Jordan’s Petra tops Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List
Alshaheen News
Jordan’s sandstone ancient city of Petra has been named the number one place to visit in Lonely Planet’s latest Ultimate Travel List, a book ranking 500 travel experiences all around the world.
Also, the Kingdom’s otherworldly rose-sand Wadi Rum desert, the Dead Sea, and the Dana Biosphere Reserve also made the list, ranking 36, 139 and 221 respectively on the 500-experience list.
“Historic and intriguing, Jordan enjoys a reputation as one of the safest and most welcoming countries in the Middle East,” Lonely Planet said in the second edition of the Ultimate Travel List which features the top 500 “most thrilling, memorable and interesting travel experiences in the world”.
Commended for its “eternal air of mystery”, the ancient sandstone city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was voted in as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World by popular ballot in 2007.
Wadi Rum or the “Valley of the Moon”, which ranked 36 on the list, featured in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, including “The Martian”, “Aladdin” and “Lawrence of Arabia”. The desert is best known for its red sands, majestic dunes and stunning rock formations.
The Dead Sea, which bagged the 136th spot, sits at 410m below sea level – the lowest point on earth – and is well known for its therapeutic benefits.
The fourth Jordanian attraction making the list is Dana Biosphere Reserve which covers some 320 square kilometers. The reserve, which is Jordan’s largest, is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including 703 plant species, 215 species of birds, and 38 species of mammals.
