In the south, the tranquil Dana Nature Reserve encompasses a swathe of territory from verdant highland orchards down to the sandy desert floor of the Wadi Araba, and offers extensive opportunities for bird - and wildlife spotting.

The protected Wadi Mujib is a giant canyon, 4km wide at the top, that narrows to a high, rocky gorge carrying a fast-flowing river down to the exceptionally salty Dead Sea, an inland lake too buoyant for swimming but perfect for floating, your body supported by nothing more than the density of the salty water.