Last week Angela and I packed our bags and jumped on a plane to Jordan to do some exploring. To be honest I didn’t know much about Jordan except what I had read in a guide book so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Our itinerary consisted of the usual tourist stops; Amman, Mount Nebo, Dead Sea, Ma'In Hot Springs, Petra, Karak and Wadi Rum finishing off with two nights on the beach in Aqaba.
Our flight arrived at 9pm so we headed straight to our hotel and into dinner, opting for a Lebanese feast in Bourj Al Hamam the Intercontinental’s award winning restaurant. And what a feast we had - Fattoush, Hummus, Chicken Shish, Grilled Halloumi, Baba Ghanoush, salad, olives, flat bread – you name it, we had it! Served with a glass of lemon and fresh mint we ate until we couldn’t eat anymore and then we retired straight to bed!
The next day we were up early and after a quick swim we set off to explore the sights of Mount Nebo, the mountain where Moses died which has amazing views out over the dessert and on a clear day you can even see Jerusalem. Then it was on to the Ma’In Hot Springs which were like soaking in a hot bath whilst receiving a massage from the water pummelling down from above. After watching the sunset from the top of a mountain we finally made it to the Dead Sea only it was dark, but not ones to let the daylight ruin our enjoyment we stripped off, jumped in and floated! It really is quite surreal just floating, not really moving anywhere, just resting on the water and if you do try and swim its near impossible!
That night we stayed over in Madaba before setting off on the Kings Highway to drive to Petra with a stop at Karak castle. The castle dates back to the 12th century and it’s impressive to see so much of the structure is still standing. Arriving in Petra we were delighted to find out that Petra by night was taking place that night so after dropping our bags, wrapped up warm and headed into Petra which had been lit up by thousands of candles.
Arriving at The Treasury we were treated to hot tea and traditional Arabic music – if you are staying on a night that ‘Petra by Night’ is running I’d definitely recommend it. Staying in the Crowne Plaza which is the closet hotel to Petra we took breakfast by the window looking out over the ruins. Fully fuelled we headed into the ruins with our guide to spend the day exploring, ending at the Monastery on the Mountain of Aaran which is the highest point. With donkeys and camels dotted around and people wearing traditional clothing it’s easy to imagine you have gone back in time, that is until you pass the Indian Jones gift shop, paying homage to the fact Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed here.
The next day we headed into the Wadi Rum where we took a daytrip on a 4WD taking in all of the main points before watching the sunset then heading to the camp where we spent our coldest night of the holiday....by cold I mean FREEZING! After all we were sleeping in the dessert in winter.
Our trip ended with two nights in the Kempinski Aqaba and after a hamman we felt normal again. The hotel has stunning views over the sea and the private beach with its day beds is the perfect place to relax....we were in heaven! Angela took full advantage of the excellent diving and spotted a whole host of fish including a Stonefish, one of the most deadly fishes in the world – eek!! After embracing the street food we ate our last meal in the Intercontinental Aqaba’s Bourj Al Hamam restaurant, which is the sister restaurant of the Amman outlet. We’d enjoyed it so much, we thought it only right to return again and end the trip on a high note.
If you are looking for an alternative holiday, I’d fully recommend Jordan. There is sooo much to do in the country and as it’s quite small it’s easy and cheap to travel around. I shall be back soon!
Jules