Northern Africa and the Middle East - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 126

night the inward-looking lodge has a monastic
feel, with the soft glow of over 250 goatskin-
covered candles illuminating the atrium
against the starry night sky. Around a hundred
archeological sites have been identified in the
region around Feynan, in particular copper
mines a short distance from the lodge that are
over two thousand years old and considered
the most important archeological complex in
southern Jordan outside Petra.
For the next three days you criss-cross the
arid plains and herb-scented hillsides of the
Rift Valley, following Bedouin routes that pass
streams and springs, trekking up basalt and
sandstone escarpments and negotiating your
way though a maze of rock pinnacles until
you reach the mountains of Petra. During this
stage of the trek guests camp out in bivouacs
under the stars in remote locations, feasting
on hummus, barbecued lamb, olives and rice
around hillside campfires. The final day's
trek begins early in the morning from the
Ammarin campsite ( W www.bedouincamp.net) to
Little Petra and then a little-used trail to the
Monastery above Petra, before heading down
to the rose-red city to see the famous sights,
such as the vast facade of the Treasury and the
theatre chiselled from sandstone. This is no
easy route in, but at this time of the day, before
the crowds appear, you have this fascinating
place to yourself.

156 BEdouIn And BrEAkfAST
All THE wAy To pETrA, JordAn

The ancient Nabataean city of Petra is one of
the world's top attractions, yet this magical
place can be hard to appreciate when you
have to battle through crowds of tourists
and souvenir stalls to reach the site's main
entrance. For a closer connection to the history
and wilderness of this archeologically rich
region, Walks Worldwide offers a guided week-
long desert adventure extending from the top
of Jordan's southern Rift Valley to the desert
lowlands of Wadi Araba, staying in ecolodges
and camping with the Bedouin before arriving
early morning at Petra via an alternative
entrance.
Accommodation at the start of the trek is
provided by Wild Jordan, which uses income
from its lodges and campsites to maintain the
reserve. Your first night is at the Rummana
campsite, based in a dramatic setting on a
small plateau overlooking an escarpment of the
valley below. The camp has all the necessary
facilities for a comfortable night before the trek,
including an outdoor dining-room area, kitchens
and showers; each of the twenty tents has
mattresses, pillows and blankets.
In the morning you go on the easy three-hour
“Steppe Trail” across to Dana village, where you
begin the descent to Wadi Araba (if you'd prefer
not to camp, you could stay the first night in
Wild Jordan's Dana Guesthouse in the village).
The trail to Wadi Araba takes about five hours,
through the spectacularly steep-sided Dana
Valley, passing red-and-white sandstone cliffs,
home to nearly six hundred kinds of plants as
well as vultures, eagles and kestrels.
At the foot of the reserve is the Feynan
Wilderness Lodge. Here, the long, black
flapping tents of the old Bedouin camp have
been replaced by a modern adobe-walled,
solar-powered Arabesque building. The lodge
is staffed by Bedouin - it's a cool place to
escape to during the heat of the day, and at

Need to know The best time to trek is from April
to November (Rummana campsite is open March-
Oct). Jordan-based Adventure Jordan ( W www.
adventurejordan.com), Via Jordan Travel and Tours
( W www.viajordan.com; T [phone]) and
Petra Moon ( W www.petramoon.com; T +962
3215 6665) run locally led wilderness treks
throughout the region. UK-based Tribes Travel
( W www.tribes.co.uk; T [phone])
and Walks Worldwide ( W www.walksworldwide.
com; T [phone]) also organize
walking treks from Rummana campsite to Petra.
For more information on Wild Jordan see W www.
rscn.org.jo