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Although not a budget option, taking an organized tour once you arrive in Jordan can actually turn out to be the most rewarding way to get to some of the more isolated attractions in the hinterland. If all you want is to be taken around Amman, Jerash and Petra quickly and without hassle, you'd do far better to book a package deal from your home country in advance. Longer stay special-interest holidays -such as bird-watching or diving -are also much better organized from home. However, it's significantly more complicated to try and organize from home camping overnight in Burqu, for instance. Or a, two-day hike through Wadi Mujib than it is to sort things out face-to-face with the relevant people once you arrive.

There are around 500 Amman tour operators dealing with incoming tourism but only as handful can take you off the beaten track For exploring the wilder reaches of the Dana reserve, Wadi Mujib and the Zubia woodland age reserve near Ajloun -and for any enquiries about getting out into Jordan's nature, guided or solo -you should talk first with the Ecotourism Unit at the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). They can also direct you to particular individuals or companies that can help you get to where you want to go. Professional take and reputable companies such as Bless tend to specialize in incentive travel, but are more than happy to set up a customized itinerary at short notice for individuals or small groups, whether your bent is archeology or ecology