Travelling after covid19: my trip to Eilat and Petra.

A week in Eilat, a paradise in the middle of the desert.

My name is Larissa, I’m 42 years old and I love travelling. Be a tourism student was never in my plans, but my life had so many turns and twists that here I am: a Brazilian woman studying turism in Finland. Move to Finland was also never in my plans, but I got married with a Finnish man. The story I am about to tell you was also never in my dreams, but it turned out to be one of the best trips I have done so far.

Read more: Travelling after covid19: my trip to Eilat and Petra.

During the pandemic everybody missed travelling, in July 2021 me and my husband were planning a beach trip for the autumn. Don´t get me wrong, thou I have lived for 36 years in Brazil I was never the beach kind. I love the sea, swimming, warm weather, the breeze, but few days a year is more than enough for me. So, the trip didn’t happen thanks to the worsening of Covid 19 cases, but last year we finally were able to plan and go, and this time no masks needed!

EILAT, ISRAEL: a oasis in the desert

After leaving Rovaniemi in the darkest month (November) it was a shock to arrive at the bright and warm Eilat. But the brightness of the sun had a direct impact on me and I was decided to enjoy those days as its fully. Eilat is a touristic city, near the Red Sea it’s know for its big hotels, night life and clean waters. Near the border with Jordan and Egypt is a good location for travellers with more than one country on the itinerary. Something that was a plus point in choosing this destination was the direct flight from Helsinki.

In Eilat we had the opportunity to go snorkeling and see the corals on the Red Sea. Near the border with Egypt there are many places where you can go snorkeling or dive with equipment, as well as many rental companies and diving instructors. We also went to Timna Park, famous for the copper mines that is said to have belonged to King Solomon. One of the most beautiful excursions we did thou was to watch the sunset in the desert. We had a local guide and a jeep, and he drove us around 4 hours through the rocky mountains near the border with Egypt, telling us more about the place and its history. In the end our guide prepare a beduin style picnic and we could watch as the sun was setting down.

PETRA, JORDAN: a hidden jewel

Through our travel agent we also booked different activities, so we could optimize our time in this beautiful country. Two destinations that we had in mind when we booked the trip was a day trip to Jerusalem and a day trip to Petra, in Jordan. Going to Jordan, thou it was a expensive day trip, was more than worthy. We had a local guide that spoke English, our minibus had a good air conditioning and the small group we had was great. Basically Finnish couples on vacations, like us!

Going to Petra was very easy. Our travel agent took care of the visa bureaucracy and everything was paid/planned. We took plenty water and a good disposition to walk with us, that was enough. Breathtaking views and a lot of history, this is what you can expect. The amount of tourists in the place didn’t bother us, was very easy to walk and since we had a small group our guide was always near.

GOING BACK HOME

After an intense week we came back home. Happy with the whole experience and the decision to go to a place we have never thought. Maybe in a next occasion I can tell you more about this trip and others.