Andante Travels

Introduction

Jordan occupies a pivotal position at the crossroads between Asia and the Mediterranean and Egypt and Africa, embracing a mighty continent in each arm. It was a market-place of goods and ideas, an intermediary between civilisations and faiths, shaping the East and the world in which we live.

Jordan’s Late Bronze Age and Iron Age history is documented in the Testaments - sweeping movements of people and customs, of prophets and kings, and of Christ himself.

Its position geologically is as significant as its culture, and the country is often described as ‘geological heaven’. The searing chasm of the Great African Rift cleaves the country in two, leaving a high rugged plateau to the east continuing until it exhausts itself in the rocky desert. To the west is the enormous trough of Wadi Araba, its vast valley floor filled by the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. The rich colours of the rock enhance these amazing formations and wadi gorges.

We have included all the great sites you would expect to see, spending two whole days in Petra, and a more adventurous exploration (4x4s and on foot) of the spectacular Wadi Feinan gorge. This is a forgotten archaeological landscape rich in prehistoric activity which is the subject of ongoing survey and excavation by a UK team. The stay in the candle-lit eco-lodge here is mentioned by many as a highlight.

Itinerary

day two
Drive north to the decapolis city of Jerash, lying in the pine valleys of the Gilead, with a stream running through the centre which keeps it green even in summer. The ruins are incredibly well-preserved, and the oval plaza is one of the most beautifully-shaped monuments anywhere in the world. In the late afternoon there is an optional excursion to the Dead Sea - swimming here is a strange and unique experience...

day three
South along the King’s Highway, past Mount Nebo - the route taken by Moses as he looked out over the Holy Land. On to Madaba to see the remarkable 6th century mosaic map, the earliest surviving of the Holy Land, with the walled city of Jerusalem at the centre, and depicting some wonderful details of life in the area of the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley (although the later iconoclasts have removed faces). Continue via the mighty Crusader castle of Kerak, to Wadi Feinan, where we stay amongst the mountains of this extraordinary, wild valley, in an eco-lodge within the nature reserve. This is surrounded by a fascinating archaeological landscape - 4x4s take us to the lodge, leaving your main luggage with the coach and taking an overnight bag with what you need until the next day.

day four
All day in Wadi Feinan. Feinan was a major source of copper from the Chalcolithic to the Late Roman period, and we explore ancient copper mines in the ravines.  The huge slag heaps left from the Bronze Age were resmelted during the Roman period by prisoners on punishment details.  Feinan’s water systems, irrigation ditches and channels date as far back as the Neolithic.  Extensive remains are to be seen throughout the valley, from prehistoric houses to the ruinous Roman citadel. Rendezvous with the coach and luggage during the afternoon, and on to our hotel near Petra.

day five
All day in Nabatean Petra, one of the great archaeological wonders. The approach to the site is famous - through a narrow siq, or water-channel - a secretive, winding passage which ends with the spectacular revelation of the tomb known as the Treasury. The site itself is huge, with more elaborate tombs cut into the red, streaky rocks on all sides of the city. There are two ‘high places’ which involve a climb (on a path with rock-cut steps) to sites which were sacred to the Nabateans, with the most spectacular views out over the cliffs and valleys. Parts of the Classical city have an early Christian overlay, with churches with fine Byzantine mosaics - still a place of pilgrimage.

day six
Another day in Petra - best to save the second climb for today, and explore more of the outlying tombs.

day seven
Free day or optional excursion first to Neolithic site at Beidha, a complex, walled village and unique temple from  the 7th millennium BC.  Then continue south to take 4x4s through spectacular desert scenery at Wadi Rum, which marks the end of the exposed high plain before Arabia’s sandy empty quarter, eerie in its windy vastness. The area is famous for its association with T E Lawrence, who described it thus:

“It was tamarisk covered: the beginning of the Wadi Rum, they said. We looked on to the left to a long wall of rock, sheering in like a thousand-foot wave towards the middle of the valley, whose other arc to the right was an opposing line of steep red hills”.

We cross this extraordinary terrain to examine some of the rock art found here.

day eight
Drive back to Amman to take group flights home, or travel independently, or extend your holiday.

Included

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Flights scheduled flights London/Amman or arrange your own
• Transfers private coach provided to coincide with group flights - join this or make your own way between hotel & airport
• Local Travel Private a/c coach, 4x4s in Wadi Feinan and Wadi Rum
• Meals Dinner with mineral water on Day 2 & 3 and Lunch Day 4 included
• Guide Lecturer (plus local guide) Not to be confused with "guest lecturers"!  The guide lecturer will be with you from breakfast to supper, and probably even a drink in the bar afterwards.  There is the occasional site where they may not be allowed to guide because of local regulations (we normally manage to circumnavigate these) but otherwise the guides are just that.  They will have been chosen because of specialist knowledge and their ability to communicate and interest you.  After 22 years of making tours worldwide, we are highly appreciative of the attributes of a good guide, and intensely critical of people who do not possess them.  If you would like to know more about Nick Jackson , please click his name.
• Local Guide
• Fieldnotes written for the tour
• Entry Entry to all sites in programme (optional excursions to the Dead Sea Day 2: £28 tbc, to Beidha and Wadi Rum Day 7: £38 tbc)
• We tip the driver and the local guide on your behalf

You Arrange

• Flights if you prefer. There are unlikely to be many options for flights to Jordan, but you may be lucky
• Meals breakfast, 2 dinners and 1 lunch are included. Other meals are independent, and there will be plenty of choice.

Flights & Visa

Please note these flights are an indication of what the flights are likely to be. Please contact the office for exact details.

Scheduled flights with Royal Jordanian

RJ112     London Heathrow / Amman     17:05 / 23:59
RJ111     Amman / London Heathrow     11:50 / 15:25

Visa and Passport Requirements (for British passport holders only)*

Note:  Passport must be valid for 6 months after your return home.  Visas will be arranged for you by Andante Travels and will be administered on arrival at Amman airport.

Hotels

2 nights in Amman (1 B&B, 1 HB);
1 night HB at eco lodge in Wadi Feinan;
4 nights B&B in a 3* hotel with swimming pool close to the gates of Petra

Map

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Comments

What Did You Enjoy Most About This Tour?

Extremely well organised. Informative, friendly, plenty of time at sites - we didn't just rush from one to the other paying them lip service. Guest, May / June 2009

The range of sights and experiences on this trip was varied, enjoyable and exciting. Whilst peaking in our exploration of Petra, everyday included highlights from a different period of history. Guest, May / June 2009

It is difficult to choose a highlight from a tour which included so much variety. One is tempted to say that first glimpses of the Treasury at Petra - especially in the morning sunshine - but I think for me it was the expedition from the Eco-Lodge to Wadi Feinan; the journey by 4x4, trekking through the valley and hopping over the water-courses filled by last night's rain; being shown the Neolithic remains by Nick, who had actually been part of the excavation team; and seeing the copper mines and other evidence of Roman presence. Guest, May / June 2008

The number of sites and experiences packed into this week in itself makes the tour terrific value; combined with Nick's enthusiasm, depth of knowledge and ease of communication, and Odeh's wit, resourcefulness and attractive disposition, the value is outstanding. Guest, May / June 2007

It gave me an introduction to a type of holiday that I had never thought I'd enjoy. I was wrong.  Had an excellent time throughout. Guest, May / June 2007

The sense of adventure combined with archaeological sites I especially enjoyed the 4x4 ride, the eco lodge and riding a camel at Petra. Guest, May / June 2007

Reading List

This list is no more than a guide to some books that you may find useful to read in advance of the tour. Talks given on the tour will attempt to fill in the background to what we are seeing, so no prior knowledge or pre-tour cramming is expected or needed. In many cases, we expect that you will find some of these books even more interesting and useful to read once the tour is over.

General Reading:

Lankester Harding, G.; (1967) The Antiquities of Jordan. Lutterworth Press. 
This is an old favourite, somewhat out of date but nothing as good has yet replaced it.  An easy and enjoyable read.

Bienkowski, P.; (1991) The Art of Jordan, Alan Sutton Publications. 
This is a good introduction and is well-illustrated.

Browning, I.; (1982) Jerash. Chatto & Windus. 
Well illustrated book on the site.

Browning, I.; (1973) Petra. Chatto & Windus. 
A little dated but with nice reconstructions.

Burkhardt, J-L.; (1822) Travels in Syria and the Holy Land, (reprinted in 1992).

The best description of Jordan at the time of its "rediscovery". Available from Darf publishers in Hampstead, 277 West End Lane, NW6 1QS Tel: 0207 431 7009,www.darfpublishers.co.uk orders@darfpublishers.co.uk

Creswell K.A.C (1958) Early Muslim Architecture.  Penguin

Donner H. (1992) The Madaba Map.  Kok Pharos Publishing House.

Josephus. The Jewish War. First century A.D. graphic account of contemporary events - readable, in various translations in the Loeb or Penguin editions (or even the classic Whiston).

Kennedy, D. (2004) The Roman Army in Jordan. CBRL. Revised edition.

Kennedy, D. and Bewley, R. (2004) Ancient Jordan from the Air. CBRL. London. Recently published, beautiful photographs of archaeological sites, up-to-date text.

Kennedy, D. and Riley, D. (1990) Rome's Desert Frontier from the Air. Batsford.

H. Kennedy (1994) Crusader Castles. Cambridge University Press. A modern account.

Maalouf, A. (1984) The Crusades through Arab Eyes. al-Saki Books: London. An excellent redress to the traditional western view of the Crusades.

MacDonald, B., Adams, R., Bienkowski, P. (2001) The Archaeology of Jordan. Sheffield Academic Press: Sheffield. More up-to-date and useful, but uneven quality.

Riley-Smith, J. ed. (1995) The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades. Oxford University Press: Oxford. A pictorial and textual resource book.

Runciman, S. (1951) A History of the Crusades. 3 vols. Penguin Books. Still unsurpassed for those who want to spend time absorbing the subject.

Taylor, J. (2002) Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans. Harvard University Press:

Site Guides:

Unfortunately Al Kubta publishers no longer exists, and all remaining stock of their highly rated single-site guides have been sold. Sometimes copies can be found in Amman's bookshops.

Guide books:

Lonely Planet Guide to Jordan, a reasonable, lightweight guide.

Blue Guide to Jordan published by A & C Black is recommended.

Travel Literature:

Mark Twain Innocents Abroad, recommended but irreverent learned satire on travel in the Holy Land. Penguin.

T. E. Lawrence Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Jordan in the early twentieth century.

Maps:

Bartholomew produce a map of Israel and Jordan combined, and some maps of Israel will include western Jordan.  Freyer & Berndt produce a good map of Jordan at 1:800,000.  Stanfords Bookshop 12-14 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London, Tel: 0207 836 1321 is the best place to help in locating maps, and they offer an excellent mail order service.

Travel books

We recommend to you a publishing company with a mission to keep the classic works of travel literature in print. Eland and Sickle Moon Books produce an excellent catalogue of travellers' literature, old and new.

0207 833 0762 - www.travelbooks.co.uk - info@travelbooks.co.uk

Archaeology books

Oxbow Books, based in Oxford, are suppliers of probably the biggest range of archaeology and history books. They produce a quarterly catalogue, and can be contacted on 01865 241 249 - www.oxbowbooks.com - oxbow@oxbowbooks.com

General

Darf Publishers Ltd - specialises in good quality facsimile reprints of out-of-print and rare books written in the 18th and 19th centuries, predominantly books on the geography, culture, history, literature and theology of the Middle East and North Africa.

0207 431 7009  - www.darfpublishers.co.uk

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