Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dana Hotel$
( 2270537, 079 5597307;
www.danavillage.piczo.com
;
s/d JD12/20)
This 17-room, no-
frills hotel in Dana village is run by the Sons of Dana, a cooperative that provides social
programs to around 150 local residents. It's the oldest hotel in Dana and rooms are stark
and plain with metal bedposts. That said, this is a friendly establishment and it feels good
to be giving patronage to a worthy self-help project. Meals, in a commodious dining room
with en-suite
majlis
on the 1st floor, cost JD5.
HOTEL
Dana Moon Hotel$
( 079 7533581; dana.moonhotel@hotmail.com; half-board JD15 per person)
Simple
rooms with shared bathrooms characterise this guesthouse. A
majlis
under the pine trees is
an attractive feature. This latest addition to accommodation in Dana needs more time to
become better-established. A restaurant is planned for 2012.
GUESTHOUSE
A WALK IN THE PARK
One of the most popular trails at Dana is the 16km, 'easy hike' Wadi Dana Trail, from Dana to Feynan Ecolodge. As
it's downhill all the way, it ought to be a mere walk in the park, but don't be deceived - it's not as easy as it looks!
Start the walk after lunch: that way, you'll reach the hotter part of the walk in the cooler part of the day. Take more
water than you think you'll need and wear a hat. Don't forget in your planning that it takes three hours, partly by
4WD, to return to Dana by road.
The Bad Bits:
»
»Interminable initial descent on a potholed vehicle track, wishing you'd worn thicker socks
»
»Blazing heat with little shade (there's only one tree in the first hour)
»
»Not having time to stop to chat with the Bedouin (some JD1 notes for tea would've been handy)
»
»The end of the wadi is nowhere near where you think it is
»
»Being overtaken by an encouraging old couple on a donkey saying 'Funduq (hotel) - only five minutes', when
you're still an hour's walk from Feynan
»
»The prospect of no beer and no meat at the inn - Feynan Ecolodge is vegetarian-only
The Good Bits:
»
»A lizard sunning itself in the ash of an old fireplace
»
»A crest of goats marshalled into camera by an entrepreneurial herdsman
»
»Carnival-pink oleander flowers, waving like bunting along the entire lower wadi
»
»Secret gardens of reeds and oleander and huge, spreading trees
»
»A barefoot race by local lads conducted for the sheer fun of running
