
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No worries. Blue Bottle is the biggest and busiest of that lot (so probably my least favourite) which is unsurprising given it is in Shinjuku but the coffee is good.
I’ll also be there next month (on the overnight JAL flight) for a bit of skiing, drinking and eating. Can’t wait.
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Hey JR I have a week in Tokyo and Osaka after Easter and was looking for a good venue to watch the footy near Shinjuku and Shinsaibashi respectively. Thanks