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Check out our range of unusual travel experiences on offer
Road to Damascus
See the best of Jordan with a taste of Syria. Bob like a cork in the Dead Sea, range across ancient Roman Decapolis cities, discover the Rose City of Petra, explore Crusader castles and scrub up at a Damascus hamam....
Jordan's Top Spots
The rose city of Petra - Jordan
The Rose City of Petra is the jewel in Jordan’s glittering archaeological crown, and is now one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Accessed on a walk through a narrow, deep and winding cleft in the rock that is known as the Siq, the end prize is the hidden valley where the Rose City of Petra lies. And the first sight to behold is the façade of Al-Kazneh – aka the Treasury of Petra. This rose red building actually served as a royal tomb, but got its name from the legend that pirates hid their treasure there. With a backstory like that and its amazing appearance its no surprise to learn that it was this building that served as the Holy Grail’s resting place In Indiana Jones and the last crusade.
In all, there are some 800 registered sites in Petra, including some 500 tombs. Just as fascinating as the rock–carved monuments are the strange rocks themselves. Sandstone shot with minerals burst into colour giving off blue, red, orange and green hues. Amongst the rocky and sometimes jagged scenery, it’s sometimes hard to know what is man–made and what is the result of pure nature
Aqaba - Jordan
Situated on the tip of the Red Sea on the Gulf of Aqaba, the laid-back resort of Aqaba is Jordan’s only gateway to the sea. Renowned for its pristine sandy beaches, clear waters and colourful reefs studded with marine life, Aqaba is just the ticket for sun, fun, diving, snorkelling and swimming. Its also a great place for watersports such as waterskiing, parasailing, jet-skiing and fishing and ideal for a spot of relaxation. Historically, Aqaba boasts sites dating back to 4,000 BC, including the recent discovery of possibly the world’s oldest church dating from the 3rd century AD, the remains of the medieval walled city of Ayla and a Mamluk fort.
Wadi Rum - Jordan
A vast, silent landscape of ancient riverbeds, pastel-coloured stretches of sandy desert and amazing rock formations known as jebels which rise from the desert floor at Wadi Rum in the south of Jordan. Wadi Rum possesses unspoilt beauty forged by millions of years of geological formation, erosion and evolution. The region is also home to semi-nomadic Bedouin living in their great goat hair tents, tending their herds of sheep and goat and preserving a lifestyle that has been practised here in the Arabian desert for centuries. On visits to Wadi Rum, we take a 4x4 desert jeep ride through the heart of the stunning wadi, enjoy a traditional Jordanian grilled dinner and camp under the stars or in tents.
The Dead Sea - Jordan
The lowest point on the earth’s surface, the Dead Sea is a fascinating natural phenomena. Straddling the border between Israel and Jordan, the mineral content of this 75-km-long and 10-km-wide saltwater lake tops out at 33%, or about six times as salty as a normal ocean. This incredibly high salt content means the Dead Sea is extremely buoyant, making it impossible to sink or swim in - the only option is to bob around like a cork! It’s called the Dead Sea as nothing can live in it. There are no fish, seaweed or plants of any kind in or around the water. What you’ll see on the shores are clusters of white salt crystals. These salts are mineral salts, which is just like you find in the oceans of the world, only in extreme concentrations. Many believe that these salts have curative powers and therapeutic qualities, and so the Dead Sea is a great place to try out a spot of pampering in the local spas.
Roman ruins of Jerash - Jordan
Second only to Petra in touristic appeal, the 2,000 year-old Graeco-Roman ruins of Jerash are recognised as one of the best-preserved member cities of the Decapolis, a confederation of 10 Graeco-Roman cities. When Emperor Hadrian paid a visit in 129 AD, the place was buzzing. The citizens threw up a Triumphal Arch for him which still stands today. Exemplifying the finesse of Roman urban life, the town boasts a hippodrome, the old sports field that once held 15,000 spectators, a stunning amphitheatre with amazing amplification abilities, the forum which gracefully links the main north-south axis of Jerash, a colonnaded street paved with original stones and the rut marks of chariots and a nymphaeum replete with ancient fountains trimmed with dolphins and various temples.
Damascus - Syria
Capital city of the Arab Republic of Syria and built on an ancient oasis on the route to Mecca, Damascus is reputed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. It is a charismatic and bustling place studded with rich examples of Islamic and Ottoman architecture. The heart of the city is Martyrs Square. In the side streets just off the square, there are lots of eateries serving shawarma and felafel and pastry shops serving sweetmeats. However, just east is probably the real beating heart of Damascus - the Old City. Surrounded by what was once a Roman wall and rebuilt several times over the last 2000 years, the Old City boasts a main thoroughfare, Straight Street. The Old City is dissected by dozens of interesting streets housing mosques; the city’s labyrinthine, the citadel, elegant bathhouses, grand residences of former pashas and the amazing Azem Palace. Highly recommended is a visit to the huge old covered market also known as the Al-Hamidiyah souk, where there is a delightful array of middle eastern treasures, antiques, spices and handicrafts to be discovered.
Palmyra - Syria
In the heart of the Syrian Desert, are the magnificent remains of the ancient city of Palmyra, once one of one of the greatest cities of Roman empire and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Palmyra dates back to the mid-first century but fell into disuse after the 16th Century. The Palmyra ruins, which cover an area of 6 square kilometres, are very impressive. The major attractions include the huge Temple of Ba’al (considered the most important religious building of the first century AD in the Middle East), the Tombs, the Baths, the Arch of Triumph and the Theatre. Archaeologists are still working on excavations there in order to uncover queen’s palace, which was destroyed by Romans and replaced by a military camp.
Krac des Chevaliers - Syria
Built by the Emir of Homs in 1031, Krac Des Chevaliers is a wonderfully preserved example of a true crusader castle. The citadel covers an area of 3000 square metres and boasts huge watch towers, in addition to many stores, corridors, bridges and stables. It could accommodate 5000 soldiers with their horses at any one time and is said to have been capable of holding enough equipment and provisions for it’s military occupants for five years!
Author Paul Theroux described Krac des Chevaliers (French for ‘Fortress of Knights’) in Syria as the epitome of the dream castle of childhood fantasies. T.E. Lawrence simply called it ‘the finest castle in the world’. The UNESCO Listed castle looks almost exactly as it would have 800 years ago. It guards the only major pass between Antalya in Turkey and Beirut in Lebanon; it was built and expanded between 1150 and 1250 and eventually housed a garrison of 2000. Withstanding continual attack throughout the period, the castle finally fell to Mamluk Sultan Beybar in 1271.
Jerusalem - Israel
Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, is one of the oldest cities in the world. The old walled city is a mix of small alleys and has several revered sites such as the Western Wall, the Church of holy Sepulcre, the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque. It is considered a holy city for the Islamic, Christian and Jewish faiths and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage listed site.
The Western Wall (better known as the Wailing Wall) attracts thousands of Jewish worshippers each day, who come to pray, write notes to God and place them between the ancient stones of the Wall because they believe that the presence of God resides there. The Holy Sepulcre is a beautiful church built in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. It is considered one of the holiest places in Christian Religion as it believed to be the site of Jesus’ Crucifixion and burial. Inside the church is a rocky outcropping which is the traditional place where the cross was placed. Inside the lavishly decorated church is the opulent marble tomb (Sepulcre) of Jesus, where you will find many pilgrims in prayer and paying homage.
