Jordan Travel Guide

Definitely. There are some wonderful treks available in and around Petra and within the Dana and Feynan Valleys. There are walks for all abilities ranging from a few hours to a full day and it is a wonderful way to explore less-visited parts of the country.

There are not many true boutique hotels in Jordan and the choice of accommodation is generally between a 5* international standard hotel or a 3-4* more local option. There are also one or two lovely eco-lodges which can really enhance any holiday to Jordan.

Jordan and Israel make a lovely combination. The border crossing at Allenby bridge, located between Amman and the Dead Sea, connects the West Bank with Jordan.

Expect traditional middle eastern food using lots of meat and poultry. Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan and this is a lamb dish with a sauce of fermented dried yoghurt (sounds unappetising but is delicious!) Ordering a mezze (a selection of small dishes) is a good way to try out a variety of things and these include common appetisers such as hummus and tabbouleh. Desserts tend to be a choice of fresh fruit or wonderfully rich and sweet pastries such as baklava, made from layers of filo pastry, chopped nuts and honey.

It is possible to visit Petra at night on a Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evening.

The best time to travel to Jordan is from March to June and September to November. The summer months can be extremely hot and believe it or not, the winter months can be very cold with snowfall quite common in higher regions. The Dead Sea and Aqaba, due to their low altitude, maintain a year-round warm climate, so it can be quite a strange experience in the winter coming from temperatures of around 8 degrees centigrade in Amman to up to 20 degrees centigrade on the Dead Sea.