Many people are surprised when I tell them that Jordan is a great tourist destination. They do not always think about this small country in the Middle East as offering much more than a desert landscape, and Arabic cuisine, but this is not the case. It boasts of history dating all the way back to Biblical times, landscape so starkly beautiful and distinct that movie companies come out all the time to shoot their movies out here, and a culture so rich that you can’t but help to want to learn more about it. For these reason, many people that find themselves working out in Jordan can often convince their families to come out and take in the beauty that is Jordan. There are three locations that become must sees for those that travel out here that we like to call the Jordan Loop.
Just to be clear, it is not really a loop. It is more an out and back, but that does not have the same kind of appeal. Still, they are the three must sees when coming out to Jordan.
The first is a short forty-five minute drive from Amman, the Dead Sea. The lowest place on Earth has many resorts dotting the salty shore. From here, you can take quick drives down to see the Salt Flats, or up to see the Panorama to learn more about the area and take in the incredible views.
The second stop is a quick three and half hour drive from the Dead Sea to the town of Wadi Musa. This town holds Jordan’s biggest attraction, and the one that brings people from all over the world to this part of the world, Petra. It has been highlighted in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and ever since then, it has held the imagination of many. There are many more amazing buildings carved into the walls of the cliff, and it is a great place to come back to again and again.
The last stop comes on the heels of the most recent blockbuster filmed there, Dune Part Two. It is Wadi Rum, the expansive desert landscape with spectacular hikes, beautiful sunsets, and the closest you can come to the Bedouin experience without becoming a Bedouin.
The trip gets made by some of my colleagues on numerous occasions, every time one of their relatives come out to visit. For me, it is the first time that I get to make this trip as a tour guide, and show people around. I have been to a lot of these places already, and though I am excited to go back to them, I also can’t wait to see what other new experiences I can find while out in Jordan. I will get to learn more about the Jordan Loop, and I hope to share what I learn with the rest of you. So over the next few days, join me as I explore more of this country that is worth coming out and seeing.
John Collings 