desert rocks - Travel Weekly

DESTINATIONS — MIDDLE EAST
MIDDLE EAST
Amid a
dusty desert
landscape,
Jordan’s gems
shine, reports
Tom Irwin
The Treasury, Petra
.co.uk/de
travelwe ekly
DESERT
ROCKS
A
t first glance this small, dry nation might
not seem an obvious holiday choice, but
take a closer look and you’ll discover there’s
more than meets the eye to Jordan.
Culturally exotic, with unique treasures and
guaranteed sunshine more than 300 days a year,
it seems to be the rising star of the Middle East
as many operators report a surge in interest.
It’s hardly surprising, as Jordan has a lot to
shout about this year with two big anniversaries:
it’s 200 years since the rediscovery of Petra by the
western world, and 50 years since the premiere
of the film Lawrence of Arabia, much of which
was filmed in the desert valley of Wadi Rum.
So if your clients are after something that's
different yet easily accessible, Jordan could be
just what they’re looking for.
st inat ion s
l SEE: A RICH TAPESTRY
Jordan boasts a glut of cultural treasures, from the
sublime in Petra to the religious on Mount Nebo.
Petra: No words could do this ancient city
justice – suffice to say, if you go to Jordan, you
go here. One of the New Seven Wonders of the
World and a Unesco World Heritage Site, Petra is
mind‑blowing and best enjoyed with a guide to
inform you of its rich history.
Encourage clients to spend at least a full day
there – it’s big. The fairly strenuous climb to
Al Deir, the Monastery, is absolutely worth the
effort, so if clients are mobile enough for the
climb, they must not miss it.
The candlelit Petra by Night tour gets mixed
reviews, but I loved it – the traditional music
show in front of Al Khazneh, the Treasury, is
charming, but it’s the walk to get there through
the mile-long Siq (the long narrow passage
leading into the ancient city) that is truly
stunning. Hang back a little to allow larger
groups to get ahead: once you’re alone and the
chatter fades away, the candlelight playing on
the near-100m-high walls is awe-inspiring.
Wadi Rum: Situated in Jordan’s south, a stay
at one of this desert’s camps is a must to get a
feeling for the Bedouin way of life. Guests can
take sunrise or sunset camel rides, plus you can
arrange a guide to take clients into the desert
during the day or at night by jeep, where they
can lie back on a rug in the pin-drop quiet and
1 November 2012 — travelweekly.co.uk • 43
DESTINATIONS — middle east
The Monastery
at Petra
NEWS FROM
Middle east
Salt formations coat
the Dead Sea cliffs
destination
Float in the Dead
Sea (but don’t
taste the water!)
SAMPLE
PRODUCTS
➠
DOWNLOAD
Kuoni has released its
Egypt, Dubai, Morocco &
Arabia brochure for January
2013-March 2014. It includes
city guides for Marrakech,
Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and
features new properties such
as Dubai’s Jumeirah Zabeel
Saray and the Park Hyatt
Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi.
kuoni.co.uk
Bales Worldwide’s 10-day
Luxury Jordan tour visits Amman,
Petra, the Red Sea and Dead Sea,
with flights, accommodation,
guide, private transfers and
entrance fees, from £1,995.
balesworldwide.com
Like this Jordan guide?
Download and keep it at
travelweekly.co.uk/
destinations
Mövenpick Resort
& Spa Dead Sea
G Adventures has added
a Jordan Active Adventure
option. Available March-April
and October-December 2013,
it includes trekking in Aljoun
Nature Reserve, abseiling down
canyons to the Dead Sea, and
wandering across the desert to
Petra. It is priced from £799.
gadventures.com
The Adventure Company
has introduced a teen-focused
family itinerary in Jordan. The
10-day Canyons & Bedouin
Adventures tour costs from
£1,389 and includes flights, a
night camping in Wadi Rum
and swimming in the Dead Sea.
adventurecompany.co.uk
stare up at the glorious Milky Way.
The Dead Sea: Famed for the
high salt content that allows you
to float freely without effort, and
with shores that are the lowest
point on land, there’s nowhere
else quite like the Dead Sea.
Advise clients to take care while
swimming if they have cuts or
scratches, and avoid getting water
in their mouth or eyes – I can
Cox & Kings’ botanical-themed
tour, led by English garden
designer Paul Hervey-Brookes,
starts at £2,195 for 10 days
including flights, transfers and
accommodation with breakfast.
coxandkings.co.uk
On The Go’s Passage To Petra
takes six days, from £579
land-only, including Petra, Wadi
Rum, the Dead Sea, Mount
Nebo, Madaba and Karak.
onthegotours.com
confirm from experience that it
tastes terrible and stings!
Jerash: To the north of Amman
is Jerash, the site of a wellpreserved ancient Roman city. It’s
surprisingly open, with visitors able
to wander through the columns,
temples and streets to marvel
close-up at the architecture.
Aqaba: Jordan’s only coastal city,
Aqaba, lies about 140 miles north
of the Egyptian resort of Sharm el
Sheikh and is also a watersports
and diving hub, replete with luxury
hotels and resorts.
Madaba: Home to numerous
important mosaics including the
6th-century Map of Madaba, the
oldest original depiction of the
Holy Land.
Mount Nebo: The summit of this
mountain is where the Bible says
Moses was shown the Promised
Land, but whatever your religious
beliefs, there’s quite a view from
the top.
Karak: This is the site of an
impressive 12th-century castle
built by the crusaders, which only
fell out of use in 1917.
l STAY: FROM GOURMET
TO GOAT HAIR
In Amman, the five-star Landmark
Hotel & Conference Centre is a
well-appointed choice, perfect for
a stopover before visitors explore
the country’s many sights.
High-end options at the
Dead Sea include the five-star
Mövenpick Resort & Spa, a
sumptuous sprawling complex set
out in village style beside the salty
shore, featuring nine restaurants
and one of the Middle East’s
most advanced spa facilities. The
recently-opened Crowne Plaza
is the latest and largest luxury
offering, while Hilton also has
plans for a resort to open at the
end of 2013 – proof if it were
needed that the Dead Sea is
attracting attention from the hotel
industry’s big hitters. Options for
budget travellers are fairly limited,
but if guests are going to splash
out anywhere then the Dead Sea
is the place to do it.
Over in Petra, there’s a wider
choice. A short ride from the
historic site is the Taybet Zaman
Hotel & Resort, a welcome
sanctuary from the bustle of
The Amman skyline
44 • travelweekly.co.uk — 1 November 2012
1 November 2012 — travelweekly.co.uk • 45
DESTINATIONS — MIDDLE EAST
FAST
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AGENT
OPINION
The Colonnaded Street was
the centre of ancient Jerash
the town and a great alternative
to pricier options near the
attraction’s entrance. It has a
relaxed vibe and homely rooms
that feel more like individual
dwellings thanks to another
village-like layout. This one is
authentic, though: the resort
is a former town that has been
converted.
Wadi Rum offers several camp
options. None are opulent, but
that’s not really the point when
you’re visiting a Bedouin-style
camp, so if your clients are
devoted to five-star luxury, swap
an overnight stay for a day trip
from Aqaba or Petra. I bunked
at the Captain’s Desert Camp,
sleeping in a traditional goat hair
tent. It can be quite hot at night
and there may be mosquitoes to
keep you company (there are nets
to cover you while you sleep), but
tell clients to take the necessary
precautions and they’ll be telling
their friends about it for some time.
l SELL: AN OASIS
IN THE DESERT
By Middle Eastern standards it’s
a progressive and liberal country.
Make sure clients are aware
of local customs on dress
and behaviour – clothing in
particular should not be too
revealing – but the country’s
exposure to tourism
means western
travellers won’t feel
out of place.
EasyJet has been
flying into the capital,
Amman, three times
46 • travelweekly.co.uk — 1 November 2012
a week since February, with a
flight time of about five hours,
with Royal Jordanian and British
Airways also serving the route.
When it comes to food, Jordan
offers simple but tasty options.
A must-try is Mansaf, a delicious
lamb dish cooked with yoghurt
sauce and served with rice and
flatbread. Other meals are most
commonly served mezze-style,
with plenty of hummus, falafel,
bread and minced meat.
Customers may want to think
twice about visiting
during Ramadan –
smaller establishments
will be closed during
daylight hours,
meaning it can be
difficult to find lunch,
plus it is considered
Vanessa
Mammone,
travel supervisor,
Packyourbags,
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
“Jordan was a very different
experience for me, with
so much to see and such
interesting history. Petra was
incredible but the highlight for
me was Wadi Rum – the desert
landscape felt like walking
around Mars, particularly when
the sun started going down
and the rocks turned a deep
red, and it was wonderful
to look up and see shooting
stars in the night sky. I was
surprised by Amman as it was
far more modern than I’d
expected, and I loved trying
the mud at the Dead Sea – my
skin really did feel fantastic.”
offensive to eat or drink in front of
those that are fasting.
New attractions include the
Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan,
scheduled for March 2013 and
covering 180 hectares near
Amman, and the Jordan Museum
in Amman, which is expected
to open this year and has cost
$25 million to build. Perhaps the
most unusual is a Star Trekinspired theme park, planned for
2014; Jordan’s King Abdullah is
a big fan and even featured in an
episode of the series. TW