The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan

Jordan is a country of dualities and has been thus, ever since the state of Transjordan was created by the League of Nations. It is constantly striving for a balancing act with its neighbours: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Syria all share a border with it. It manages a balancing act with a flourish of political and cultural representations within its national psyche. Many of Jordan’s young population are embracing western culture, whilst there elders are still firmly entrenched in ancient cultural traditions. The Bedouin nomads, the Orthodox Christians, and the Muslim Arabs, all co-habit in this kingdom. For a traveller visiting this country, however, the same warm, and welcoming, hospitality is offered by all Jordanian people. Their good humour and acceptance of visitors makes this place such a delight to visit;

…and visit you should. For such a small country, Jordan boasts some of the singularly amazing experiences in the world: The cities of Amman, Jerash, and Umm Qais are part of the ancient Roman Decapolis. The city of Jerash itself is a breathtakingly beautiful window into the majesty of the Roman Empire; not too mention still host to the 6th Roman Legion. The nature reserves of Dana, Wadi Mujib, and Wadi Rum are areas of unparalleled natural beauty with hiking trails that expose you to a myriad of flora and fauna. For areas of Biblical interest, you can visit Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan where Jesus was baptised, Herod’s castle, Mount Nebo where Moses first saw the promised land, and the Dead Sea, where the scrolls unlocking an ancient world were found at Qumran. You can also trek into the desert, by camel, and sleep under the stars with the Bedouin, or scuba and swim in the Red Sea at Aqabar. If all of this is not enough to excite your imagination, then imagine Petra - the Nabatean City of Rose. One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World; hewn out of a kaleidoscope of coloured sandstone by stone-masons two millennia ago, and drawing on inspiration from architectural designs ranging from the Egyptians to the Palmyrenes. These mystical and majestic metropolis that have been hidden for years deep in the desert, lie within twisted and clandestine pathways, rent out of the fury of an earthquakes: inside the mountains themselves.