Two Countries, One Journey: Beirut & Jordan The Ultimate Levant Escape

About the destination: Beirut is the capital of Lebanon and the gateway to the country. It is multi-cultural and successfully blends the passions of the east with the refinement of the west. Modern and old and liberal and traditional, Beirut offers superb restaurants, amazing nightlife, excellent shopping and hotels of all ranges. It is also rich in history and architectural heritage that span several millennia and civilizations, with traces of Roman and Phoenician heritage visible to this day. Beirut is also a great departure point to explore the rest of Lebanon, which offers a stark contrast to the wealthy capital with a western silhouette, all within no more than a two hour drive. With its beautiful architecture and scenery, delicious cuisine, exciting nightlife and amazing history, Beirut is a destination not to be missed.

About the destination: Amman, considered by some as the cultural capital of the Middle East, is the capital of Jordan. Located on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley, Amman today is a modern and cosmopolitan city full of ultra-modern buildings, hotels, smart restaurants, art galleries and boutiques but you can see evidence of the city’s extensive past everywhere. The heart of the town is the Citadel with Roman and Ammonite ruins. From the top of the Citadel, you can see a wonderful landscape over the hills of the city. While the city we see may not be very old, on the hill of the Citadel there is evidence of the ancient history of the city that was Greek Philadelphia. There is an interesting Archaeological museum worth visiting. Nearby, there is the Roman theatre and some museums with interesting displays of mosaics, jewellery and costume. A walk around the city brings you to mosques and a surprising variety of churches, markets and shops. Amman is a busy city where the modern and the traditional coexist side by side. Moreover, Amman is the perfect starting point if you want to visit all the area around this town. From Amman, it is very easy to reach Jerash, Ajlun, Pella, the Dead Sea and the Desert Castles.

About the destination: Aqaba is the only port city in Jordan, situated on the Gulf of Aqaba in the extreme south of the country. Aqaba is Jordan's gateway to the Red Sea. Aqaba has seen significant development in recent years, a fact that has led to improved infrastructure and facilities. Aqaba has been a populated settlement since 4000 BC due to its strategic location at the crossroads of trade routes between Asia and Africa. During World War I, the Ottoman forces were forced to retreat from Aqaba after a raid, known as the Battle of Aqaba, led by TE Lawrence (known as Lawrence of Arabia) and the Arab forces of Sharif Hussein in 1917. The most important sites to see in Aqaba are: • Aqaba Fort Originally dating from the 14th century AD, although the current structure was built by the Mamluk Sultan el-Ghawri Qansawh (1501-1516) and has been revised many times since. • Ayla, (next to the Moevenpick complex). The ancient city that was established when Islam arrived in the area in 622 AD. • Roman Church of the 4th century: The oldest Christian church in history. • Aqaba Museum: This unique museum is definitely one of the main attractions of Aqaba as it displays a variety of assets, as well as life-size models of traditional life in one of the oldest cities in Jordan. It also contains a collection of rare historical images from the beginning of the last century to the present.

About the destination: People have been living in Rum for thousands of years, struggling to survive in its harsh environment. They've been hunters, pastoralists, farmers and traders, as Rum is near national borders. Even the famous Nabateans once lived in Rum, leaving behind several structures, including a temple. Local folk gained notoriety more recently when they joined the Arab revolt forces under the leadership of King Faisal and fought alongside Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab Revolt (1917/18) against the occupying Turkish and German armies. Lawrence himself makes many references to Wadi Rum in his book ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’, a title seemingly inspired by one of Rum’s imposing mountains. The exploits of Lawrence have become part of local folklore, and some popular tourist sites are named after him, although whether he used these exact sites is up for debate. Nearly all the people living in and around Wadi Rum today are of Bedouin origin and, until recently, led nomadic lives, relying on their goat herds. They are resourceful, hospitable people who are largely responsible for developing Wadi Rum as a tourist destination. Recognising the unique natural and cultural history of Wadi Rum and the vital importance of tourism to the local economy, the government of Jordan declared Wadi Rum a protected area in 1998. With support from the World Bank they commissioned the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, a national NGO, to prepare a conservation plan and build a team of local people to manage the area. This team is now under the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and is pioneering ways to restore and safeguard Rum’s sensitive desert habitats from ever-increasing human pressure.