Dream about Petra.
1.- HIS PEACE AND TRANQUILITY
Before preparing any trip to territories that are exotic and different from our culture As Jordan may seem to us, it is normal for us to wonder about the atmosphere that the country in question breathes. The news about the Middle East is often disturbing to us but we are here to reassure you: Jordan is calm and a fairly safe country . Not for nothing is she called the Switzerland of the Middle East . You may run into a demonstration (but that could happen in many countries) and the important thing is that, on the one hand, you must to be alert , and for another trust their security forces , that have prestige and fame of being so kind like the rest of Jordanians. But most often you have a journey in peace , may it even be an inspirational and even a spiritual journey , for all the experiences that you will live. To this we must add that it is a country well prepared for tourism, serious, and whose official tourist offices They will know how to guide you at all times. The families They will appreciate your recommended tours for travelers with children.
The Dead Sea: this is peace.
2.- HAMAN
With that said, it's time to dive into all that Jordan has to offer. For starters, this land of captivating beauty and contrasts that will leave you speechless. welcomes you in Amman, its capital , extended along nineteen hills or 'jebels' (yes, nineteen). Located between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley , only with this information we know that in this, one of the most cosmopolitan capitals of the Middle East, fascinating and vibrant as it is, the contrasts begin. And it catches us. L a Citadel, the Roman cities, the Roman forum, the Great Mosque of Hussein, the Byzantine church, the Jordan Archaeological Museum... They are enough to justify our trip. Although so is the multiculturalism of the city and the hospitality of its inhabitants, who welcome us with open arms and make us feel at home. Oh, and a fact: Khan Zaman , on the top of a hill 12 kilometers south of the city, is a renovated complex of stables and barns somewhat decadent atmosphere, with the best of Jordanian food and crafts . Safety pin.
The Haman Impact.
3.- AND ITS OTHER ANCIENT CITIES
Jordan has another proper name: Petra , the hidden city carved into the rock , designated in 2007 one of the New Wonders of the World, the Jordan's Most Precious Treasure, It must be an unavoidable tourist visit. Founded towards 6th century BC by the Nabataean people, it is a huge city carved into the rocks , surrounded by gigantic mountains of red stone in which the immense mausoleums remain carved. Your vision will impact you so much that, if it weren't for what you're going to keep seeing, you wouldn't be able to get it out of your head. The main Petra's rival in the list of preferred destinations in Jordan is ** Jerash **, a ancient city of the 1st century situated on a plain and surrounded by steep wooded areas and fertile basins. In Spanish it is called Gerash and it's from must visit, since here you will find the most impressive and best preserved Roman ruins from the Middle East.
Petra in night mode.
4.- THE DEAD SEA
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth, a salty endorheic lake located at 416.5 meters below sea level between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories and which occupies the deepest part of a tectonic depression crossed by the Jordan River. Flanked on the east by mountains and on the west by the hills of Jerusalem, her beauty is indescribable and it is believed that it was the cradle of five biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Adama, Seboim and Segor . There is nothing. In addition to shuddering at its history and beauty, you will take back the best photo of the trip: you will not float the same anywhere else on the planet. After the dip, you can visit the lot's shrine (the cave where, according to biblical Genesis, Lot and his daughters would have taken refuge after God destroyed the city of Sodom), the Mujib Nature Reserve , the Valley of Ammon from the Bible, or better yet, one of its spas in luxury hotel chains, with experiences that are so supernatural, inexplicable? do indescribably pleasant ? like their water and mud on the skin. Two good examples are the Mövenpick Dead Sea. Its Zara Spa includes a traditional hamman or a jacuzzi from which to watch the sunsets. We say no more. And Six Senses could not fail us: there is its Hammamat Ma'in: the hot springs 264 meters below sea level , in one of the most impressive oases in the world, where the tourist complex with a 97-room hotel has been installed, mud baths, underwater massages , mud facials, electrotherapy and cosmetic treatments. Oh.
And read like that at ease in the Dead Sea.
5.- ITS (MANY) POSSIBILITIES OF ADVENTURE TOURISM
If strong emotions are your thing, take a guess: Jordan is your choice. you can from perform the same route as Emperor Hadrian , from the north to the south of Jordan, in 4x4 vehicles, getting off, of course, in the biblical cities and legionary fortresses; until you sign up for a caravan of twenty-five people on camels or donkeys to follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia in the central mountains and eastern deserts of the country (these are one-week routes, with which you camp in a different place every night) . Another option is skirt the desert on World War I steam trains ( the same ones that were attacked by the forces of the Great Arab Revolution and Lawrence, almost a century ago), sleep in the desert in a Bedouin camp and taste the Zarb (lamb or chicken, buried in an oven with coals under the desert sand ) or climb the mountains of Wadi Rum by the granite cliffs with inscriptions of climbers from more than 5,000 years ago. EITHER get up in a helicopter or balloon until Wadi Rum peaks or of Petra for later descend on foot From the top. Sounds good, right?
Tour it in a balloon.
6.- THRILL YOU ON HOLY GROUND
Whether we are believers or not, we know that the historical value of the Bible and Christianity is undeniable . In Jordan, a large part of the stories that are narrated in the holy book of christianity , and in fact the country is considered as part of the cradle of said religion. Mount Nebo, located 12.5 km. of Madaba (the city that **hides the well-known mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, from the 6th century) **, it is probably the most famous place: Mount Nebo is famous because it was here that Moses sighted the Promised Land which he never got to enter. Although there are new discoveries every day: in aqaba , Jordan's only outlet to the Red Sea, have been discovered remains of what is believed to be the oldest church in the world found to date. In umm qays A basilica with five naves from the 4th century has also been found. Umm Ar-Rasas It is a rectangular walled city that is cited in the Old and New Testaments, fortified by the romans and later adorned by local Christians with Byzantine-style mosaics. And the list goes on...
Mount Nebo.
7.- DIVING AND SNORKELING IN AQABA
Aqaba is a microcosm of all the wonders that Jordan has to offer. Known for its luxury hotels, it is a magnificent strategic point to enjoy watersports , What windsurfing and diving . If you ask why, we'll tell you that the mild climate and gentle water currents are perfect for grow corals and develop a profuse marine life . The dream of swimming with sea turtles and dolphins is possible in the Dead Sea . And if you sign up for one of the night excursions , you will be able to see nocturnal sea creatures (don't panic), like crabs, prawns and lobsters, as they search for their midnight snack.
Dive in this underwater paradise.
8.- ENTER YOUR NATURAL RESERVES
Get rid of the image that associates Jordan only with the desert . This land has it all: from mountains carpeted by pine trees , exuberant and green valleys, wetlands and oases , to the **stunning landscapes of the Wadi Rum desert**. The latter is also called the Valley of the moon, and its high-altitude landscape (around 1,600 m), in the middle of a mountainous region made up of granite and sandstone in southern Jordan, 60 km east-northeast of Aqaba, will be one of the most impressive and that takes more tourists (although it is necessary to be well informed about what season to go, since temperatures can be very extreme , day and night). But there is more: the Dana Nature Reserve it is a haven of peace and a universe of natural treasures. Here there is forested mountains, rocky slopes, sand dunes and stony deserts (It looks like a story but it's real, very real). And it also has a whole wildlife to explore. Oh, and visitors have the opportunity to meet the native Dana people, who have inhabited this territory for the last 400 years. Mujib , in the Wadi Mujib canyon, deep into the Dead Sea, 410 meters below sea level, is the lowest altitude nature reserve in the world. In the north, very close to Amman, Ajlun it is an area of hills covered in a dense forest of evergreen oaks mixed with pistachio, carob and strawberry bushes. As you see, your trip can have many versions.
Ajlun, hills covered by dense forest.
9.- CONTEMPLATE THE DESERT CASTLES AND BELIEVE THEY ARE A MIRAGE
To the east and south of Amman are the so-called 'Desert Castles' , so named because of its imposing height. These buildings - which were used as caravan stations, centers of agriculture and commerce, rest pavilions and military outposts that helped foreign rulers to strengthen ties with the Bedouin of the area - are a magnificent example of the early islamic art and architecture , which, with care mosaics, frescoes, stones, excavations and stucco illustrations, they tell stories of what life was like in the 7th century. Qusair Amra It is one of the best preserved fortifications, although you can also visit the black basalt fort at Azraq ( the headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab Revolution), and the castles of Qasr Mushatta, Qasr al-Kharrana, Qasr at-Tuba and Qasr al-Hallabat , restored and in excellent condition.
One of the desert castles.
10. PUT YOUR BOOTS ON WITH ITS GASTRONOMY
What is a trip to an exotic destination if we don't taste its flavors? Not only that: if we do not appreciate what their rituals are around the table. For the Arab culture, food is more than eating food: the moment of lunch is the center of social activities. And the Jordanian, how could it be otherwise, dedicates considerable time to this moment, which can be made up of delicious appetizers, main dishes and good sugar desserts. Our recommendation? Start by khubez , its round and flat bread, and accompany it with hummus . keep up with him mansaf, Jordan's national dish, made from lamb seasoned with aromatic herbs , cooked with dry yogurt and served with a garnish of rice and almonds and pine nuts . And have a dessert halawat al-jibneh , a little soft cake filled with cream cheese and covered with syrup and ice cream. It is normal that this ceremony (and digestion) requires time. Enjoy it!
You will freak out with its nuts.