Jordan Archives - Circles in the SandCircles in the Sand

As you approach Petra, you experience the mixed sense of excitement and nervous apprehension that goes with the Ancient Wonders. But, unlike the Giza Pyramids, Petra does not give up its secrets in one magnificent view. You have to work for this one!

The latest in my series of travel posts has been kindly contributed by a guest writer, Amanda Reid, who travelled to Jordan earlier this year and explored this vast, awe-inspiring city, carved into the sheer rock face.

Lost City: Jordan’s most-visited tourist attraction remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was rediscovered by a Swiss traveller who tricked his way into the fiercely guarded site

Locals had insisted we needed at least two days to see Petra properly. Unless you are an experienced trekker, or are happy to skip many of the individual sites, they are right. Even in the one-day short version that we plumped for, the walking varies tiringly between pleasant and airy, to narrow, steep and bumpy. But the sights, oh the sights!

Within Petra (Latin for “rock”) are the impressive remains of the capital of the Nabataean culture. The who? The Nabataeans, while not the best known of ancient peoples, certainly knew how to impress. In the first century BC, the kingdom stretched from southern Jordan to Damascus. While battling Romans and various Greek factions, they were perfectly positioned to manage the trade routes from the far East, near East and Africa; as a result they had a rich and integrated culture which is reflected in much of the architecture at Petra.

Majestic: The Obelisk Tomb is the first major monument

Entering antiquity
The walk begins on a broad “street”, pleasantly sloping down a valley, with red, yellow and white sandstone bluffs on either side. After admiring the natural beauty and some Pacman-ghost-shaped enormous mounds on your right, you come to the first monuments, carved in the rock. The Obelisk tomb can be appreciated from ground level, or a small clamber up the rough-hewn steps allows you to poke about inside – especially fun for children.

What you are really waiting for, though, is the famous Treasury. Continuing on the pathway, the heat rises and the crowds increase as you take in the many tombs, caves and wave-shaped coloured rocks, as well as a glorious Greco-Roman amphitheatre.

On entering As-Siq, the ancient entrance to Petra, the air cools. The kilometre-long narrow gorge winds its way down; at some points, the sky is barely visible and you can almost touch both sides of the 80-metre-high chasm. It twists delightfully so every step reveals a new view and small trees and bushes grow sideways out of the walls.

Emerging into a surprisingly small clearing, here it is: the iconic Al-Khazneh (Treasury). It is beautifully preserved in its protected place, with its hybrid Corinthian/Doric columns and other Egyptian and Roman-style touches. Everyone stops to take a photo – bring your wide-angle lens to photograph the 30-metre width and 43-metre height. Yet, even with the right equipment, your images won’t truly capture the grandeur of the place (pictured top right).

Transport: Once inside the site, you can hire a donkey, or for the more adventurous, a camel

When you can tear yourself away, there is more to see. If, at this point, you want a ride (as we did), I recommend a donkey. Travelling down the Street of Facades and the Colonnaded Street, the donkey’s lilting sway is pleasant, soothing and gives hot feet a rest. I do not recommend the horse-drawn carriages, wantonly bumping along over stones, paving, sand and concrete. You could also opt for a camel, of course.

Time for a pit stop
After another hour, our thoughts turn to lunch. There are small food and drink stands dotted around, but my tip is the Basin Restaurant (owned by the nearby Crowne Plaza but inside the Petra site). Sited at the exact spot where your hunger and thirst can no longer be ignored, at the base of the track ascending to the Monastery (Ad-Deir), it offers a wide-ranging buffet, an attractive terrace and Jordanian mint lemonade.

Continuing on involves climbing some serious steps. The Monastery is the largest monument in Petra with a fine hilltop view. There are other side trips up small mountains for the enthusiast. If you make it up any, well done. (I did not and I regret it.)

As you retrace your steps, whether by foot or on a beast of burden, you gain new perspectives on the rock formations and tombs that you were too overwhelmed to take in before. Once back at the top Visitors Centre, you have earned an ice-cream and maybe a stone bracelet from one of the charming children on a stall. Or how about a bottle filled with coloured sands formed into a picture of tombs and camels.

If you can stay till sunset, you will understand fully the meaning of the often-quoted 1845 poem by John William Burgon that describes Petra as: “… from the rock as if by magic grown … a rose-red city half as old as time”.

Sandstone tombs: The colours and rock formations are dazzling

Numerous spa hotels have set up shop by the healing waters of the Dead Sea, offering visitors pampering packages and the chance to find out what the other-worldly experience of floating in the salty water feels like

The Infinity Pool at the Kempinski hotel Jordan, on the Dead Sea

Luxe on the lake: The infinity pool at the Kempinski hotel Jordan, by the Dead Sea

There’s something in the air down by the Dead Sea. You can feel it as you inhale; as you climb stairs with a spring in your step. You’d even be forgiven for believing the extra room in your lungs might make running seem like a walk in the park.

Of course, it wasn’t that I’d suddenly reached a new level of fitness without even trying. We were staying on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan, where the air contains 18 per cent more oxygen than at sea level.

When the mud slinging started, more health benefits revealed themselves. The hotel spa’s main ingredient – sloppy mud – was being dredged from the salty sea right on our doorstep. We slathered ourselves with mineral-rich gooey muck, until our skin pores started gasping for fresh air. Then stepped into the serene water to marinate and bob like a cork.

Up to 10 times saltier than seawater, the Dead Sea derived its name from the fact nothing can live in it due to its extreme salinity (and yes, that’s me fulfilling a lifelong ambition)

I had wanted to visit the Dead Sea since seeing photos of people floating on top of it, clutching newspapers, years ago. And I wasn’t disappointed: you really are unsinkable. Each time I moved, the buoyancy created an upward pressure that kept me afloat like a rubber ring. I wrapped my arms under my knees and laughed aloud – it’s the most peculiar, memorable experience.

At 400m below sea level, the lake marks the lowest point on the planet. Each day, millions of litres of water evaporates from the surface, creating a thick, atmospheric haze overhead. Noises are soaked up by this haze, leaving little to hear but the sound of lapping water, and dangerous UVB sunrays are filtered out, so you tan but don’t burn.

Therapeutic tourism has been big business for centuries, with visitors flocking to the area to take advantage of the seawater’s healing properties (King Herod was a regular apparently). Dead Sea water and mud contain high concentrations of minerals including calcium, magnesium, bromine, sulphur and bitumen, which can relieve skin conditions such as acne and eczema, ease the pain of arthritis, beat allergies and boost circulation.

These healing properties come at a price, though: even the smallest of nicks start stinging when you enter the water (don’t shave first!). Bobbing around in liquid that kills all marine life also has a slightly eerie feel. DH didn’t stay in for long, citing a tingly sensation that saw him slipping out the warm sea faster than you can say pass the salt.

Just one splash in the eyes or mouth is also enough to send bathers scrabbling for the shore. I was enjoying myself far too much to be too worried, however, and after a good shower, my newly exfoliated skin felt as soft as a baby’s cheek. Nature’s loofah comes highly recommended.

The Anantara Spa at the 345-room, five-star Kempinski Hotel Ishtar is the largest spa in the Middle East, with 20 spa suites offering a host of massages and treatments. An oasis of gardens and lagoons, the hotel is designed to be an affectionate tribute to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Other five-star properties that have opened their doors at the lowest point on earth include the Movenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea and Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa, as well as the four-star Dead Sea Spa Hotel.

Adapted from my column in The Source magazine. Other posts in my travel series: Hong Kong and Beirut