JORDAN
The Black Iris
THIS TOUR IS FULL, A SECOND DEPARTURE DATE IS PLANNED TO RUN 4 DAYS LATER: THIS STILL HAS PLACES AND IS FILLING FAST.
Jordan’s long and rich cultural history is readily bought home to us by the many fantastic archaeological sites reaching their zenith in magnificent Petra, yet Guidebooks suggest that a tourist’s most abiding memory from a visit to this warmly welcoming country will be its beautiful natural environment.
Crusader Castles dominate hilltops providing great backdrops for photographs of those memorable Irises. The Black Iris is Jordan’s national flower and it must have been an easy choice! The spectacular blooms are never completely black but are shot through with purples, blues and pinks imbuing the blooms with a lustrous velvety appearance. Actually there are four black Irises, Iris nigricans, the ‘real’ Black Iris, Iris petrana from the land of the Nabateans, rare Iris bostrensis from the Syrian borderlands and best of all, the marvellously variable and very impressive Iris atrofusca. A triumvirate of scarlet blooms, Anemone pavonina, the almost identical Adonis palaestina, and the immaculate Turban Buttercup, give a red glow to terraces in the olive-laden hills that rise high above the River Jordan. Fritillaria persica, Hyacinthellas, Tulips, and seas of blue and lilac-pink Lupins occupy this flowery landscape. Lovely Orchis galilaeae and rare Ophrys flavimarginata can be found amongst commoner orchids such as Anatolian Orchid, Pink Butterfly Orchid and Ophrys umbilicata.
White-throated Kingfishers, Little Green Bee-eaters, Rock Hyraxes, Hume’s Tawny Owls, Orange-tufted Sunbirds and Petra Rock Lizards are just some of a varied fauna. Nubian Ibex and Tristram’s Serins inhabit Dana’s spectacular landscape of desert wadis and juniper-dotted hills. Pretty Sinai Rosefinches will mark our progress down the extraordinary Siq, the water-worn gorge caused by tectonic movements which split the mountain in two, and which provides the entrance to magnificent Petra, one of the world’s most stunning historical sites.
INFORMATION
Focus
Flowers, Birds, Reptiles, Landscapes and Historical Sites.
Leaders
Walking
Quite easy, no more than three or four miles in any one day, and always at a slow pace.
Included in the Price
All flights. All accommodation, transport and meals in Jordan. Services of your leaders. Please note: drinks, tips, and items of a personal nature, including insurance, are not included.
Group Size
Minimum is 4 and the maximum is 15.
Accommodation
We start and end this tour with a night at the pleasant Miriam Hotel in Madaba, just half an hour from the airport. We’ve four nights in the hills above Jerash at the comfortable 3-star Olive Branch Hotel where a particularly good chef will keep you well fed. Moving south, we’ve one night at the Dana Guesthouse, spectacularly situated 4500 above sea level overlooking the whole of Wadi Dana. The rooms are basic but spotless and each has a balcony to enjoy those views. The food here is exquisite. We’ve three nights in modern well-furnished rooms at the light and airy Edom Hotel, situated in a privileged position right by the gates at Petra. On the extension we’ve three nights at the excellent Bedouin-style Bait Ali Desert Camp in cool well-equipped chalets. All rooms on this tour have en suite facilities except for the night at the Wadi Dana guesthouse.
Climate
Mostly warm, clear and sunny in the day, and cool at night. Occasional rain on the northern hills.
How To Book
Download a booking form (or contact us and we will send one to you)from the Booking Information section. Complete and send to us. A detailed information pack will be dispatched twelve weeks prior to departure. Flower and bird checklists are available.
