Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Why Go?
Imagine a space so desolate that not even a boulder or a bush troubles the 360-degree ho-
rizon. Now add a carpet of ancient black volcanic rock, unnavigable even by camels. And
finally, factor in a ravaging heat so overpowering in the summer that the ground pulses
before your eyes and mirages appear in the distance. Welcome to the Eastern Desert!
So why, you might well ask, would anyone bother to come here. Well the Eastern
Desert may look like uncharted territory but it has been inhabited by Bedouin, crossed by
caravans and visited by migrating birds since recorded history. Today you can see eviden-
ce of this traffic in a string of intriguing ruined forts, hunting lodges and caravanserai, col-
lectively known as the 'desert castles'. At the miraculous oases of Azraq and Burqu, birds
still break their journey across the otherwise featureless desert.
When to Go
The best time to visit the remote plains of Eastern Jordan is early March to mid-April
when temperate weather means getting stuck at a remote desert castle is merely incon-
venient, not life-threatening.
With proper planning (including reliable transport, sufficient water supplies and a hat)
May is another good time to visit. At this time, large numbers of raptors soar above the
shimmering heat haze on their annual migration.
In winter, dust devils spiral on the plains as birds stop-over in the Azraq wetlands en
route between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.
