Jordan had infatuated me, ever since reading Leap of Faith--Arab-American Lisa Halaby's love story with King Hussein. She describes the King showing her Jordan's charms, wild places and history on his motorbike to keep under the radar while courting her. As Queen, she contributed to a host of issues including women's empowerment, refugees and art.
Jordan
by Susan Bruce • December 19, 2022
From Sea to Desert
Historical Jordan Fascinates
I was naturally thrilled when invited to join the
Jordan Tourism Board's first travel advisor Master Class
program this past October.
Trip Highlights:
- Jordan is one of the most stable countries in the region and I felt safe day and night.
- Jordan is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- The people! Incredibly warm, hospitable, helpful and fun, Jordanians won my heart. A special shoutout goes to UTA, the operator that planned our trip, especially Rula and Ali.
- Despite scarce natural resources, Jordan has one of the highest development indexes based on the skill and education of its workforce, tourism, and health services.
- The numerous women's enterprise cooperatives we visited across the country were so uplifting, along with the government and community support.
- Petra and the Dead Sea were my favorite locations but every day cemented what a diverse, interesting country Jordan is. I had to brush up on my history and the main groups over time that passed through and settled in Jordan--long a crossroads of the Middle East.
Our group of agents started the trip in Amman, Jordan's capital with a welcome dinner at Sufra restaurant.
We enjoyed a private before-hours visit to Amman's fabulous Jordan Museum illustrating the country's history and hosting its most important archaeological artifacts. My favorites were the 9000-year-old ʿplaster Ain Ghazal statues, which are among the largest, oldest statues of humans ever made, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
I discovered a great selection of 5-star hotels in Amman, some opening just in the past couple of year.
We visited Jerash, about an hour from Amman, one of the best preserved sites of Roman architecture outside of Italy dating back over 6,500 years.
One of my biggest surprises was how beautiful the Dead Sea is with the mountains of Israel in the background. Also, how fun and restorative it was to cover your body with mud and after it dries, rinse off in the Sea, which is oily and salty, and yes, you can't sink!
Petra
was as magical as I'd anticipated, especially seeing it first at night. Insider's Tip: We arrived
a good hour later than the official opening time and had the walk through the canyon by candlelight all to ourselves.
Inhabited since prehistoric times, Petra was an important trade route. Also called the Rose City, and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Petra is famous for its rock-carved architecture and ingenious water conduit system. Don't miss the excellent museum near the entrance!
There are a host of large hotels near Petra, but I prefer the couple of charming inns built in the middle of old villages.
Just south of Petra lies Wadi Rum, Jordan's famous red sand desert and where Lawrence of Arabia spent weeks during the 1917 Arab uprising. Stargazing under brilliant clear night skies is amazing.
After the official trip ended, I headed to Aqaba to scuba dive in the Red Sea, long on my bucket list. The diving and health of the marine life did not disappoint! The area is rightfully famous for its clear waters and great beaches.
Known as the Pearl of the Red Sea, Aqaba boasts some significant history and sites, including the Islamic-era Aqaba Fort and Sharif Al Hussein Bin Ali Mosque.
I left Jordan having fallen in love with the people and the country. I can't wait to help you plan your visit to this fascinating, charming country! Many travelers combine Jordan with Egypt, Turkey, or, like me, Israel.
Photos by Susan Bruce
