Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
seek a living elsewhere. A brighter future is on the horizon, however, with the increase in
tourism to the Eastern Desert injecting extra life into the local economy.
Sleeping & Eating
In a day trip it's almost impossible to cover anything more than the main desert castles
that lie close to the highway. With an overnight stop in Azraq you can also add a visit to
Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, which is currently only possible on a pre-arranged night sa-
fari. Best of all, you can sample a Chechen dinner at Azraq Lodge.
Azraq Lodge$$
( 3835017; s/d incl breakfast from JD62/73; )
This former British
1940s military hospital in south Azraq has been atmospherically renovated by the Royal
Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) as a base from which to explore the
Eastern Desert. There's an old field ambulance parked under a canvas porch and some
period photographs (worth a visit in their own right) hung alongside paraffin lamps and
gas masks. The RSCN has done an exemplary job of preserving the historic building
while incorporating modern facilities, so thankfully there's no need to rough it on bare
stretchers. As for supper, anyone raving about hospital food could normally expect to be
admitted - or committed - but at Azraq Lodge the traditional Chechen dishes served from
the modernised hospital canteen are likely to be some of the best you sample in Jordan.
Ring ahead to request lunch or dinner (JD13) and come with a healthy appetite: the
pomegranate salads and thyme-scented meat dishes arrive in generous portions on shared
platters. The lodge also houses a small
handicraft workshop
( 3835017;
9am-5pm)
where women from the local community produce and sell silk screen prints,
ostrich-egg paintings and recycled paper products.
HOTEL
Al-Azraq Resthouse$$
( 3834006; s/d/tr incl breakfast from JD40/52/65; )
This poorly maintained hotel
features unkempt rooms in need of maintenance. Given Azraq's water crisis, the swim-
ming pool is an insensitive addition to say the least. Nonetheless, the hotel draws the
crowds at weekends and with little other accommodation to choose from, the hotel is an
option if Azraq Lodge is full. There is a restaurant serving standard international fare. It's
about 2km north of the Azraq T-junction and 1.5km along a local track.
HOTEL
Zoubi Hotel$
HOTEL
