Originally Posted by
mecabq
Yes, Egypt and Jordan would be good choices. I agree that Petra and the Dead Sea are each worth seeing once, for about a day each, but besides that there is not a lot to see in Jordan.
Of course Egypt has a ton to see. You could spend a few days in Cairo.
Note also that Jordan can be very cold (i.e., snowing) in January. The roads and other infrastructure make it worse. The Dead Sea is always warmer than Amman, and I don't think that it snows there, but not really great weather for lounging around. Egypt won't be as cold, but if your goal is to sit and enjoy the sun and beach, then that's not the place to go, either.
I'm thinking of going in late October or in early November instead. Would the weather be better then? I'd like to spend a few days in Cairo and then go to Sharm El Sheikh to do some snorkelling. I also saw some companies do day trips from Sharm to Petra via air. I'd like to do that. If I have a week to spend in Egypt (with a day trip to Petra), how would you organize it? I'd then fly from Cairo to Dubai for 5-7 days.