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| Places to visit in
Jordan
Canyons The King’s Highway Aqaba Canyons:
This ancient Roman road is over 5,000 years old and was first mentioned in The Book of Genesis. One of the most historic and scenic roads in the world; it starts in Jerash, goes via Amman and twists and winds its way south through the heart of Jordan, connecting the historic centres of Madaba, Kerak, Tafila, Shobak and Petra, and runs all the way down to Aqaba. As early as 1,200 BC Moses addressed the Adomites saying, “Let us pass…we will go by the King’s Highway”
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Although 65% desert, many people are surprised to find that Jordan has
many lush, green, water filled canyons. At the Zarqa Ma’in Canyon there are at least 38 separate thermal springs ranging in temperature
from 45F _ 65F (105C _ 150C). The Nature Reserve at the Mujib Canyon which
extends for over 50 kilometres from the desert uplands 800 metres above sea level to
the Dead Sea 400 metres below sea level is one of Jordan’s most spectacular features and
is often referred to as ‘The Grand Canyon of Jordan”. The 100 metre high walls of the
extremely impressive gash of the Numeira
Canyon are so steep and close
that at times it feels like a cave. Although the sides of the mountains are wild and
barren the valley is green and fertile and there are even a couple of gentle springs
coming out of the sides which make ideal ‘natural showers’. The Hasa Canyon is almost as impressive as the Mujib
Canyon, descending from 1,000 metres above sea level down to the Dead Sea, 4 kilometres
across and 600 metres deep where the King’s highway crosses it.. This is how T.E.
Lawrence described the Dhalal Canyon in Seven Pillars of Wisdom, “... the cliffs
and the hills drew together so that hardly did the stars shine into its pitchy
blackness...” The 
ibn Hammad Canyon is superb from almost any point of view
with the Hammamat or Hot Springs 800 metres below. A hot spring goes downhill all the way
through a stunningly beautiful sub-tropical gorge leading to a wild ravine in the heart of
the barren inhospitable lower mountains. The Ghuweir
Canyon stretches from Feinan
to Shobak and is an oasis, with abundant water and dense foliage, palm trees, oleanders
and tamarisk lining the sides of the valley. The Wadi Mussa Canyon is the continuation from Petra to Wadi Araba and is full of gardens first
built during the reign of the Nabataeans and wonderful waterfalls. There are many, many
more like Wadi Dana and Wadi Heimar. 
Aqaba was a port as far back as the time of the Edomites and later the
Nabataeans. It was also a major city on the paved Roman road that ran from Syria via Petra
to the Sinai and Egypt. Lying between a ring of mountains that change between red, violet,
pink and purple with the setting sun, and bordering an azure blue sea, Aqaba is the
perfect place to relax, whether on the sandy beaches fringed by palm trees or snorkelling
and scuba diving. The dry, year round sunshine makes it the ideal holiday destination. A
dazzling undersea universe of coral, fish and other marine life is just metres off the
sandy beaches. At night the streets are full of strollers browsing in the souqs or
enjoying dinner in one of the many traditional restaurants.