This city in Jordan is actually home to some of the best Roman ruins outside Europe

February 15, 2023 No Comments

Visiting the Jordanian capital of Amman can quickly turn into an open-air history class.

Tourism officials note that the Romans, Greeks, Byzantines and Muslims all left their mark on the city, with plenty of historical reminders found in both Amman itself and nearby as well.

Roman ruins — including an amphitheatre — can be found in some parts of Amman, with local guide Ahmad “Ace” Malhas saying there was a time when the Roman presence was even more visible.

“Wherever we’re stepping there was a ruin,” Malhas told a recent group.

“Roman ruins are not just in Italy,” adds local tourism official Tamer Nassar.

A hilltop museum also tells of the long past of Amman, known as Philadelphia during the Roman era.

Near Amman are the Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash, home to remarkably well preserved structures.

“Basically the Greeks came and then the Romans added their fingerprints,” Malhas says of Jerash. “I believe it is the most preserved Roman city outside Rome and signifies the history of the Middle East.”

Jerash attractions include the Hippodrome, which the Romans used for chariot races.

Many Jerash ruins have yet to be excavated, Malhas adds.

Malhas notes that Amman’s largest mosque faces a Coptic church, which he says underscores the “peaceful co-existence” found between Christians and Muslims in his homeland.

Meanwhile, Malhas says there’s a lot more to Jordan than a historical side underscored by the likes of Roman ruins and the famed archeological site of Petra.

“If they (tourists) come to Amman they will  know this is an urban country too,” he said, citing the likes of stores, restaurants, upscale hotels and nightlife found in the city.

—STORY BY IAN STALKER

Day and Night: The ultimate Jordan itinerary

December 9, 2022 No Comments

Jordan will provide visitors with an endless number of exotic experiences, regardless of whether it's sun-up or sundown. The country's storied history and intriguing landscapes ensure that there never needs to be a dull moment for vacationers.

DAY

The Jordan Trail

Duha Fayyad is inviting energetic sorts to trod over terrain that has hosted the likes of Roman Legions, Biblical figures and even Indiana Jones. Fayyad is the vice-president of the Jordan Trail, a 675-kilometre walkway that links northernmost Jordan with the Red Sea-fronting resort destination of Aqaba, with those who hike it in its entirety seeing some dramatic Jordanian tourist attractions. “It is a completely different experience. You miss out on so much when you take a vehicle,” says hiking enthusiast Fayyad of the non-mainstream manner of touring her homeland.

The Jordan Trail officially opened in 2017 and covers eight regions that Fayyad reports differ noticeably. Northern Jordan, for instance, has a lot of greenery, while desert awaits those who head to the trail’s southern part. Trail officials rate day-long hikes by degree of difficulty, with the scale ranging from Moderate to Challenging.

Among trail highlights are Petra—the ancient Nabatean city carved from rock faces and part of which was showcased in the blockbuster movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Wadi Rum, the desert retreat associated with Lawrence of Arabia and the Arab revolt. Those who opt for the entire marked trail can do it at their own pace, perhaps taking more than six weeks to complete it, at times staying in homes in villages along the way, eating local dishes with the “super hospitable” occupants of those houses. Camping is another option, including in areas with few people.

“It forces you to connect with nature and the land,” Fayyad says. Participants may spot both domestic and wild animals, with the latter possibly including the likes of foxes, birds and different reptiles. Fayyad says those who complete the trail—overseen by NGO Jordan Trail Association—will see parts of the country that are steeped in history, with the trail’s mid-section built along Roman trade routes. More information can be found at jordantrail.org.

Wadi Rum

Visiting Jordan’s Wadi Rum region can be uplifting in a literal sense for energetic sorts. And perhaps a little tiring as well. Wadi Rum is best known for serving as a hideout for Lawrence of Arabia and other participants in the Arab Revolt and today attracts tourists eager to see an intriguing landscape of sand, dunes and rock outcroppings.

Those exploring it on a four-wheel drive desert safari are welcome to climb a steep, lengthy, sandy slope that leads them to a level area bordering towering rock faces, with tour guide Ahmad “Ace” Malhas cautioning those eager to trek upwards that the gradient won’t be the only challenge. “They think it will be easy but when they try it they say, ‘Oh my God! It’s so long,'” he reports, adding the sand surface makes planting your feet somewhat tricky.

Would-be trekkers are advised that the upward jaunt will be easier barefôot than with shoes, thanks to the sand. After descending, climbers can have traditional Bedouin tea. Meanwhile, Malhas says those who top the massive dune will be rewarded by looking down on the type of landscapes Lawrence called “vast, echoing and God-like.”

Ammarin Camp

Jordanian tour company employee Tamer Nassar will happily introduce tourists to some Bedouin-style baking and brewing. Among locales Nassar—with Kawar Tours, which sends people throughout Jordan—can take visitors to is Ammarin Camp, a Bedouin encampment near the interior Jordan setting of Bediah, with the encampment found in the type of desert-like setting that Bedouins have long called home.

Those visiting Ammarin Camp can enjoy such traditional foods as hummus while sitting on low cushions, eating in a traditional Bedouin manner. The food itself is placed on a table in a recess in a dramatic rockface. Guests can stay in the camp, or overnight in the Bedouin tents and enjoy meals cooked and eaten amongst local residents, too. Those visitors can also watch a local woman bake Bedouin bread and another area residents produce traditional coffee in a manner that might seem laborious to Western coffee drinkers.

Nassar says coffee is very much part of Jordanian culture. “Wherever you go, they will offer you coffee,” adding such useful pointers that those visiting Bedouins should limit themselves to three cups of coffee as requesting a fourth is considered disrespectful in their culture. More information on the encampment can be found at bedouincamp.net/. More information on Jordan tours can be found at kawartours.com 


NIGHT

 

Petra beneath the stars

Night time can be the right time to view Petra’s most dramatic feature. The Nabatean archeological site hosts Petra By Night three times a week, with those attending finding the famed gorge leading to The Treasury illuminated by candles, while the area before the towering, beautifully carved structure is also lit by a huge number of candles.

Visitors will hear Bedouin flute music and a narration tells of Petra’s storied past. Those who oversee Petra want people to realize that Petra By Night isn’t a modern sound-and-light show.

“Walking through a canyon, which is illuminated just by candlelight, is a unique experience,” the Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority says. “Once you have reached The Treasury, enjoy the magic atmosphere: listen to a Bedouin playing his flute and reciting an old tale of the Nabatean times. You will enjoy an organic sound and light exaltation of the innate talent of the Nabateans, who so magnificently enhanced the natural beauty of their capital.”

 

 

Petra Kitchen

Those interested in learning how to cook up a storm Bedouin-style should consider taking a class at Petra Kitchen, which is found close to the archeological site of Petra and offers classes that can teach people how to make such Jordanian staples as lentil soup, tahini, baba ganoush and other dishes in a spotlessly clean kitchen.

Among those offering tourists pointers is Ahmad Daana, who sports a chef’s jacket and learned to cook from his mother. “They do a very good job,” he says of his students. Those students have included New Yorker David Yaw Anokye, who learned to appreciate cooking during his many travels and says Petra Kitchen inspired him. “I’ll keep practicing,” he says of Jordanian cuisine. His sister, Love, also took a class and says she was more than pleased with what she helped create. “I’m proud to help cook the food and have it taste so good,” she says, adding she was pleased to see vegan-friendly dishes available for guests to prepare.

Star gazing

There’s no question that those who vacation in Jordan may return home feeling a little star-struck. The country offers many great locales for stargazing, including Wadi Rum, where stars help light up the night. Wadi Rum is considered ideal for viewing the heavens after dark, thanks to a combination of factors, among them few people living there, meaning light pollution doesn’t affect views of what’s shining overhead after sundown. The desert environment also leads to clear skies.

 

There are many accommodation options for visitors, among them Bedouin tents for those wanting to experience a Bedouin lifestyle. Those wanting to look to the stars will also find geodesic domes to overnight in. The dwellings enable people to look directly skyward after deciding to hit the hay.

Israel has finally dropped mandatory PCR testing for travellers

May 9, 2022 No Comments

Israel’s Ministry of Health has confirmed that Israel is dropping its final COVID-19 curbs by removing on-arrival PCR tests.

Under the new guidelines agreed by the Ministry of Health and the Airports Authority, passengers landing at Ben Gurion airport from May 20 will no longer be required to perform a PCR test.

The news was announced via a statement on Israel’s Ministry of Health’s Twitter, which when translated from Hebrew to English, reads as such: “Passengers landing at Ben Gurion Airport starting on May 20, 2002 will no longer be required to perform a PCR test.

The decision was made in light of the decline in morbidity data and at the end of discussions that took place between the professionals in the Ministry of Health and the staff of the Airports Authority.

It was agreed that the professionals would formulate a mechanism for maintaining the suitability of the testing system at Ben Gurion Airport, in order to enable it to be operated quickly, in full or in part when necessary.”

The Tweet is linked here for reference: https://twitter.com/IsraelMOH/status/1523230785893183488

Further to this, the Ministry of Health also confirmed that starting this Tuesday (May 10) foreigners flying to Israel will now be allowed to take an antigen test before boarding the plane instead of a PCR test.

Any passenger who chooses the antigen option will be required to perform the test in the 24 hours prior to their departure to Israel.

The announcements come following the ongoing decline in morbidity data and number of COVID-19 cases and are the latest developments by Israel to ease the entry process since relaxing vaccination entry requirements in February earlier this year.

Israel’s Minister of Tourism Yoel Ravozov tweeted his support of the news stating that he was “glad” that Corona tests for all those entering Israel will be stopped.

Now, until May 20, travellers will still have to pre-book and undergo the original testing protocols upon arrival in Israel.