Jordan Birds & Culture

Petra Canyon A new & exciting destination on many levels Jordan is forward thinking and environmentally friendly. Lead by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) Jordan has expanded its sustainable tourism to fund its conservation goals. The ancient “lost city” of Petra, is of course a “must see” but it is in Jordan’s less visited wilderness areas that we can see so much more of what this unsung eco-destination has to offer. By aiming to see as much of this wonderful country as possible we are taking a departure from our usual accommodation concepts and will be spending each night in a different location.

With the accommodation ranging from 5* hotels to a camp at the Wadi Rum, an eco-lodge and some of the RSCN accommodation we will be maximising both our birding & culture opportunities.

Not to mention “playing at Indiana Jones” with an optional horse ride at Petra!

Day 1:- Upon arrival at Queen Alia Airport in Amman we will be met & escorted through the visa, immigration, baggage claim & custom procedures and transported to our 5* Marriott Hotel for dinner & overnight in Amman.

Day 2:- After breakfast & with an early start, we set off for the Eastern Desert visiting the Amra Palace (a UNESCO Heritage site) on our way to Azraq and the RSCN lodge. We stop en-route at the Wadi el Butum to have a look at the last group of old trees in this area of the desert, the Atlantic Wild Pistachio (Pistacia Atlantica). After checking in at the lodge we will visit the Azraq Wetland Reserve which attracts migrating birds in their thousands and is now a protected habitat and home to unique fauna from water buffalo to tiny silver killifish. The RSCN has converted an old British Army field hospital into lodgings with local families preparing home-cooked meals from traditional recipes. Possible sightings today include Masked & Woodchat Shrikes, Laughing & Namaqua Dove, Finch’s & Eastern Black-eared Wheatear , Semi-collared Flycatcher, Red-rumped Swallow, Dese rt Finch and White-cheeked Bulbuls. Raptors overhead may include migrant Steppe Buzzards, Egyptian Vulture, Osprey and Black Kite.

Day 3:- Starts with breakfast & an early visit to the Shaumari Reserve at Azraq, where we might find desert species such as Greater Short-toed and Temminck’s Larks, Desert & Isabelline Wheatears, with other migrant passerines. Mammals could include the rare captive bred Arabian Oryx and Wild Ass, which roam freely in this area. After some time here we proceed to As Safawi, hoping to see the all black form of Mourning Wheatear. We follow the road to Um al Jimal, a unique basalt city built along the trade route. Our main destination is the Ajloun Woodland and Forest Reserve & Lodge. If you did not know it, 2011 is the International Year of Forests (so the ideal time to book this trip!). Located just outside of the town quiet country lanes lead to the reserve set in the heart of woodland with evergreen oak, pistachio, carob & wild strawberry trees among the olives. The food served is locally produced from the yogurt & goats cheese to the chicken & fresh baked bread.

Day 4:- After breakfast we have a tour of the Ajloun Reserve , hoping to see some of its fauna, including Red Fox, Wild Boar, & Badgers which reside here along with Wildcat, Striped Hyena and Asiatic Jackals. We then set off for Jerash (the Greek Roman city) and continue down to the Dead Sea – the lowest point below sea level in the world. Tonight we go from Tended Forest bungalows to 5* luxury on the shores of the Dead Sea.

Day 5:- After visiting the Sweimah National Park with possible sightings of Namaqua Dove, Graceful & Eastern Olivaceous Warblers, Steppe Grey & Woodchat Shrikes. We continue to follow the Dead Sea shores to Mujib Canyon where we can walk along the Mujib Reserve trail. Then on to the Wadi Araba road to Feinan with its old copper mines. It was an important city in the 4th century and is now part of the Dana Reserve where we are headed and the solar-powered Feynan Eco-Lodge. The lodge has no road access or electricity guaranteeing visitors a unique experience.

Day 6:- We start the morning with a tour of the lower area of the Dana reserve which forms part of the majestic Dana Valley. Here we hope to see Arabian & Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers, Little Green Bee-eater, Blackstarts & with luck, a good selection of migrating raptors. Most of the Dana area never fails to take your breath away and has been part of a 15 year project to protect the land & sensitively develop tourism, to create opportunities & preserve the culture. We will overnight in Aqaba at our next 5* Hotel (sublime to the ridiculous, perhaps, but all part of the experience that this wonderful country has to offer)

Day 7:- After breakfast we leave early morning to one of the designated RSCN bird watching locations on the borders of Eilat & Aqaba, followed by an afternoon transfer to the Wadi Rum and to watch the sunset at our desert camp. Coming to Wadi Rum to experience the desert itself is worth while, not to mention the fascinating sand dunes, natural rock bridges, canyons, corridors and rock formations. The total serene quietness that is unique to Wadi Rum has made many tourists return again and again to relish in the desert’s peaceful tranquillity & we have the possibility to enjoy a moonlight walk through the rock formations . The quaint and inspiring nights at Wadi Rum sent gazing at the stars is one the highlights of visiting the site. In order to preserve the pristine wilderness, there are no hotels in Wadi Rum itself, but well placed fully equipped camps offering local food and a good night’s rest after a long day’s exploration. Tonight we enjoy the basic amenities of traditional camel hair Bedouin tents, (not en-suite) pillows, mattresses, blankets and traditional Arabic food. Sounds idyllic - sunset, stars & serenity.

Day 8:- We visit the protected area of the Wadi Rum and tour the sand-stone mountains for a few hours in jeeps, to fully explore the area. After this we set off for the glorious rose red city of Petra where many different birds live amongst breath-taking testaments to mans’ past achievements. Some of these birds could include Sinai Rosefinch, Tristram’s Grackle, Rock Martin, Fan-tailed Raven and Desert Larks. This is also the only place in Jordan to see wild Aloe Vera, Scutlered Juniper (Juniperm Phoenica) the oldest plants in Jordan and some Black Iris (Iris Petrana). We start our visit with a walk through the canyons, finding ourselves in the middle of the chiselled mountains with temples & tombs and walk on up to the monastery. Today, for some is also Indiana Jones Day! After the visit we check in to our 5* hotel for dinner and overnight at Petra.

Day 9:- You can head back out for an early morning walk at Petra before we set off back to the fascinating reserve at Dana, this time we overnight in the guesthouse at the top of the valley offering once again a different vista & experience. The Dana reserve encompasses a major wadi that leads down from the hills to the Wadi Arabah (Jordan Rift valley) more than 1000m below. Here we should be able to see Steppe & Bonelli’s Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Black Kite, Long-legged Buzzards, Lanner Falcon, Sand Partridge, Chukar, Pallid & Alpine Swift, Rock Martins, Rock Doves, Rock Sparrows, Blue Rock Thrush and House Bunting.

Day 10:- Sadly after breakfast we set off for the journey to the airport. Hopefully having fitted in as much as possible in terms of birds and culture that the time allowed and having made a few new friends along the way.

ACCOMMODATION OVERVIEW:
In all honesty, a bit of everything from 5* hotels on the shores of the Dead Sea & Petra to solar-powered lodges at Dana and camel hair mattresses in a tent at the Wadi Rum camps. No two nights are the same but we hope that each night will add a different dimension to the experience.