jordan - walks with nomads:

Introduction

When thinking of Jordan, many of us associate it mainly with desert sands and the rose-red city of Petra. However Jordan has a lot more to offer. It abounds in natural beauty. There are a lot of places in Jordan where you can still merge with nature and have a true wilderness experience. You might wander about for days without meeting a soul, something you won’t even dream of anymore in the crowded and busy western world. This 13-day hiking tour offers you the undiscovered Jordan. It’s an excellent opportunity to ‘walk slowly in this life’ and be one with nature. Allow yourself to explore the country on foot, and you will enjoy the beautiful natural environment with ‘every move you make, every step you take’. The trail will offer an endless variety of landscapes, ranging from the green mountains of Dana to the natural fountains and white sands of Wadi Araba. From the black basalt rocks near Ras Namalah to the prehistoric site of Little Petra. Nowadays many of the sites you will visit are sparsely inhabited by the local Bedouin tribes. But in the early days many of them were flourishing. The tour will show you some of the highlights of these cultures ancient and gone. And of course we will also show you some of the highlights of the Jordanian history.

Day by day itinerary

Day 1: Flight to Amman and transfer to your hotel, where you will enjoy dinner and stay overnight

Day 2:In the morning you will visit Madaba, which is world-famous for its Byzantine mosaics. You shall see the masterpiece: the map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. The next stop will be Mount Nebo, where you will overlook the Promised Land. Just like Moses once did after travelling through the desert for forty years. And you will visit the remains of a church dating back to the sixth century. From Mount Nebo you will hike all the way down to the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. The Dead Sea is believed to have healing powers, because of the super salty water. Sodom and Gomorrah, the site where Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt, is believed to have been located close to the Dead Sea. Enjoy the afternoon floating around in the sea water, bathing in the sun, or undergo one of the relaxing mud treatments. Late in the afternoon the bus will transfer you to the Dana Nature Reserve where you will enjoy a traditional Arabic dinner and spend the night in an pastoral environment.

Day 3 - 6: This four-day hiking tour will lead you through the Dana Nature Reserve and the Wadi Araba, with destination the rose-red city of Petra. Dana Nature Reserve is a system of mountains and wadi’s, dry riverbeds. The height drops dramatically over 1600 meters from the tops of the Rift Valley to the desert lowlands of Wadi Araba. This, combined with the compact variety of landforms, results in a very high biological diversity. Ranging from densely vegetated mountainous areas to the Rummana fountain. From white desert sands covered with fanciful acacia trees to small streams flanked by man-size oleander bushes. From sky-high sand dunes to barren basalt or granite rocks. The area is also rich in archaeology and culture. Near Wadi Feinan you will visit the remains of the ancient capital of the Edomite kingdom. Feinan is a large area of copper mines. In ancient times these mines were among the largest in the world. You will also visit the ruins of the Roman water system and two early Christian churches. From Feinan one of the most beautiful off-roads in Jordan will take you to Beidha or Little Petra, which dates back to the Stone Age. Camping near Little Petra is a wonderful experience. It is almost like living in prehistoric times.

Day 7 - 8: In a spectacularly way the hiking tour will reach its final destination: the Nabatean city of Petra. You will see the most astonishing and dramatic monument in Jordan: the Treasury. Other places you will visit are the Monastery, the theatre, the tombs and façades and the colonnaded street. The night is spent in one of the hotels of Wadi Mousa, the village next to Petra. You can spend the next day according to your own wishes. Perhaps you would like to explore Petra for yourself and see some more of the monumental buildings in the rose-red city. Or climb the stairs all the way up to the High Place of Sacrifice and see the obelisks believed to represent Dushara and Al ‘Uzza, the most important Nabatean gods. It is also possible to take a jeep tour to Aqaba by off-road. Or maybe you would just like to relax and enjoy a Turkish bath in the local hammam.

Day 9 - 10: Our jeeps will transfer you to Wadi Rum. You will pass the seven pillars of wisdom, described so vividly by Lawrence of Arabia. The next two days you will be hiking amidst the beauty of this unique and timeless place, where uniquely shaped massive mountains rise out of the rose-red desert sand. In the evening a traditional Bedouin dinner will be prepared for you at a campfire. The guide will show some of the most beautiful spots in Wadi Rum and the inscriptions written by the Thamudic and Nabatean people a long, long time ago. And you will climb the famous rock bridges. The trail will lead you to the red sand area to contemplate the silence, sitting on top of one of the sky-high sand dunes, beautifully set against the eroded rocks.

Day 11 - 12: In the morning you will be transferred to Aqaba by bus. Lying on the northern tip of the Red Sea, Aqaba is well-known for its beautiful coral reefs. You are free to spend the day according to your own wishes. Aqaba is an ideal location for scuba diving, snorkelling and other water sports. Or you might just relax and spend a good time at the beach or stroll around some of the traditional markets. Late afternoon you will be transferred to Amman. In the evening there will be ample opportunity to explore Jordan’s capital, enjoy dinner in one of the many restaurants and visit some of the highlights.

Day 13: You will depart early for the airport and fly back home.