Jordan travel guide

This is a place that you can’t help but be impressed by. You can bounce up and down Lawrence of Arabia dunes in a 4X4, hike in canyons with flowering fig trees and follow camels as they roam through Wadi Rum. And then there’s the tea: a sweet tea of numerous dried and aromatic herbs, brewed up in a pot as the sun sets over the cinematic rust-hued landscape, served by perhaps the most jovial people you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting. That’s another thing to love about Jordan: the people. The Bedouin tribespeople that still live out their days in tough and remote environments have a real sense of humour that borders on the British. Sometimes dark and more often dry and cutting, the Bedouin seem to spend most of their time laughing.
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A Unesco-listed site for good reason, Petra was an ancient Jordanian city that sat between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, and was a major trading point between the east and west. Hellenistic temples are cut out of towering red-rock formations with columns and intricate details that have been well preserved since the Nabataean and Roman periods more than 2,000 years ago. Not just for history buffs, the architectural remains are a feat of art and design and there’s so much still remaining of the city, that you can easily while away an entire day strolling round its corners and discovering temples hidden within the rock.
If you love an ancient site, Jerash* is also one to visit. It’s well preserved but less known than Petra, and its theatres, grand arches and columns were left behind by the Romans and the Greeks before them. Madaba* also shouldn’t be missed, with its distinct Byzantine mosaics, the most famous of which is the oldest existing depiction of the Holy Land on a map, which you can find in the Orthodox Church of St George. Bear in mind that in peak season (as is the case with Petra) these sights tend to be tightly packed with tourists and it might be better to visit in the months previous to march to best enjoy without the crowds, or to grab a photo without other cameras and phones in the way of your own.
Jordan doesn’t skimp on natural wonders either. The Dead Sea* — though technically a lake — contains eight times the salt content of your standard ocean, meaning a swim in this body of turquoise that laps at a salt crystal coastline is as leisurely a dip as you’ll ever manage. Float as if on a lilo and take in the dramatic desert landscape that dips into the world’s lowest body of water.
You’ll find it’s easiest to explore Jordan by car. There are buses, but because they only tend to run when they’re full and not by a timetable, it’s not an ideal way of getting around.
Accommodation in Jordan varies according to where you are. The Wadi Rum desert has camping facilities that range from simple tents to glamping options like those of the Arabian Nights Wadi Rum camp, in which you can enjoy a hot shower. The camp has luxury tent options, with floor to ceiling glass windows that allow you to wake up to uninterrupted views of the expansive red desert beyond and thoughtful touches like the addition of a backgammon board and well-leafed books on the history of the Bedouin. Note that camping with your own gear in the desert isn’t recommended; stick with the Bedouin who know the terrain and its wildlife best.
Jordanian hotels can be smart and unfussy at best. In Aqaba*, an abundance of basic sea-view hotels line the coast, with the Kempinski Hotel* offering the most comfortable stay with ocean views over the Red Sea. In Petra, the choice is a little more varied, ranging from very basic self-catered options near the Wadi Musa to hotels like the Petra Boutique Hotel*, a stroll away from the ancient city.
The Wadi Rum desert* is a must-visit with its endless red dunes, travelling Bedouin and sites in which you too can camp like a desert nomad underneath a sky of a thousand stars. Tour the desert the traditional way, by camel, or choose to ride over the dunes in a 4X4. The activities are endless, from hiking craggy canyons (watch out for the occasional snake) to sand boarding (the Wadi Rum equivalent to snowboarding). Before you leave, you must absolutely try a Bedouin zarb, a combination of slow-roasted veggies and chicken baked in a sand pit.
There may still be a chill in the air during December, January and February but these are the best months to visit Petra and Jerash if you want to avoid tourists. Petra can become too crowded in April.
The desert begins to heat up in May and becomes a hostile place until September so if Wadi Rum is a destination you have in mind, look to March and April or October and November for ideal temperatures to experience the best of Bedouin life.
Inspired to visit Jordan but yet to book your trip? Here are the best packages from Expedia* and British Airways*.
• Discover holiday packages to Petra*• Discover holiday packages to Jerash*• Discover tours in Jordan*
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