Wild Jordan, a division of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) in Jordan, this year celebrates 20 years of pioneering eco-tourism and socio-economic projects across the country.

 

Wild Jordan is responsible for projects which support the rural communities living around RSCN's nature reserves and has not only created hundreds of jobs but also spearheaded a number of eco-tourism projects across the country.

 

Set up in 1994, Wild Jordan's founding ethos was to adopt a people-centred approach to protecting the environment and generate economic and social benefits for the local communities.

 

Initially set up to protect the Dana Biosphere Reserve near Petra, Wild Jordan worked directly with the local village and Bedouin communities to create income generating projects using the reserve's natural beauty to generate employment, including Dana Guesthouse which offers accommodation in the heart of the reserve. Met with great success, Dana is now firmly on Jordan's tourism map and attracts thousands of visitors per year.

 

Thanks to the organisation's forward thinking combination of eco-tourism and conservation, thriving handicraft ventures have been established, including painted ostrich eggs from Azraq, olive oil soap from Ajloun, Bedouin silverware from Dana, and chic eco-lodges can now be found across the country.

 

Below we have highlighted just a small selection of Wild Jordan experiences for visitors to Jordan:

 

Dana Guesthouse, Dana Nature Reserve

Sitting at the edge of a traditional stone village, high on the cliffs overlooking the Dana nature reserve in the southern Rift Valley, the Dana Guesthouse is run by Bedouin and offers nine rooms - many with stunning views over the Wadi Dana. Guests can enjoy guided tours of the reserve from the local Bedouin where they point out a huge array of plants, birds of prey and the site of 5,000 year-old copper mines.

Rooms start from £53 per room per night. www.rscn.org.jo

 

Feynan Ecolodge

The candlelit lodge of Feynan lies in the heart of the mountainous Dana Biosphere Reserve in Wadi Feynan. The 26-room solar-powered Feynan Ecolodge offers the most developed eco-experience in Jordan. Designed to offer guests authentic experiences, guests can sip mint tea with the native Bedouin or spend a day with a shepherd. The panoramic rooftop terrace offers a 360 degree view of the desert reserve by day and a never-ending vista of stars by night.

 

Double rooms start from approx. £88 excluding tax based on two people sharing a standard room on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. For more information visit www.feynan.com  

 

Azraq Lodge

This former 1940s British field hospital has been restored into a lodge, decorated with period trunks, black and white photographs of Bedouin, plus a 1956 Land Rover. The barracks contain stylish tiled bedrooms with flagstone floors and cacti-studded desert views.

Rooms start from £60 per room per night. www.rscn.org.jo

 

Wild Jordan café, Amman

This stylish and modern café aims to generate income for the rural communities of the RSCN reserves in Jordan. The menu focuses on light and healthy food, using ingredients extracted from the reserves - expect smoothies, wraps and organic salads. A percentage of the cafés revenues are dedicated to helping the communities. It's also the largest nature shop in the region which includes a wide range of creative nature based handicrafts and products made by the local communities living in and around the RSCN's nature reserves. www.wildjordancafe-jo.com

 

Getting there:

 

Cox & Kings offers a private 10-day/nine-night Jordan Ancient and Wild tour taking in Ajloun Forest Reserve, Dana Biosphere Reserve, as well as Petra, Wadi Rum and the Red Sea. The tour starts from £1995 per person, including flights. www.coxandkings.co.uk / 020 7873 5000.

 

KE Adventure offers an eight-day/seven-night Dana to Petra trek. Starting in Wadi Feynan in the Dana Nature Reserve, the trek follows hunters trails through deep gorges and across high ridges, nights are spent camping Bedouin-style, discover Petra and swim in the Dead Sea. The tour starts from £895 per person, excluding flights. www.keadventure.com / 017687 73966.

 

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For media information and images of Jordan, please contact: Jenny Groutage or Steele Paulich at The Brighter Group - tel: 0207 7326 9880 or jenny.groutage@brightergroup.com / steele.paulich@brightergroup.com

 

About Jordan

Situated in the heart of the Arabian Desert, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is considered to be the safest in all of the Middle East. The country is roughly the same size as Portugal, and has a population of around six million people.

 

From the hustle and bustle of the capital Amman to southern desert, Jordan is awash with biblical, historical and cultural significance. Jordan's iconic landmarks include the panoramic views from Mount Nebo, the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea, and Wadi Rum - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.