Looks like a bungee cord is the travel emergency tool we didn't know we needed.
21.07.2023 - 08:41 / roughguides.com
One of the world’s top adventure spots, tourists to Jordan tend to zip right through Amman and head straight to the mountains, Petra, or the fabulous burnt-orange desert in the south. But Jordan’s capital is well-worth devoting a long weekend to. It’s a vibrant, buzzing place to spend a few days, browsing through the fashionable city-centre boutiques, filling up on falafel and listening to an Ammani rock band bring the house down in a dry music venue.
And with Jordan as one of our top places to visit in 2018 – boosted by last year’s opening of the Jordan Trail – there’s never been a better time to visit its alluring capital.
No matter where you are in Amman it can seem like you’re at the top of a hill, climbing a hill, or in a valley contemplating the hill you’re about to ascend. The city was originally built on seven hills, but it now sprawls across 19, which is why a trip to Amman can feel a little like preparing for an Everest expedition. Despite its many slopes, Amman is a walkable city, packed full of attractions. Plus, it’s bursting with countless falafel joints and cake pit stops so you can happily justify grazing your way around the city all day long.
In the height of summer, when temperatures can reach a skin-prickling 45 degrees, you’ll find the city blessed with stunning roof-terraces cooled by air-conditioning – the perfect setting to relax with a refreshing mint-lemonade. Even better, visit in autumn or springtime and you’ll find a far more walkable city ready to explore.
Umayyad Palace © Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock
The city is liberal and bohemian (at least compared to its tumultuous neighbours). That, coupled with the arrival of Palestinian, Syrian, and Iraqi refugees who have taken root here over the past decades, has created a hotbed of entrepreneurialism. You’ll find kooky coffee shops tucked behind stairwells and cafés serving plates of sweet cheesy kanafeh (Habibah Sweets is highly rated) located on verandahs high above the gridlocked roads of downtown.
And since last year with the recently opened Jordan Trail – an adventurous 650km hiking trail that links the nose and tail of the country – Amman is now a great place to put your feet up post-trek.
The Romans conquered most of Jordan in 63 B.C and ruled for a further 400 years, so there are plenty of ruins to explore. Dry desert conditions have preserved these sites well, and an ancient theatre – with a vertigo-inducing 6000-person capacity – still dominates downtown.
If you’re hankering after more ancient sites, you can glimpse the Ummayad-era Citadel from almost all of downtown. Like Athens’ Acropolis, the temple walls and pillars cut a striking figure against the sky. Go to the Citadel at dusk to catch the call to prayer, listening to
Looks like a bungee cord is the travel emergency tool we didn't know we needed.
It’s the classic pre-trip selfie. You snap a picture of yourself with your passport and boarding pass, then promptly share the photo on social media. Your family, friends and followers may like it.
Southwest Airlines will significantly reduce midweek flying capacity next year, becoming the latest airline to do so.
Emirates has announced it will reduce service between Dubai and almost half its destinations in the U.S. Flights to Boston, Seattle, and Los Angeles will be reduced from two per day to one, and daily flights to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale will be reduced to five per week each. The total number of weekly flights cut comes to 25.
It’s official: Passengers flying on nine airlines non-stop to the U.S. from 10 airports (Cairo, Egypt; Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Istanbul in Turkey; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates) will be prohibited from bringing electronic devices larger than cellphones on board with them.
One part of the globe has suffered perhaps the most skepticism from travelers in recent years: the Middle East and North Africa. But this year, the region is experiencing a spike in visitor numbers, astounding Middle East travel experts with its sudden resurgence.
AirHelp, the online service that files complaints against airlines on behalf of passengers entitled to compensation for air delays or cancellations, knows a thing or two about air travel. Because it’s hard for the average person to understand air passenger rights and pursue a legal claim when they’ve been wronged, AirHelp is always going toe-to-toe with airlines and airports—and reveals once a year which ones that treat their passengers for the better (or worse).
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Lost City of Petra hides coyly behind Southern Jordan’s pink sandstone cliffs. The rock-cut ruins of the lost Nabatean Kingdom feature Corinthian pillars, Hellenistic urns, and, in the case of the Treasury, classical relief sculptures fit for a king. The contrast between the jagged desert cliffs and the grand edifices that adorn them is as jarring as a crop circle perfectly etched into a field of corn.
If seeing the seven wonders of the world is on your bucket list, then group-travel operator, Contiki, wants to help you achieve this dream by paying your rent while you do it. With the company’s new Jordan trip, it now has itineraries to all of the “new” Seven Wonders of the World. To get the savings, book each of Contiki’s trips to the seven wonders (these are individual trips that visit the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Christ the Redeemer, Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, Petra, and the Colosseum) and then prove your rent amount with your rental agreement. Contiki is offering a savings of up to $2,840, the national average of rent for two months.
In stressful times like this global pandemic, it’s easy to get caught up in fear, confusion, and the never-ending news cycle. But perhaps the best way to escape it all is to mentally dive into a good vacation. Researching your dream trip of choice is a helpful reminder that the world will go back to normal again—and when it does, you’ll have a decisive plan of action for a trip you’re excited to take. Whether it’s a new type of travel for you (sailing, hiking, train itineraries, or road tripping) or a destination you’re unfamiliar with, now’s the time to tackle all your wildest travel ambitions.
A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985 and one of the new seven wonders of the world, Petra is among the most famous archaeological sites in the world alongside Athens’ Acropolis and England’s Stonehenge. While it now has competition from Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s own extraordinary rock-hewn site, travelers to the Middle East would be remiss to pass on this ancient city and Jordan’s most popular attraction.
If you know someone who’s been to Saudi Arabia, chances are they visited AlUla. There’s a good reason for that. Located in the Medina province in northwest Saudi Arabia, AlUla is defined by its almost surreal landscape of canyons, wadis (dry valleys), sandstone cliffs, and ancient Arabic rock dwellings and tombs that trace the 7,000-year history of people living in the region. It’s also the home of Hegra, the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, a city built by the Nabataeans – the same civilization that built Petra – over 2,000 years ago. Thanks to this concentration of geographic and historical wonders, it’s no surprise that AlUla has become the centerpiece of Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning tourism push.