THE ROYAL SOCIETY for ASIAN AFFAIRS TOUR of JORDAN 18 – 30 April 2017
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THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR ASIAN AFFAIRS TOUR OF JORDAN 18 – 30 April 2017 Surrounded by countries with ongoing political issues, Jordan itself is relatively peaceful and it deserves to be crowded with visitors. From the sprawling city of Amman, gateway and ancient capital, we visit spectacular desert castles and Azraq Wetland Reserve before taking the 5,000-year-old King’s Highway to Jerash and Ajloun to see local treasures and visit Syrian refugees. We will make a short stop at the architecturally interesting former trading town of Salt. We overnight in Madaba, the city of mosaics; and visit Mount Nebo, burial place of Moses, whose archaeological treasures are but a prelude to Petra, the fabled ‘rose red’ city hewn out of rock 2,000 years ago. Spirit yourself back to the time of Lawrence of Arabia in evocative Wadi Rum — a spectacular collection of rock formations known as jebels; enjoy the traditional hospitality of the Bedouin people as you camp out in the stark desert landscape and soak up the atmosphere in this largely undiscovered destination. We have included a number of ‘present day’ meetings with local experts in their fields and some short hiking opportunities in some of the many nature reserves before we end our tour at the mineral rich Dead Sea. Here we will float in the salty waters, a relaxing end to a busy and fascinating itinerary. DAY TO DAY ITINERARY Day 1 Fly London to Amman Day 2 Explore Amman - City Tour and afternoon meeting and dinner with local experts Day 3 Visit Desert Castles and Azraq Wetland Reserve Day 4 Visit Jerash, Pella, Ajloun and overnight at Ajloun Day 5 Optional hikes at Ajloun, visit refugee camp and drive via Salt to Madaba, dinner with local expert Day 6 Baptism site, Madaba, Nebo, Dana Village Tour and drive to Petra Day 7 Petra and free afternoon Day 8 Visit Little Petra and drive to Wadi Rum Day 9 Wadi Rum Day 10 Wadi Rum to Dana Biosphere/ Feynan Eco Lodge Day 11 Optional hikes at Feynan Day 12 Mukawer - Lot's Cave – Dead Sea Day 13 Fly Amman to London DETAILED ITINERARY 18 April London – Amman Economy Class flights Depart London on our flight to Amman. On arrival at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman we will be met by our local English speaking Jordanian tour guide and transferred by an air conditioned coach to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Amman. Meals included today: None on tour. 19 April Amman – City tour We will start the day with a tour in the city of Amman, 1200 B.C capital of the Ammonites, (known in the Old Testament as Rabbath-Ammon), and a Decapolis city during the Greco- Roman period. Originally spread over Seven Hills like Rome, the city now covers 19 hills. We will visit the most important ruins of the Greco-Roman Empire, the Citadel and the Roman Amphitheater. We will visit the Jordan Archaeological Museum at the Citadel and both the Jordan Museum of Popular Traditions and the Jordan Folklore Museum at the Roman Amphitheatre. This afternoon we will visit the Jordanian Tour Guide Association (for a discussion about present day tourism issues). Our aim is to meet with the head of the Association & Management and get to know about guides’ problems and difficulties and what projects they work on along with the Tourism & Antiquities Ministry. We plan to invite a contact from the Tourism & Antiquities Ministry to join our meeting. This evening we will have dinner with local experts in the political field – more details to follow. Dinner will be at Kan Zaman Restaurant (in a hundred-year old village – located 20 minutes from Amman). Meals included today: all meals. 20 April Amman – desert castles Today we will head outside the city to see some of Jordan’s iconic desert castles. Scattered throughout the black basalt desert, east of Amman, the Desert Castles: (Amra Castle, Kharaneh Castle, Al Qastal Castle & Al Hallabat Castle) stand as a testament to the flourishing beginnings of Islamic-Arab civilization. These seemingly isolated pavilions, caravan stations, secluded baths, and hunting lodges, were at one time integrated agricultural or trading complexes, built mostly under the Umayyads (661-750 AD), when Muslim Arabs had succeeded in transforming the fringes of the desert into well-watered settlements. Aside from being widely considered as the most spectacular and original monuments of early Islamic art, these complexes also served practical purposes: namely, as residences, caravanserais, and baths. Enjoy a traditional lunch with a family from one of these communities to learn more about their unique culture and life (Druze family). This afternoon we visit the Azraq Wetland Reserve to discuss the present day issue of water shortages in Jordan We will then drive back to Amman for dinner. We plan to approach the office of H.R.H. Prince Hassan bin Talal. His Royal Highness might be able to come or send a representative to discuss the latest politics issues with our group. Meals included today: all meals. 21 April Amman – Jerash – Pella – Um Qais After breakfast we head directly to the second on the list of favorite destinations in Jordan, and one of the best preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. The ancient city of Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. Visiting the paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates will be extremely memorable for us. A short drive to the north is Ajloun, with its fortress and magnificent view into the Jordan Valley. Formally known as Qala'at al Rabadh, Ajloun Castle, is the major ancient site within the Ajloun forests region. The castle is one of the best preserved and most complete examples of medieval Arab-Islamic military architecture. Head afterwards to another Decapolis city, Pella, now known as Tabqat Fahel which is exceptionally rich in antiquities, some of which are exceedingly old. Besides the excavated ruins from the Greco - Roman period, Pella offers visitors the opportunity to see the remains of Chalcolithic settlement from the 4th millennium BC, evidence of Bronze and Iron age walled cities, Byzantine churches, early Islamic residences and a small medieval mosque. The last destination of the day is to Gadara, now known Um Qais, which was, in addition to Amman, Jerash & Pella, also once a Decapolis city. It is perched on a splendid hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee. Um Qais boasts impressive ancient remains. These include the stunning black basalt theatre, the basilica and adjacent courtyard strewn with nicely carved black sarcophagi, the colonnaded main street and a side street lined with shops, an underground mausoleum, two baths, a Nymphaeum, a city gate and the faint outlines of what was a massive hippodrome. Please note this visit will be reviewed shortly before departure. If it is contrary to the FCO travel advice it will be omitted. Um Qais is approximately 6km from Syrian border and the FCO currently (May 2016) advises against all travel to within 3kms of Syrian border. Lunch with a local family has been included, and will be in Um Qais or Jerash. Overnight in Ajloun Cabins. This is basic accommodation for this one night but it saves us having to return to Amman for the night. The reserve has five standard cabins with private facilities for each cabin and each taking three people. Dinner and overnight at Ajloun Reserve. Meals included today: all meals. 22 April Optional hikes around Ajloun – drive via Salt to Madaba Established in 1987, Ajloun Forest Reserve covers an area of 13 km2 located in the Ajloun highlands north of Amman. It consists of Mediterranean-like hill country, ranging from 600 - 1100 m above sea level, with a series of small and medium winding valleys. Ajloun forest was first proposed as a protected area in the 1978 survey. Its ecological importance is represented by the Evergreen Oak vegetation type, which is typical of the northern highlands of Jordan. We have selected and recommend one of these two hikes for those who would like a nice local walk in the area. The hike starts at 0800 – 0830hrs. Soap House Trail : Time: 2-3 hours / Distance: 6-7 km (Grade Moderate ) This trail begins at the Reserve's Visitor Center and takes you to the Soap House in the neighboring village of Orjan. On the way, you will hike through thick, healthy woodlands filled with oak, pistachio, and oriental strawberry trees. Take a short detour to view a ruined wine press before you pass one of the oldest strawberry trees in the Reserve on your way down into the valley. The trail climbs to 1100m above sea level at Eagle's View Point, and then descends to the Soap House where local women follow the traditional process of making Orjan pure olive soap Rockrose Trail : Time: 2-3 hours / Distance: 8 km (Grade Moderate ) Named for the flowers that can be seen around the trail every spring, this hiking loop passes through thick woodlands, orchards, farms and villages in and around the reserve. It offers beautiful views of the West Bank, Syria, and the Jordanian countryside. About halfway through the hike, observe the wine and olive press from the Byzantine and Roman eras, and just before reaching the end of the trail, rest in the shade of a large Maloul tree. Each season has different vegetation to enjoy. The first half of the trail is uphill and the second half is downhill; there are steep scrambles en-route that demand a reasonable level of fitness.