Men's Journal

Dubbed the “Switzerland of the Middle East,” Jordan is a longtime U.S. ally with a stable government and a largely English-speaking population, so it offers an ideal introduction to the region for otherwise skittish Americans. Now it’s also easier than ever to get to Jordan, thanks to Delta’s direct flights from New York’s JFK to the capital of Amman. Because the country is about the size of Indiana, you can see a lot in just 10 days, including Petra (right). Those who’ve gone never forget the magic of walking through millennia of history.

by Suzanne Wright

Do It All on One Trip: Luxury outfitter Abercrombie & Kent has been sending clients to Jordan for 13 years, which has allowed the company to perfect its latest trip there — Extreme Adventures: Following the Steps of Lawrence of Arabia. The 10-day trip includes staying at the posh Four Seasons Amman and the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar, as well as camping in the sandstone and granite valley of Wadi Rum, a staging area for T.E. Lawrence during the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918. Start the week camel trekking or four-wheeling over the desert’s ocher dunes, and retire at night to a tent. From there you’ll make your way to Petra, a city carved by hand into massive walls of sandstone. You’ll hike there over Deir Mountain and visit the Monastery, the largest carved monument in Petra. Then you can rest your weary bones by relaxing in the mineral-rich waters at the Dead Sea Resort (from $7,220; akextremeadventures.com).

Cycle Through Time:Pedal on a 10-day trip through pine forests and past olive trees in the country’s highlands to the hilltop Castle of Ajloun, an impressive example of medieval Arab military architecture, and nearby Jerash, a Roman city dubbed Little Athens that includes remains of Greek, Byzantine, and Omayyad civilizations. Look down: Those are the grooves of 13th-century chariot wheels (from $1,000; jordaniantours.co.uk).

Dive the Red Sea: The warm, crystalline waters of the Red Sea are home to more than 1,100 species of fish, and the Gulf of Aqaba is one of the world’s premier diving destinations, rich with rare ghost pipefish, harlequin shrimp, and seahorses. There are more than 30 dive sites, including the famed photogenic 23-year-old wreck of the Cedar Pride and a site called Eel Garden, boasting black coral, scorpion fish, lionfish, and (you guessed it) plenty of eels (two-tank dives from $135; diveaqaba.com).

Hike with Wolves and Ibex: Founded by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, the surprisingly lush Dana Biosphere Reserve spans 120 square miles and four climate zones. Located 125 miles south of the capital, Amman, the rugged valleys, wooded slopes, and desert lowlands of Wadi Araba are home to Nubian ibex, gray wolves, and monitor lizards. Stay in the park at an eco-friendly mountainside guesthouse, whose fees help fund the reserve (guesthouse rates from $85; rscn.org.jo).

This article originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Men’s Journal.