Midday by the Dead Sea and, 400m below sea level, the heat is suffocating, making the swirling water we’re wading through immensely welcome. Above us tower the stunning orangy-red sides of a narrow cleft through the sandstone. It’s not hard to see why it has earned itself the moniker of the Grand Canyon of Jordan.
We couldn’t be farther from America if we tried, though — not geographically — but as far as the health and safety folks are concerned. Here we are, eight of us, not a hat or a carabiner between us (although we are all wearing life jackets) canyoning in Wadi Mujib.
The Siq trail we’re following in the Mujib Biosphere — the lowest nature reserve on earth — is billed as easy to moderate. It certainly starts that way as we clamber over boulders and rocks in the fast-flowing knee-high water. It’s just a warm-up, though; every now and then the ground gives out and I’m left fighting fast-flowing, waist-deep water. As we follow the river that was once a boundary between the ancient kingdoms of Moab and Ammon, I can’t help noticing how smoothly eroded the sides are; the waters obviously rise considerably after it rains (the wadi closes for the winter at the end of October). The patch of blue sky at the top seems to get ever smaller as the sides close in.
The going gets tougher, with ropes to haul yourself along through gushing water, and mini waterfalls to scale with the help of the occasional rung hammered into the rock. At one stage I find myself balancing trapeze-artist style on a loop of rope with one foot while I launch myself forwards, grappling blindly for the next handhold as the spray obliterates my view.
All sense of decorum and pride is washed downstream as we push and pull each other for more than an hour along the gorge. The only thing that matters is getting to the thundering waterfall at the end without mishap, a journey that takes me to the edge of my physical limits (I’m a reasonably fit 51-year-old). But, my goodness, it makes me feel like Indiana Jones.
Advertisement
Who knew Jordan, home to biblical sites, amazing Roman ruins, the Dead Sea for a quick but somewhat stingy float, and the Red Sea for a more satisfying swim, was such an outdoor adventure playground? OK, so Indy did head to Petra on his last crusade, but most tourists these days head down the 1.2km Siq at a fairly sedentary pace, or even hop aboard a rickety horse and cart.
Now, though, Jordan is promoting a range of activities, with riding in Petra, climbing in Wadi Rum, abseiling into caves and a new long-distance walking trail on offer. It is even sinking a Hercules aircraft in the Red Sea for divers to visit.
All of which is reason to return if you have already ticked off the bucket-list sights, as well as targeting a different market that is perhaps less affected by the country’s geographic position. Because, if you look at a map, it’s clear that Jordan has some pretty gritty neighbours. And although it hasn’t suffered from terrorism as much as, for example, Egypt, at the end of last year ten people were killed and at least 29 injured in an attack on the crusader castle of Kerak.
The Foreign Office doesn’t advise against travelling to the country, but it does warn that “terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Jordan”. That sounds quite menacing, until you see that it uses exactly the same wording for Morocco — and, indeed, for France and Spain.
Tourism is on the rise again in Jordan — in the first quarter of this year there was a 16 per cent jump in UK holidaymakers compared with the same period in 2016 — but you can still see most of it without the crowds. When I was there last week I felt hugely welcome and totally safe, even with the cursory baggage checks through airport security machines at hotels. And while my previous visit to Petra, the lost city of the wealthy Nabateans, had been marred by hassle from vendors and horse owners, this time it was much less insistent.
Advertisement
Walking through the Siq down to the Treasury, carved in the sandstone rock face, felt like a repeat of our watery adventure the day before, albeit considerably easier. There were some surprises in store, however: our guide took us off-piste to clamber up a rocky slope for a bird’s-eye view of the splendid amphitheatre and an overview of the city, which could date from as early as 312BC. Then, leaving behind the crowds and the camels, we took the scenic but sweaty route up 850 steps to the Monastery, a less ornate but still spectacular version of the Treasury, for those all-important selfies with no one else marring the view.
But the schlep back up the Siq from Petra wasn’t nearly as much fun as our return in Wadi Mujib. There, we slid down small waterfalls, whooping as we went, then lay back in the current and let it bob us downstream. As lazy rivers go, it was a wild, whacky ride.
Need to know
Jane Knight was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board (visitjordan.com) and of Royal Jordanian Airlines (rj.com). The Siq trail at Wadi Mujib costs J$21pp (£22) unguided (wildjordan.com). Stay at The Mujib Chalets by the canyon, from J$75 a night (wildjordan.com), or the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea (kempinski.com) from J$214 a night
The best Arabian adventure breaks
Hike the Jordan Trail
Launched this year, the Jordan Trail is a 402-mile stretch connecting Um Qais in the north with Aqaba on the Red Sea in the south. Do the lot and it will take you 40 days. Or just try one of eight sections of the trail, for instance from the Dana Nature Reserve to Petra, a 45-mile stretch, which can easily be done in four days (jordantrail.org).
Advertisement
Ride into Petra
Ride along the siq leading to Petra at sunrise and out of the ancient ruins before other visitors arrive as part of an eight-night trip with Ride World Wide (rideworldwide.com). The holiday, which includes four nights in mobile camps in the Wadi Rum desert, time at the Dead Sea and at Madaba, costs from US$1,590pp (£1,190pp), mostly full board, with all riding and transfers but not international flights.
Climbing in Wadi Rum
The surreal sandstone formations of Wadi Rum make the area a climber’s paradise. Join a climbing expedition (experiencejordan.com) or hike up Jordan’s highest peak — Jebel Um Adaami (1,892m) — as part of a holiday with KE Adventure (keadventure.com).