Jordan, Middle East
The Al Khazneh temple, most famous landmark at Petra. You have chosen…wisely.-
Graham Racher from London, UKderivative work: MrPanyGoff – Al_Khazneh_Petra.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14686572
Region: Jordan, Middle East
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
Hiking Difficulty: Moderate
Degree of Risk: Moderate
Estimated time required (including travel and logistics): One week
The Jordanian archaeological site known as The Lost City of Petra has become one of the most instantly recognizable places on Earth. You might know it from the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Wadi Rum is less celebrated…but you might also know it from Hollywood, as a backdrop for The Martian, Star Wars: Rogue One and Lawrence of Arabia.
Why Hike Here?
- Petra is a much sought after world heritage site
- One of the “seven wonders of the modern world”
- “The Inca Trail of the Middle East”
- Sylvia wants to “ride a camel” 🙂
- Once in a lifetime opportunity to hike in the “Holy Lands”
- As seen in Hollywood movies
- Jordan has a good reputation for being an open and welcoming place for outsiders
- We are familiar with desert hiking
- The Jordan Trail links both sites
- Guided hikes are available
But First Consider…
- Petra isn’t a hike, it’s rapidly becoming a tourist trap
- Will likely be swarming with tourists by the busload
- Language barrier
- Possible political instability/hostility to foreigners in this region
- Some people just won’t be able to get past the images of Radical Islamic Terror
- Hiking in the deserts of the Middle East is not to be undertaken lightly
- Heatstroke, dehydration much more serious threats here than terrorism
- You could end up in a very serious situation in Wadi Rum
- Death a possibility if things go wrong
Hikes we Want to do here:
- Jordan Trail, Wadi Rum to Petra*
*On the Bucketlist. Camels not included.