“You can sleep in a tent, drink Arabic coffee and listen to an Oud player at night. Simply, you can live like Lawrence of Arabia for a day or two.� From the fifteenth century, like all Arab worlds, Jordan became part of the Ottoman Empire. In WWII Arabs sided with the allied countries and revolted against the Ottomans. Lawrence of Arabia, the English officer, led the Arab forces and did the unthinkable by moving an army through the desert, crossed Wadi Rum and attacked the Ottoman garrison in Aqaba. In his book 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom', Lawrence describes the Arabian desert and Wadi Rum. Nowadays, one doesn't need an army, nor Lawrence's book, to enjoy the desert. Bedouins can take you on a fourwheel drive, or a stylish camel to the heart of Wadi Rum. You can sleep in a tent, drink Arabic coffee and listen to an Oud player at night. Simply, you can live like Lawrence for a day or two. Nothing has really changed since his time. As a souvenir, buy a coloured sand bottle from the Bedouins. When you are finally in Aqaba enjoy a walk by the sea like the locals, or maybe take a glass-bottom boat ride in the Gulf of Aqaba. You can see houses in Elat on the Israeli side. Diving in the Red Sea is a must for all certified divers. Don't miss it and allow a few extra days for that experience. While you can dive in the Red Sea, you can only float in the Dead Sea. The thick syrup-like salty water is an amazing phenomenon. Be careful though, not to get any water drops in your eyes, otherwise a red eye is going to be your souvenir.
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