Make it your first option!

Last week, my family and I, as we often do, travelled south: Aqaba, Dana and a glimpse at the magnificent Wadi Rum.

In Aqaba, we spent several days, pleasant and enjoyable by all standards. The weather was a bit hot, as expected in July, but bearable and sometimes even very pleasant.

Aqaba city, both in its old and new parts, has a lot to offer: Excellent restaurants; great shopping options; several places of interest to tour, including the small but rich aquarium at the Marine Science Station run jointly by the University of Jordan and Yarmouk; beautiful alleys and streets for walks; and, of course, the lively beach.

Clearly, the beach offers a lot: swimming, scuba diving, sea tours, water sports of all kinds, and dining. All at affordable prices.

One of the most observable phenomena at the hotel we stayed was the quality of the service and the friendliness. Perhaps the disruption the COVID-19 virus lockdown caused has made people and businesses more welcoming, more appreciative of their calling, and more eager to excel in what they do.

As for Dana, it is always special. We spent there two nights and three days. The lodging options are not only comfortable but elegant; there is the famous Guesthouse but also a couple of neat, unique hotels.

Again, the most noticeable phenomenon is the staff’s friendliness, many of whom we have come to know and befriend over the years, and the quality of the service.

The food is delicious: The popular home dishes we know and some which we have lost as a result of the effect of urbanisation.  

The sites and experiences the Dana Reserve itself offers are to be experienced nowhere else: The birds, the animals, the plants, the rocks, the high hills and mountains, the camping, and the solitude.

The old village itself is also exciting with its outstanding 1952 stone mosque, the old stone homes, the alleys with the sporadic village activities which we miss, the orchards, and the friendly domestic animals.

Most exciting are the hikes which can be easily arranged, and which combine walking in spectacular scenery and eating some of the famous dishes prepared on the spot by the friendly tour guides.

Perhaps, two crucial points are to be stressed here.

The first, which goes without saying, is that Jordan has a lot to offer: A lot that is unique, historic and compares with the best destinations in the world.

Think of Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash, Ajloun, Um Qais, the Desert Castles, Madaba, Azraq, Karak, the Dead Sea, Bethany, Pella,  etc.

So many great options, with so much to offer, both in terms of geography and history.

The second point is that all of this is so close to access and so convenient for Jordanians. From the farthest point north of Jordan, say Himma or Um Qais, to the farthest point south, say Aqaba, it takes no more than six hours driving.

Jordanians should feel blessed to have, in their small country, so much at their disposal.

And now that the COVID-19 restrictions have significantly eased, people should make use of this window of opportunity to take trips, long or short, to any of the places listed here or others, to change the scene, enjoy the fresh air, exercise, relax, and perhaps help people who make a living in these areas out of tourism to earn some money.

We Jordanians enjoy tours in neighbouring and other countries. And this is important, as travel abroad has its own charm and its own advantages.

At this point in time, and under the circumstances however, internal tourism offers a viable, and more convenient alternative.

Let us make it a first option!