If you like being outdoors -- whether it’s in the hills among spring
wildflowers, camping in the desert where you will have a chance to enjoy the
dazzling night skies, listening and watching thousands of birds migration, or
taking a hike in the desert at sunrise, or climb up the highest mountain in
Jordan -- are a great way to get you live the experience, give you support as
needed, and deepen your understanding of what you're seeing and hearing in the
natural world. And obviously, we can rely on us to help you find the right
path.
With 65% of Jordan’s small population concentrated in the major urban
centers, much of the country is wilderness area of unsurpassed beauty and
variety. Some of the nature programs are seasonal; others can be enjoyed
year-round.
We’re happy to help you make arrangements to enjoy the biodiversity for
which Jordan is justifiably famous. Not only in the officially designated
nature reserves managed by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
(RSCN), but also in rural areas throughout the country, you will be able to get
“back to the land” in a delightful variety of ecosystems.
Here are some of the nature-tour areas you may have a special interest
in:
Wildlife:
Jordan’s biodiversity made it the home
to a wide range of species. Desertification and hunting made a number of these
species extinct or virtually so in their natural habitats. Thanks to the
cooperation of many foreign governments and NGO’s, channeling their efforts
through the RSCN, some of these species such as the ostrich, the Arabian oryx
and the ibex have now been rescued through land conservation and breeding
programs, particularly in the Shaumari Wildlife Refuge, the Wadi Mujib Reserve
and the Wadi Rum Protected Area. In the Dhana Biosphere Reserve, men who were
once the hunters who over-hunted the local foxes, eagles and ibex are now the
specially-trained reserve guides proud to lead visitors around the reserve.
It’s a good example of how the RSCN’s motto “Helping Nature…Helping People” has
been brought to life.
We can help you arrange guided hikes, visits to breeding grounds and volunteer
work projects in the reserves.
Bird watching:
The wide range of ecosystems in Jordan gives birds plenty of choice for
habitat. Open deserts and wetland oases, pine and oak forests and the
sub-tropical Jordan Valley and Aqaba flats attract wide varieties of both
resident and migrant species. Jordan’s wetlands at Azraq Oasis and Aqaba as
well as the highlands above the Great Rift Valley are biennial hosts to birds
migrating between Africa and both European and Asian summer homes.
Jordan’s national bird is the Sinai rose finch. More than 425 bird species have
been spotted in Jordan, of which 95 species are resident. Hundreds of thousands
of birds make their passage through Jordan each year, with many species
identified as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered.
The top bird-watching sites are the Azraq Wetlands Reserve and the newly-opened
Aqaba Birdwatching Observatory created by the Jordan Society for Sustainable
Development. Other birding “hot spots” are the Dibeen forest, Dhana Reserve and
Petra. You’ll find birds wherever you travel in Jordan, but for the birding
enthusiast these are “must see” stops along the road. Some of the species
you’ll almost surely be able to check off your list include the Bonillo eagle,
griffon vulture, Palestine sunbird, hoopoe lark, fan-tailed raven and trumpeter
finch.
Flora:
There are some 2,500 species of plant
species in Jordan–a remarkable thing to contemplate for a country which has so
much desert. In the spring much of the country is blanketed with wildflowers
including the black iris (Jordan’s national flower), windflower, wild lily,
poppy and many others. Commercially grown flowers are a relatively new
development in the kingdom, but there are now a number of thriving greenhouses
around Madaba and Wadi Seer, and a large new Baidha project north of Petra
where local residents have been able to put in commercial plant crops–mainly
sunflowers and black iris–through special irrigation arrangements with the
area’s new waste water treatment plant.
Indigenous trees found around the country include the red Mediterranean
juniper, pistachio, almond, both deciduous and evergreen oak varieties, desert
succulents such as the aloe and other sand dune vegetation, and acacia stands.
Tucked into the folds of the hills above the rift valley are family and
commercial orchards where many varieties of stone fruits and apples are grown
The Jordan Valley is a microcosm of the planet’s best salad
ingredients–almost any sort of fruit and vegetable you could want, but
particularly those which flourish in a warm climate, can be found here.
Commercial date farms using admirably scientific growing technology produce
some of the world’s sweetest and most beautiful dates.
Traditional Bedouin healing practices employ a wide range of herbs, many
of which are locally grown and prepared. Sage, many varieties of thyme,
rosemary, onion, Artemisia, several mint species and chamomile are among the
most commonly found.
Geological Strata and the Great Rift
Valley
Jordan can be divided into 5 (or 13,
or 28 depending on which expert you consult and how detail oriented he/she is)
regions based on its underlying geology–limestone with flight in the highlands
and interior deserts, sandstone hills in the Rift Margins and Wadi Rum, ancient
basement rocks behind Aqaba, basalt desert in the northeast Badia and the Rift
Valley, along Jordan’s western border.
This all means that for the enthusiastic rock-hound, photo opportunity seeker,
prospector or admirer of underpinnings, there’s almost no end to the wonderful
things beneath your feet, or soaring above you majestically. We know
professional geologists who vacation in Jordan year after year to explore its
earth-y treasures. The professionals are here, as well–looking for economically
feasible extraction sites for the certain shale oil deposits, although so far
this has been prohibitively expensive in terms of cost, water consumption or
both. That’s comforting….so far.
Red Sea Coral Reefs:
The clear water and rainbow-hued coral
reefs make diving in the Red Sea a great experience. For those of us who prefer
our breathing stuff un-canned, the snorkeling is just as good. Much shipping of
phosphates has caused damage along the reefs of Aqaba, a busy commercial port,
but the government has taken serious measures to protect this fragile resource.
Aqaba’s reef is what divers call a fringing reef, close to shore for easy
access. There are some world-class diving centers in Aqaba where we can help you
arrange dives. If you’re not already qualified, you can register for the basic
PADI Open Water Course; if you’d like to become more qualified a full
assortment of advanced courses are available.
Experience the natural beauties and rich cultural heritage of Jordan the best way possible. This action-packed program gives the chance to enrich your visi
