Archives December 2022

Where Europe and Asia grind up against each other, magical Georgia sits on the southern slope of the Great Caucasus mountain range, whose snowcapped peaks run from the Black Sea to the Caspian.

Though relatively small in terms of area, Georgia offers a huge variety of scenery and activities, and its mountainous landscape and limited transport infrastructure combine to make getting about more time-consuming than you might imagine. While there’s no need to limit yourself to just one region, you’re best off deciding what kind of trip you want to have, and then choosing a few parts of the country to focus on.

To help you do that, here are some of the very best places to consider including in any itinerary.

1. Tbilisi

Best place for urban pursuits

Quickly beguiling anyone who visits, the Georgian capital offers up a fascinating Old Town, a wealth of avant-garde Soviet architecture, traditional sulfur baths, and an extraordinary array of medieval churches. Spread out along the narrow valley of the Mtkvari River, Tbilisi is the kind of place you have to get up high to really appreciate – try taking the cable car to the Sololaki ridge where you’ll find the Narikala Fortress and iconic Mother Georgia (aka Kartlis Deda). You can also take the funicular to the city’s highest point, Mtatsminda, where, on top of stellar city views, you also get a campy fairground and a huge Ferris wheel.

Tbilisi is also the best place in Georgia to eat out, drink wine and go partying, with dozens of innovative menus available at establishments such as Barbarestan, Azarphesha, Alubali and Keto & Kote. This is also one of the best places in the country to sample a range of Georgia’s famous wines and take part in its thumping nightlife. Tbilisi offers you plenty to keep you entertained for days, but can also serve as a base from which to do day trips to various other parts of central Georgia.

Planning tip: Book at least a week ahead for the best Tbilisi restaurants in the summer months.

2. Batumi

Best city on the Black Sea

Batumi, Georgia’s second city, is the subtropical yin to Tbilisi’s yang, with its beachfront location, charming Old Town, seemingly endless seaside esplanade and an ever-growing number of glitzy skyscrapers – Georgia’s answer to Dubai, locals will tell you with a grin.

The city is built for pleasure, and functions as Georgia’s unofficial temporary capital during the height of summer, when most of Tbilisi’s locals decamp en masse to the Black Sea’s beaches for sunshine, cocktails and partying on the seafront. Georgia’s best beaches can be found to the south of the city, between Batumi and the Turkish border. Inland, the autonomous Adjaran region offers wonderful rafting and hiking, as well as the famously rickety cable car in Khulo.

3. Kutaisi

Best base for exploring nature

Sleepy Kutaisi has found itself relegated to Georgia’s third-largest city in recent years as coastal Batumi booms. But this ancient town, which may once have been home to the golden fleece of Greek legend, has nonetheless managed to establish itself as the center of Georgia’s burgeoning tourist industry.

The nearby David the Builder Airport brings dozens of low-cost airline flights to Kutaisi from all over Europe each week, and there are dozens of hostels and a competitive short-term apartment rental market. Not only is Kutaisi bang in the center of the country (making it a more obvious base than either Tbilisi or Batumi), but it’s also surrounded by a wealth of sights, natural wonders and diverse attractions including the Martvili Canyon, Okatse Canyon, the Gelati Monastery and two astonishing relics of communism, the towns of Tskaltubo and Chiatura.

4. Stepantsminda

Best for easy access to the High Caucasus

The extraordinary Georgian Military Highway takes you to the town of Stepantsminda (still commonly referred to by its Soviet-era name, Kazbegi), on the border with northern neighbor Russia. Though the epic journey here has lost some of its charm in recent years (it’s become a busy truck route for imports to Russia), there is no denying the incredible setting of the town, not least the iconic silhouette of the hilltop church Tsminda Sameba against the glacier of Mt Kazbek. It’s truly a sight that never ceases to amaze, despite its reproduction on a million postcards.

Planning tip: Head to Tsminda Sameba Church first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon when the light is better, and – crucially – when you’ll not have to share this magical spot with the crowds.

5. Svaneti

Best mountain scenery

Georgia’s mountains are extraordinary and jaw-dropping wherever you encounter them. But if you want to see the best scenery in the country, there’s nowhere that can compete with the ancient and mysterious region of Svaneti. As well as Georgia’s highest peak, Shkhara (5068m; 16,627ft), which towers over the wonderful highland village of Ushguli, there is almost limitless potential for hiking here, not least the now well-known Mestia to Ushguli four-day hike, which allows you to sleep each night in a different village.

Planning tip: You can skip the taxing eight-hour drive to Svaneti from Tbilisi and get there in under an hour by taking one of the affordable daily flights to Mestia with Vanilla Sky.

6. Vardzia

Best monastery

In a country with more than its fair share of staggering monasteries and churches in perilously remote places, Vardzia is unquestionably the most magnificent of the lot. Its 13 floors are hewn into a cliffside and boast no fewer than 13 churches among its 400-plus rooms. The monastery’s jaw-dropping setting in a dramatic river valley makes it a real showstopper, and the undulating drive to get here from Akhaltsikhe is a wonderful treat to boot.

7. Sighnaghi

Best place to enjoy Georgian wine

There’s magic in the air in Sighnaghi, and that’s not just down to its high altitude and the vertiginous views it affords into the vast valley below. This hilltop delight has more than a hint of Tuscany about it, with its terracotta roofs, cobbled streets and enviably slow pace of life.

Take a walk along the incredibly well-preserved city walls and visit the town museum, which has one of the best collections of paintings by Georgia’s most famous artist, Niko Pirosmani. Then settle in at one of Sighnaghi’s many wine bars to sample the result of the grape harvest in the country’s premier wine-producing region.

Planning tip: Call ahead to enjoy a delicious, organic lunch at the Lost Ridge Inn, just a few kilometers outside Sighnaghi.

8. Mtskheta

Best place for a spiritual experience

So close to Tbilisi that the sprawling capital’s suburbs threaten to engulf it, Mtskheta enjoys a magical setting at the picturesque confluence of two rivers. It was also the location of one of Georgia’s most important historical events – its conversion to Christianity at the hands of St Nino in the 4th century. That vital event, which still forms a huge part of Georgian national identity, is memorialized in the Jvari Church, Georgia’s holy of holies, which commands terrific views over the town from its soaring hilltop location. Meanwhile, down in the town itself is the stunning 11th-century Svetiskhoveli Cathedral, an architectural gem of Georgia’s early Golden Age.

Planning tip: You only need a couple of hours to see Mtskheta, and its location just northwest of Tbilisi makes it an obvious pit stop on any journey up to Stepantsminda or west towards Kutaisi.

9. Borjomi

Best spa town

There’s more than a little touch of the Russian empire about this glorious 19th-century spa town tucked away amid the thickly wooded hills of the Lesser Caucasus. Borjomi’s salty-sour mineral water is Georgia’s most famous export and is instantly familiar to almost anyone from the former Soviet Union. However, the elegant resort town that produces it is worth a visit even if you’ve never heard of its eponymous sulfurous water.

As well as visiting the sprawling Borjomi Central Park ⁠(once you get past the tacky rides and children’s entertainments it opens up into a gorgeous riverside walk that brings you to a trio of delightful thermal pools), you can use the town as an excellent base for hiking in the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, and take the small gauge railway line to the nearby alpine resort of Bakuriani.

On either of its beautiful halves, Malaysia beckons with exciting – even thrilling – adventures in nature.

On its peninsular side, a sprinkle of forest-clad tropical islands spills off the 2989 miles (4810km) of beach and mangrove-studded coasts that cut this eel-like strip of land out of the sea. Forming the spine of the peninsula, the little-visited Titiwangsa Mountains offer visitors relatively easy nature treks – as well as a range of offbeat trails to delight the most daring hikers.

Across the South China Sea on Borneo, the East Malaysia states of Sarawak and Sabah boast some of the world’s largest caves, extraordinary dive sites and Mt Kinabalu, the country’s tallest peak and a sacred place to the indigenous Kadazan-Dusun people.

Got your attention yet? Read on for some of the best ways to get up close to Malaysia’s natural wonders.

1. Hike to the heart of the rainforest

Off the peninsula’s northwestern coast, UNESCO-listed Penang Island attracts plenty of foodies and culture vultures – yet relatively few know about its more than 30 excellent hiking trails. Treks of all difficulties crisscross both 2733ft (833m) Penang Hill – a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since late 2021­ – and Seberang Perai, the slice of the province on Malaysia’s mainland.

Only 3 hours from the futuristic capital Kuala Lumpur, the 1677-square-mile Taman Negara in Pahang state is the peninsula’s best-protected virgin rainforest. Indeed, at 130 million years old, the tropical forest is one of the oldest in the world – and a principal habitat for elusive and highly endangered Malayan tigers. You can get an easy orientation to this pristine ecosystem on the trail that gently climbs up to Bukit Teresek, or the one down toward the Tahan River and the Lata Berkoh waterfalls.

You need a guide for the two-day Keniam Trail, which includes an overnight stay in a cave and hops between settlements of Orang Asli (Peninsular Malaysia’s 18 aboriginal groups) in a long-tail boat on your return. Yet the park’s most challenging and soul-changing trek is the guided week-long, completely self-supported traverse from Kuala Tahan to 7175ft-high (2187m-high) Gunung Tahan – which aptly translates to “Mount Endurance” and is the highest in Peninsular Malaysia. With loads of luck, you may meet wild elephants, tapirs, sun bears…or at least their fresh footprints.

If a week of camping in the wild is too much, head for the treetop walkway at Sungai Relau near Merapoh, one of Taman Negara’s two other access points (and a caving paradise). It’s a wonderful way to admire Gunung Tahan from afar.

Off the peninsula’s northwestern coast, UNESCO-listed Penang Island attracts plenty of foodies and culture vultures – yet relatively few know about its more than 30 excellent hiking trails. Treks of all difficulties crisscross both 2733ft (833m) Penang Hill – a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since late 2021­ – and Seberang Perai, the slice of the province on Malaysia’s mainland.

Don’t miss the Cherok Tokun Forest Reserve near Bukit Mertajam, where you can hike to abandoned dams built during the colonial British era and take in a century-old mengkundor tree (Tetrameles nudiflora) whose extraordinary buttressed roots are taller than the average human.

For a scenic peek over the limestone karst separating Malaysia from the border with Thailand, drive up to the village of Kaki Bukit in often-overlooked Perlis state, and try the easy hike to the 997ft (304m) Wang Kelian Viewpoint. At sunset or sunrise, this vantage point offers a bird’s-eye view above rice fields, green mountains and a dazzling sea of clouds.

2. Explore caves galore

Malaysia is a veritable spelunker’s paradise – and Sarawak is the place to get going underground. With a chamber that could fit 40 Boeing 747 airplanes, the Deer Cave in UNESCO-listed Gunung Mulu National Park in eastern Sarawak is the second-largest cave opening in the world. (The largest is Hang Son Doong in neighboring Vietnam.)

The Niah Caves in nearby Miri are where archeologists unearthed some of the oldest human remains ever found in Southeast Asia, including a Paleolithic human skull at least 40,000 years old (not to mention cave art and wooden boat-shaped coffins, too). In the town of Bau near the state capital of Kuching, two other caves, called Wind and Fairy, are smaller but no less beguiling thanks to their intricate boxwork: thin calcite fins that resemble honeycombs.

Back on the peninsula, the offbeat town of Gua Musang in southern Kelantan offers an adventurous climb up to a large cave nestled inside the limestone massif that towers above the old train station. And in the south of Pahang, the less-visited Gunung Senyum limestone massif near Temerloh is pierced by 19 caves, Gua Terang Bulan, with its tall ceiling and large chamber, being the most impressive.

Don’t forget that the Bukit Kepala Gajah massif – a central attraction in the cluster of historical sites scattered across Perak state’s Lenggong Valley, Malaysia’s fourth UNESCO Heritage Site – has plenty of caves such as Gua Kajang, Gua Teluk Kelawar and Gua Gunung Runtuh. The last is where archaeologists found the remains of 10,000-year-old “Perak Man”: the oldest, most complete human skeleton ever found in Southeast Asia.

Another easy and exciting cave is the 1213ft-long (370m-long) Gua Kelam in Perlis, in the northern reaches of the peninsula. Piercing the bottom of a hill, it’s equipped with a suspension bridge and atmospheric lights, and evokes the era when miners scoured its reaches for iron ore. Once in Perlis, check out the village of Kodiang and the challenging rock climbing on the pinnacles and craggy limestone rock face of Bukit Mok Cun. The formation lies on the border with Kedah state, near the Kodiang station on the main railway line.

3. Dive into Malaysia’s turquoise waters

No less an authority than legendary French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau ranked the marine life of Sipadan, a small volcanic island off Semporna in the southeast of Sabah, among the best in the world. Its surrounding islets of Mabul, Kapalai and Bohey Dulang all have equally gin-clear water, white beaches and endless schools of tropical fish.

Snorkeling and diving are permitted at Sarawak’s first marine park, which was established in 1999 to protect four species of endangered turtle. The park consists of the coastline and waters around four islands: the two Pulau Satang, known as besar (big) and kecil (small); and the two Pulau Talang-Talang, also besar and kecil. Advanced divers can explore four wrecks off Kuching, two of them Japanese World War II warships sunk by the Dutch in the days after the attacks on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

The peninsula might be less known for its underwater wonders than Sabah and Sarawak. Yet off its East Coast, beautiful islands like diving-focused Pulau Tenggol are ripe with sites and a corridor for whale-shark passage. Further north, the two Perhentian Islands are more touristy but also one of the least expensive places in the world to get a scuba certification.

From the port at mainland Mersing, ferries depart for some of the other 64 lesser-known and idyllic islands.  The eastern side of Tioman Island, off Juara Beach, faces the open ocean and is best for encounters with big fish. Pulau Besar has several resorts, and has been seen regularly on the reality TV program Robinson. Tiny Pulau Rawa has just one resort and a perfect white-powder beach, while Pulau Sibu, closest to the mainland, is a cluster of four islets ringed by walls of offshore coral. Further away, the gorgeous lagoons and offshore pools of secluded Pulau Aur beckon keen swimmers, while the hat-shaped Pulau Tinggi, with the archipelago’s tallest hill, offers even more hours of blissful hiking and snorkeling.

4. Get your adrenaline pumping by rafting or surfing on the water

Beyond diving, Malaysia is excellent for rafting and other water sports. Just south of Perak’s capital Ipoh, you can set out on Grade-1, -2, or -3 white-water rafting excursions on the Kampar River, near the tiny village of Gopeng. You can also abseil off waterfalls, and explore even more caves. Don’t miss the 2-mile-long Gua Tempurung, one of the peninsula’s longest caverns.

Not far away in neighboring Kedah state, the Sedim River offers more sloshing fun, camping and a treetop walk. In Sabah, beginners can start on the Kiulu River and then take on the much more challenging Grade-3 and Grade-4 waters of the Padas River.

With so much coastline, it would be odd not to find at least one suitable spot for surfing – which Malaysians do best at Cherating Bay just north of Kuantan, on the peninsula’s central East Coast. Yet there are surfable waves all along this coast, from Johor to Kelantan states. The best time to catch them is during the northeast monsoon season from October to March.

Intrepid surfers can keep driving further north along the largely empty coast of Terengganu state to such lesser-known beach breaks as Teluk Kalong, near Kijal, and Batu Buruk beach, in state capital Kuala Terengganu.

5. After all that exertion, relax on a perfect beach

Ever-popular Langkawi is not just a geopark featuring stunning, millennial rock formations: it’s also one of the country’s top beach destinations. And with more than 10 different coves and a choice of accommodation ranging from some of Asia’s best resorts to backpacker hostels, Langkawi satisfies every taste and budget.

Further down the peninsula’s West Coast, offbeat Pangkor Island blends soft, curvy beaches with chances to experience the local Malay and Chinese fishing village culture, including visits to boat-making workshops.

For a final dose of pure tuck-your-toes-in-the-sand bliss, head back to the East Coast resort islands of Lang Tengah and Redang, which feel like you stepped onto some of the best atolls in the Maldives.

Driven by vampire lore and mystery appeal, Transylvania has become Romania’s most popular region for travelers. But legends aside, this magical land of castles, medieval bastions and old-world villages packs in a lot of charm.

A paradise for nature and adventure seekers, the vast wilderness of the Carpathian Mountains preserves some of the last virgin forests in Europe and a simpler way of life. Here are the things you need to know before you explore “the land beyond the forest” – the literal translation of Transylvania’s medieval name.

1. Dracula is just a myth, or is it?

Transylvania is famous for its vampire legends and bloodthirsty Count Dracula, popularised by Bram Stoker’s 1897 fantasy novel. But the Vlad Ţepeş that inspired the book was very real – referred to throughout history as “Vlad the Impaler” for his agonizing method of empaling his enemies on long spikes.

In fact, the 15th-century prince of Wallachia never actually lived at clifftop Bran Castle – popularly known as Dracula’s Castle and attracting close to one million visitors per year. Nor did Stoker himself ever set foot in Transylvania.

But the castle is still a must-visit on any Transylvania trip. Try to come during the off-season, to avoid long lines. Better yet, arrange a private tour at night without the crowds, when the atmosphere is more suitably eerie for a fortress famed for spooky mystery.

2. Transylvania has castles in abundance

If you find Bran Castle too crowded, there are many more castles to keep you busy in Transylvania. Just 50km (31 miles) south of Bran, the mountain resort of Sinaia has the country’s most resplendent castle – Peleș Castle, picked by King Carol I of Romania as a summer residence in 1875 due to its magnificent Bucegi Mountains backdrop. The flamboyant neo-Renaissance architecture honors the family’s German heritage.

A 20-minute train ride to Bușteni will take you to Cantacuzino Castle, a neo-Romanian castle built on the orders of Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, prime minister of Romania in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Set on the premises of a former hunting lodge, this was the filming location for the Nevermore Academy in Tim Burton’s ultra-popular Addams Family spin-off, Wednesday, on Netflix.

3. Medieval towns are everywhere

Romania’s medieval past bursts to life across Transylvania. Start by exploring the Siebenbürgen, the “seven citadels” built by Saxon merchants brought in to protect the region from invading Turks and Tatars in the 12th and 13th centuries.

One of the best-preserved fortress towns, Brașov is picture-perfect with its tall Gothic spires and orange-hued rooftops. Conveniently close to the Poiana Brașov ski resort, it’s the most visited destination in Romania, and a brand-new international airport was inaugurated in 2023, providing easy access. Just outside Brașov at the foot of Mount Tâmpa – accessible on foot or by cable car – a Hollywood-like white-lettered sign glistens on the horizon.

Head to storybook Sighișoara to explore the last inhabited medieval fortress in Europe and its 14th-century clock tower, as well as the rainbow-colored buildings of Sighișoara’s UNESCO-listed old town. A former European Capital of Culture, nearby Sibiu charms with its peculiar “houses with eyes” – buildings of Saxon heritage, graced with eyelid-shaped windows on their rooftops.

4. Transylvania is a multi-ethnic, multi-faith region

Set in a verdant landscape, small towns and villages settled hundreds of years ago preserve a form of multiculturalism specific to Transylvania. Alongside Saxon settlers with their Germanic influences, Transylvania has a large Hungarian community dating back to the time of the Kingdom of Hungary and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Big cities such as Cluj-Napoca and Târgu Mureș stand testament to an enduring convergence of cultures. Similarly, while most of Romania is Christian-Orthodox, churches of other denominations abound, hosting congregations speaking multiple languages.

5. Authentic Transylvania endures in the villages

To get a real feel for the Transylvanian idyll, head to the villages and enjoy some slow travel. Seven Transylvanian villages are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list because of their fortified churches – six of them Saxon and one Székely – and traditional crafts are still practiced, with authentic Saxon houses wonderfully restored in bright colors.

While the German-speaking population of Romania has declined since the collapse of Communism in 1989, conservation efforts and ecotourism have flourished in this former Saxon heartland. Plan a stay in a traditional guesthouse in Biertan or Viscri, to wake up to the sound of bird song and the smell of wood smoke wafting through the crisp morning air. Staying at Casa Eva Wagner in Biertan, the Fortified Church of Biertan, the largest of its kind, is in full view as you soak in an alfresco hot tub.

6. Beware Transylvania’s ever-present bears

The Carpathian Mountains are home to a huge variety of wildlife, from wolves and lynxes to chamois antelopes. The mountains also provide a home for Europe’s largest population of brown bears – some 8000 of them, a number that has significantly increased.

Bear-spotting is exciting and sightings are almost guaranteed when traveling on mountain roads, but staying alert is key. In recent years, bears have started migrating out of their natural habitats, descending into mountain resorts and attacking farm livestock. It’s not uncommon to receive warning R0-ALERT text messages or see posters at hotels warning about the presence of bears while traveling in the region.

Many tourists make the mistake of feeding bears, which raises the risk of dangerous encounters. After a fatal bear attack, Romania introduced a bear control law in 2024 to reduce the growing bear population. Stay safe by making noise when moving through woodland areas, and stay clear of bears with cubs.

To see bears safely, visit the Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Zărnești, where 100 brown bears have been rescued from harsh living conditions in captivity, and now roam free in 69 hectares (170.5 acres) of coniferous forests.

7. Romania offers some amazing road trips

Dubbed the best drive in the world by the motor show Top Gear, the Transfăgărășan road is a thrilling bucket list experience. Connecting Transylvania with historic Wallachia, and winding up and over the highest peaks of the Făgăraş Mountains, the journey peaks at 2034m (6673ft) near the glacier lake of Bâlea with its cascading waterfall. En route, you can spot the rugged ruins of Poienari Citadel, the real residence of Vlad the Impaler.

This lofty highway was constructed in the 1970s as a response to the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union. Nicolae Ceaușescu wanted a safe route across the mountains for his troops should the same happen in Romania, but the road is only usable by traffic in summer. Come from mid-June to the end of October, and check the road is open before you head into the mountains, as sporting events and bad weather can close the route temporarily.

8. Be ready to be stuffed with grub by locals

You wouldn’t be in Romania if you didn’t feel open to eating more than you planned. Rural hospitality generally works on the premise that ‘more is more’, and in Transylvania, the food and drinks are particularly enticing.

Local specialties include rose hip jam and the rich tarragon soups that are a specialty of the area, typically served with a shot of pungent pălincă – a plum brandy containing between 40 and 50% alcohol – to start things off. To experience Transylvanian hospitality at its finest, set aside a few days to stay at a family guesthouse that grows its own food, where you can enjoy wholesome country fare in abundance.

9. Transylvania is a great place to hike

For active immersion into bucolic village life, the bedrock of the Romanian experience, try trekking the new long-distance Via Transilvanica trail, crossing seven of Romania’s historical regions. Inaugurated in October 2022, the route is already a Europa Nostra award winner for its pioneering role in promoting sustainable local development and heritage protection. Following this 1420km-long hiking, cycling and horseback riding trail is like stepping back in time into rural communities that have barely changed in generations.

Passing by a string of fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the “path that unites” is the most complete journey you can take into the forests and lush meadows of Transylvania and beyond. Along the way, you’ll meet and lodge with villagers who grow their own food, travel in horse-drawn carts and harvest hay to dry in the sunshine, as they have for centuries.

10. You can stay in a king’s retreat

Unexpectedly, Transylvania is a favorite destination for King Charles III. The English monarch has been making regular visits to Transylvania since 1998. As most European royal families are distantly related, it turns out Vlad The Impaler is also his ancestor!

Fascinated by the region’s unaltered beauty, King Charles is heavily involved in the conservation of Transylvania’s rural heritage, restoring a number of Saxon farmhouses that visitors can book for overnight stays, including a private nature retreat in the Zalán Valley just north of Brașov, built in the 17th century and restored in authentic Transylvanian style.

The King’s House in Viscri is a testament to the monarch’s passion for traditional architecture, sustainable agriculture and conserving biodiversity. Open to the public between April and October, it hosts exhibits and training sessions promoting local craftsmanship.

Just as Spain has the Camino and the United States has the Appalachian Trail, so too Jordan has the Jordan Trail.

This epic long-distance path that threads its way through the country’s most sublime landscapes, and in some way, also works as a journey into the national soul.

Its very existence is remarkable. The Jordan Trail is in a part of the world sadly beset by conflict: where borders are shut and the land is divided by concrete and checkpoints – where roaming freely might seem like an impossibility under the surveillance of so many watchtowers. Jordan itself, however, endures as a pocket of peace. Those travelers who tread its greatest trail earn a perspective on the Middle East you would never get just by watching the news.

The Jordan Trail is one of the best regions to visit next year. See our full list of Best in Travel 2025 winners.

You can find deep tranquillity in sandstone canyons silent but for the gurgle of springs. You might take a midday nap in the shade of olive groves – or amble along Roman cobbles and beneath the ramparts of Crusader castles and feel the ancient past close at hand. Hiking Jordan’s wide open spaces you get a precious sense of liberty – on foot, you meet locals more readily than any passenger aboard an air-conditioned coach.

There is also an ethos behind this trail. It was conceived 10 years ago as a social enterprise where communities help accommodate and feed hikers along the way. Part of the appeal is being guided by locals: stopping by Bedouin tents, pausing for cups of tea boiled on campfires. Another part is in sharing the path with others – shepherds or nomads on the move – as it winds its way from the waves of the Red Sea to the orchards along the Syrian border.

Step 1: Which part should I hike?

The Jordan Trail is a serious undertaking – to hike its total 675km (420 mile) extent you should allow around 40 days (just like another famous wanderer of the Middle Eastern desert). Every so often the Jordan Trail organization runs guided “thru-hikes” for anyone looking to complete its length in one go – check the official website to see if any are planned.

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Many choose to take on shorter stages. If you’re sensitive to the heat, the northernmost stretch is the coolest, running 80km (50 miles) from the colonnades of ancient Gadara through shadowy forests of oak and pistacchio to reach the mediaeval castle at Ajloun. For adventurers, the section parallel to the Dead Sea is probably the craggiest, crossing the deep-gouged canyon of Wadi Mujib. The 80 km (50 miles) between the Dana Biosphere Reserve and Petra is one of the most dramatic and most popular parts of the Jordan Trail, with the path burrowing through remote gorges before approaching the ancient rock-hewn city of the Nabateans.

What marks out the Jordan Trail is the diversity of landscapes and historical sites encountered along the way – on two feet you can watch world-famous sites, such as Petra and Wadi Rum, slowly emerge from the heat haze.

Step 2: When should I go?

It’s wise to avoid the northern hemisphere summer on the Jordan Trail – furnace-like heat means walking in desert environments like Wadi Rum can be dangerous. November to February is a good time to embark on the southern end of the trail, while the window stretches a little longer the further north you go: March and April see wildflowers and blossoms brighten the rolling northern hills.

Step 3: Should I go it alone, or go with a guide?

The Jordan Trail comes with caveats. It is, in large part, not waymarked or signposted in any form. For significant sections it is also distant from food, accommodation, help and – most critically – water. Some easier bits, such as the 13km-stretch (8 mile) from Little Petra to Petra can be tackled independently by confident hikers. For the rest, going solo entails significant backcountry experience, employing expedition-level planning and navigating using GPS files sourced from the Jordan Trail website. Be conscious that the route often strays from touristic centers – so basic Arabic is helpful as English may not be spoken.

For most people, the most sensible way to embark on a Jordan Trail hike is to join one of the licensed tour operators currently running itineraries, or else to contact one of the registered guides – directories of both can be found on the official website. As well as blazing the trail, guides should be able to organize food and wild camps in remote spots (often as simple as a barbeque dinner and a mattress pitched under the stars). They’ll also be able to advise on the level of fitness required (for the most part, you’ll need to be of a moderate to high level). It’s very likely they’ll be able to unlock the stories of the land underfoot, providing insight as well as company over the many parched miles.

Step 4: What should I pack?

You’ll need the obvious essentials – strong boots and sun cream – plus warm layers for surprisingly cold desert nights. Rainfall (and even snowfall) is not unknown in winter in certain spots, so you may also need a waterproof shell. Above all else you will need water – allow as much as 5L per person per day for drinking, ideally kept in a large bladder. Be aware that this, combined with water needed for cooking, can sometimes make for a very heavy pack. Never set out without knowing where you can top up your water supply.

Step 5: Safety precautions

Jordan has been a safe and popular holiday destination for decades and – with the exception of a thin strip along the Syrian border – there is no part of the country to which entities like the British Foreign Office or US Department of State currently advise against travel. A 2024 drone attack on US troops took place at a remote base close to the Iraqi border – this location was far from tourist centers and indeed far from the Jordan Trail. Crime levels are low in Jordan, and locals are, as a rule, extraordinarily friendly and welcoming.

Take some safety precautions on the trail: be cautious of wadis that can quickly become dangerous during flash floods, especially in winter, and always carry a phone with the telephone number of Jordan’s Tourist Police should you run into any trouble (117777).

Above all, remember this is a path on which to forget your worries, and enjoy the freedom of roaming across wadi and desert, forest and plain.