15 Days Levant Legends Adventure

About the destination: Beirut is the capital of Lebanon and the gateway to the country. It is multi-cultural and successfully blends the passions of the east with the refinement of the west. Modern and old and liberal and traditional, Beirut offers superb restaurants, amazing nightlife, excellent shopping and hotels of all ranges. It is also rich in history and architectural heritage that span several millennia and civilizations, with traces of Roman and Phoenician heritage visible to this day. Beirut is also a great departure point to explore the rest of Lebanon, which offers a blunt contrast to the wealthy capital with a western silhouette, all within no more than a two hour drive. With its beautiful architecture and scenery, delicious cuisine, exciting nightlife and amazing history, Beirut is a destination not to be missed.

About the destination: Amman, considered by some the cultural capital of the Middle East, is the capital of Jordan. Situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley, Amman today is a modern and cosmopolitan city full of ultra-modern buildings, hotels, smart restaurants, art galleries and boutiques but you can see evidence of the city’s extensive past everywhere. The heart of all the town is the Citadel with Romans and Ammonites ruins. From the top of the Citadel you can see a wonderful landscape over the hills of the city. Whilst the city we see may not be very old, on the hill of the Citadel there is evidence of the ancient history of the city that was Greek Philadelphia. There is an interesting Archaeological museum worth visiting. Nearby, there is the Roman theatre and some museums with interesting displays of mosaics, jewelry and costume. A walk around the city brings you to mosques and a surprising variety of churches, souks and shops. Amman is a busy city where the modern and the traditional coexist side by side. Moreover, Amman is the perfect starting point if you want to visit all the area around this town. From Amman is very easy to reach Jerash, Ajlun, Pella, the Dead Sea and the Desert Castles.

About the destination: People have lived in Rum for thousands of years, struggling to survive in its harsh environment. They have been hunters, pastoralists, farmers and traders, as Rum is close to national borders. Even the famous Nabateans once occupied Rum, leaving behind several structures, including a temple. Local people gained notoriety more recently when they joined the arab revolt forces under the leadership of king Faisal and fought along with Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab Revolt (1917/18) to fight the occupying Turkish and German armies. Lawrence himself makes many references to Wadi Rum in his book ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’, a title apparently inspired by one of Rum’s imposing mountains. The exploits of Lawrence have become part of local folklore, and some popular tourist sites are named after him, although whether he used these exact sites is open to debate. Virtually all the people living in and around Wadi Rum today are of Bedouin origin and, until recently, led nomadic lives, relying on their goat herds. They are resourceful, hospitable people who are largely responsible for developing Wadi Rum as a tourist destination. Recognizing the unique natural and cultural history of Wadi Rum and the vital importance of tourism to the local economy, the government of Jordan declared Wadi Rum a protected area in 1998. With support from the World Bank they commissioned the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, a national NGO, to prepare a conservation plan and build a team of local people to manage the area. This team is now under the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and is pioneering ways to restore and safeguard Rum’s sensitive desert habitats from ever-increasing human pressure.

Mengenai destinasi: Jerusalem adalah ibu kota Israel dan merupakan kota suci bagi tiga agama monoteistik utama: Yahudi, Kristian dan Islam. Jerusalem terletak di Pegunungan Judea antara Laut Mediterranean dan Laut Mati. Meskipun ada banyak masalah yang mengelilingi kota ini, kota ini menampilkan keseluruhan yang harmonis di mana anda akan merasakan berat lingkungan spiritual turun ke bahu anda sebaik sahaja anda memasuki kota ini. Kota Lama dan temboknya membentuk Tapak Warisan Dunia UNESCO. Kota kuno ini adalah rumah bagi tempat-tempat suci untuk orang Yahudi, Kristian, dan Muslim, dan dipenuhi dengan tempat-tempat yang sangat penting secara agama dan pendekatan hidup yang sibuk. Tiga tempat utama di dalam Kota Lama adalah Tembok Barat, Gereja Makam Kudus dan kawasan Gunung Bait yang termasuk Kubah Batu dan masjid Al Aqsa. Via Dolorosa adalah jalan paling popular di dalam Kota Lama, terutamanya di kalangan peziarah Kristian kerana ini adalah jalan yang dilalui oleh Yesus Kristus dalam perjalanan ke penyalibannya. Terdapat 14 Stasi Salib di sepanjang jalan. Stasi Salib ke-14 dan lokasi terakhir dan paling penting dalam agama Kristian terletak di tengah Gereja Makam Kudus. Jerusalem moden, di mana kebanyakan hotel dan restoran terletak, dibina di sekeliling Kota Lama. Jerusalem adalah kota suci yang paling suci dan menawarkan begitu banyak untuk dilihat dan diteroka. Kota ini adalah campuran menarik antara tradisi, agama dan kehidupan moden. Ia berjaya merasa sangat eksotik dan misteri, dan namun sepenuhnya akrab dan menyambut.

Mengenai destinasi: Tel Aviv, yang terletak di pantai Mediterranean, adalah bandar kedua terbesar di Israel. Tel Aviv adalah pusat hiburan Israel dan ia mempunyai segala yang anda perlukan, pantai yang indah, restoran mewah dan kafe-kafe trendi kecil, seni bina menarik, teater, muzium, kedai dan banyak kelab dan bar yang hebat. Berjalan-jalan di Bandar Lama Jaffa dan taman-taman dan kebun-kebun indah di sekelilingnya, mungkin adalah salah satu perkara paling asli yang boleh dilakukan di bandar ini. Bandar Lama Jaffa berhampiran dengan Pelabuhan Jaffa, yang dikatakan sebagai pelabuhan tertua di dunia. Hari ini terdapat restoran, galeri dan kedai serta festival jalanan di pelabuhan yang indah ini. Salah satu mercu tanda utama Tel Aviv adalah kenaikan Bandar Lama Jaffa dengan menara Gereja St Peter. Promenade dari pantai utara ke dinding Masjid Machmoudia berjalan sepanjang garisan pantai dan ini adalah salah satu perkara yang mesti dilakukan pada bila-bila masa di Tel Aviv. Apa pun cuaca dan waktu hari, dengan Mediterranean di satu sisi, ini adalah jalan yang hebat. Jika kehidupan kosmopolitan, kafe dan restoran yang menarik, kelab hip, pantai yang indah dan gurun yang menakjubkan adalah minat anda, maka Tel Aviv pasti adalah tempat anda.