Jewel of Jordan
We spent our first 2 nights in the Intercontinental Aqaba hotel. This hotel is perfect for you to explore. It is set right on the beach and has an enormous pool area.
Tucked away in the far South of Jordan is Aqaba, the country’s only seaport and a booming tourist town. As it is boarding on the Red sea, it is known also for its colourful Coral reefs and diving, seemingly one of the best in the world. It is an easy town to explore and do some shopping (don’t forget to haggle for your trinkets!), it is also a duty-free city!
We spent a day at one of the best beach clubs in Aqaba called Ayla. This area is an up and coming playground for tourists. A lot of this area is still in development stages, but once its finished it will be the place to go. This is what I’ve been waiting for, our trip to the lost city of Petra, also known as the Rose-Red City because of the wonderful colour of the rock from which many of the city’s structures were carved. Maybe it was the movie magic of Indiana Jones or the incredible history, but Petra proved to be one of the most astounding places I have ever been too. We opted for the Royal Tour of Petra, which was a 6-hour hike. We had an amazing guide called Mr Isam Afaneh and his information and history were invaluable.
The un parallel beauty just makes you crave for more. We first came across the ancient Addeir Monastery, which is the largest of all the monuments in Petra. We then climbed down 800 steps to see the Royal Tombs, The Great Temple, The Colonnaded Street, and then finally as we turned the corner there was the amazing Treasury in all its glory. I was just in awe of it and tried to just soak it all up before it was time to leave on our Charites out through the Siq, which again is just breath-taking. This narrow gorge leads the way either into or out of Petra. We spent the night in the Movenpick Nabatean Castle and enjoyed watching the sunset over the city of Petra.
The next morning, we visited the ancient market town of Madaba, which is known as the city of Mosaics. St Georges Church in Madaba cradles the 6th Century Mosaic Map of the holy land and it has been preserved amazingly. After some lunch we then visited Mount Nebo. If the sky is clear enough, you can see Jericho, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem and the Jordan Valley. According to ancient tradition, this is the mountain from which Moses saw the promised land before he died. Because of its connection to Moses, Mt Nebo has long been an important place of Christian Pilgrimages. The Franciscan’s now own the site and have uncovered significant remains of the early church.
That evening, we drove to the Dead Sea and stayed in the Magnificent Crowne Plaza hotel. Situated directly on the Dead sea. I was very impressed with this hotel, not only for its excellent service but the views from my room were just out of this world. The Dead sea is more than 400m below sea level, the lowest point on earth. Its famous hypersaline water makes floating easy and its mineral rich black mud is used for therapeutic treatments. Of course, we had to find out for ourselves, so off we went and mudded up and then floated away in the Dead Sea. Just try not get the water into your eyes…ouch!
Our final spot was the capital of Amman. It’s a fascinating city of contrasts, a unique blend of old and new. Most people would tend to use Amman as a point to fly into and then go straight to Petra, however I think Amman has enough to see and do for a couple of days. For our last supper we went to Sufra Restaurant. They have the best falafel and hummus in town. Located on trendy Rainbow street, you will not be disappointed.
Jordan is an amazing country. I never expected to see so much diverse beauty. I was in awe of my surroundings the minute we landed and craved for more. If you are looking for adventure, discovery and culinary delights then put Jordan on your list of places to visit this year.