Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
land we now call Jordan, leaving spectacular monuments behind. In turn, these monu-
ments have provoked a modern wave of visitors who, since the early 19th century, have
been fascinated to discover this potent past or who have gone in search of the origins of
their faith.
Jordan, then, is no stranger to the tourist and there are many ways to enjoy a visit - on a
short package holiday, on a specialist archaeological tour, by hiring a Bedouin guide on
arrival, or simply by hopping in a hire car and travelling where the fancy takes you. Min-
imal planning and only a modest budget is required to reach the main sites of interest, al-
though booking a room in major destinations is recommended during the peak season in
April.
One of the World's Wonders
Thanks to its small size and large diversity, Jordan repays even the shortest visit with
sights and activities that are truly world-class. Petra, the ancient Nabataean city locked in
the heart of Jordan's sandstone escarpments, is the jewel in the crown of the country's
many antiquities. The walk through the Siq to the Treasury (Petra's defining monument) is
sublime in every sense and leaves an indelible impression on even the most jaded of visit-
ors. It takes at least two days to make the most of a visit, particularly as the sites are far
flung and require a fair amount of walking.
A Taste of the Middle East
Petra is a highly persuasive reason to visit Jordan but it is far from the only reason. Apart
from the many other spectacular historical and biblical sites, the country offers striking
desert landscapes, a salty sea at the lowest point on earth, magnificent springtime flowers
scattered across the interior, and rural towns that keep continuity with the traditions of the
past.
It takes tolerance to host endless volumes of incomers and Jordan has displayed that
virtue in spades, absorbing in recent times hundreds of thousands of refugees from
Palestine and Iraq, as well as accommodating ever-growing numbers of tourists who are
often insensitive to conservative Jordanian values. While the country has challenges, par-
ticularly in terms of modernisation and growing urbanisation, it remains one of the best
countries in which to gain an impression of the Middle East without the often attendant
difficulties.
