The Kingdom of Jordan, hugging the east bank of its eponymous river, is a wondrous country packed with cultural delights, astounding sights and activities for thrill-seekers. A paradise for birdwatchers and hikers, Jordan also has more than a dozen nature reserves, including the immense Dana biosphere near Wadi Araba and The Azraq wetland reserve in the eastern desert.
Blessed with hot dry summers and temperate winters, Jordan is an ideal, all-year-round destination. With daily flights from London Heathrow and a plethora of new hotels in the pipeline, there’s never been a better time to visit.
Gastronomy and culture in Amman
Topped by Citadel Hill, a vast site occupied since the bronze age – home to fascinating ruins such as the Roman temple of Hercules and fully-intact buildings like the 8th-century Umayyad Palace – Amman, Jordan’s bustling capital city, has plenty to offer.
History lovers will want to check out the brand new Jordan Museum packed with stunning archaeological exhibits, including the legendary Dead Sea Scrolls, while souvenir hunters should seek out perfumes and spice in the city’s sultry souks.
Jordan is famous for its international dining and local cuisine, and Amman is a hub of foodie delights. Sample some of that local cusine at Al Quds, an atmospheric restaurant in Al-Malek al-Hussein street serving the city’s best Masaf, a traditional dish where Bedouin shrak bread is stuffed with tender strips of lamb cooked in a succulent spicy sauce.
From Jerash to the Dead Sea
From Amman, a picturesque winding road leads to Jerash. Home of the 3rd century BC Greco-Roman city of Gerasa whose colonnaded streets, imposing theatres and temples are beautifully conserved, Jerash is arguably one of the best preserved Roman sites outside of Italy, having been covered by the desert sands until its discovery and excavation only 70 years ago. Wonder at the 800 columns and capitals that are still intact, imagine your chariot taking you through the triumphal arch built for the visit of the Emperor Hadrian, and enjoy the ancient acoustics of the theatres, still used today in the annual Jerash Festival.
The Dead Sea is just a few hours drive from Jerash. One of Jordan’s best-known attractions, the so-called ‘sea’ is actually a lake lying some 400 metres below sea level. Rapid evaporation causes the water’s high salinity and the Dead Sea’s mineral rich waters are renowned for their healing properties, so why not bob in and float around, then spend the night in one of the luxurious spa properties clustered along the Dead Sea’s salt-laden shores?
From Petra to Wadi Rum
Heading south from the Dead Sea you will discover one of Jordan’s priceless cultural gems. Immortalised by early Victorian poet John Burgon as “a rose-red city half as old as time” and voted one of the “new seven wonders of the world” in 2007, Petra was the capital of the mighty Nabatean Arabs, whose empire once stretched from Yemen to Damascus. Built during the 5th and 6th centuries BC, Petra was re-discovered for the western world in 1812 by intrepid Swiss explorer Johan Ludwig Burckhardt.
Must-not-miss sights of this city where scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed include the colossal el Khazneh rock tomb and the monumental al-Deir temple, which stole the scene as the location in the epic climax of Spielberg’s Hollywood blockbuster.
After your visit make a beeline for Aqaba, Jordan’s only coastal city. After paying a visit to the Aqaba Heritage museum with its fascinating life-size models showcasing traditional local life, wash the desert dust from your feet as you snorkel in the Red Sea’s fish-filled waters, then spend the night in one of this lively resorts luxurious hotels.
From Aqaba it’s an easy drive to the Unesco world heritage site of Wadi Rum, where the wind has shaped sandstone cliffs to form a breathtaking display of striking rock formations.
Jeep, camel and horse safaris are available to take you on a tour of this magical region where countless scenes of film classic Lawrence of Arabia were shot, or you can hop in a hot air balloon and admire the site from the sky. More recent uses of the epic landscapes can be seen in the Jordanian independent film Theeb and Hollywood blockbuster The Martian.
The best way to soak up the atmosphere of this magnificent spot, however, is to spend the night in a Bedouin tent, where you can enjoy a traditional feast prepared by your Zalabia Bedouin hosts, as you gaze on the firmament that inspired British officer TE Lawrence to declare: “I wrote my will across the sky, in stars.”
