Trips & Tours: Jordan Family Adventure

Today we arrive in Amman transfer to our hotel and look forward to the adventures to come.

Today we head to Jerash, prize of the north. Jerash is one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world, a fine example of Roman civil engineering. In biblical times Jerash was known as Gerasa and would have been known to Jesus. Kids will love playing in the 2,000 year old theatre looking for the seat numbers and playing at gladiators and a visit provides as much for them as for Mum and Dad.

Next we wind our way down to the Dead Sea - the lowest point on earth at 400 meters below sea level. 4 times saltier than any other sea in the world the high salinity allows us to float almost on top of the water, rather than in it – a weird and not-to-be-missed sensation.

Madaba is home to an ancient map of the Holy Land picked out by tesserae in a remarkable mosaic on the floor of St George’s Church - see if the kids can spot Jerusalem. Then we drive the short distance to Mt. Nebo, said to be where God showed Moses the Promised Land. Here we’ll enjoy the view and a short visit to the nearby Byzantine basilica to see its mosaics before travelling south to the great crack in the earth that is the Wadi Mujib – Jordan’s Grand Canyon. As with Nebo there are more dramatic views as the canyon walls plunge some 1300m; we wind our way down and then up the other side.

Arriving in Kerak we pause to wander around the passages and dungeons of the famous Crusader castle then continue to Dana Nature Reserve, a hidden gem and one that quickly becomes a favourite of those lucky enough to visit.

Dana Nature Reserve plunges down steep mountains into deep wadis, a product of shifting tectonics of the great Rift Valley. The entire Reserve is part of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature’s attempts to help preserve both the way of life of the Dana region’s villages and the amazing wildlife that can be found here.

Several trails wait to be explored as we head off on foot – get the kids spotting lizards and maybe the tracks of foxes. Most people who stay a night or two rate their experience in this magical landscape as one of the highlights of their journey through Jordan.

You’ll travel a long way to find an archaeological site as magnificent as Petra. 2000 years old and forgotten for centuries you enter the city through a dramatic 1km long canyon of multi-coloured rocks – the famous siq, emerging at what is perhaps the most famous view of all, that of the Treasury. Kids will love it too as this is where Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed. This initial view one most people have in their minds eye when they think of the site, and yet it’s just the start of the city.

Beyond we realise we are surrounded on all sides by hundreds of carved and constructed structures, soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, a carved Roman theatre, large and small houses, burial chambers and much more.

We explore the site fully during our time here, climbing the 1 hour to the Monastery - a wonderful example of what the Nabataeans’ masons were capable of - as well as Little Petra, a much smaller version of the main site.

A second day to explore the site, take an optional trip to Little Petra or chill by the pool.

Wadi Rum is known as the ‘Mountains of the Moon’ locally, an apt description perhaps but just one of many that attempts to describe this unique and beautiful landscape. Inhabited by the hardy Howeitat Bedouin tribe the region also has associations with TE Lawrence of Arabia.

On arrival we set off to explore by camel and 4WD a great experience for parents and kids alike as we learn something of desert life before settling down by the campfire as the canyon walls change colour from orange to purple.

Up early we set off from our camp for Aqaba on Jordan’s Red Sea coast. On arrival we head to the coast where an included snorkelling trip reveals a myriad of corals and multi-coloured fish – the perfect end to a holiday with numerous highlights for all the family.

Flights from Aqaba to Amman leave in the early morning and connect with international flights to the UK and beyond, or a transfer by road can be arranged to connect with flights from Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport.