At&nbsp;The Slow Road&nbsp;we answer to many names (wanderers,&nbsp;bon vivants, students of life) but first and foremost, we’re a group of dedicated travellers.That’s why we love compiling&nbsp;reading lists&nbsp;that include those books—from novels to memoirs, and everything in between—that have stirred our inspiration for a region.In this post, Experience Designer <a href="https://butterfield.com/who-we-are/meet-the-designers/nathan-lane" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nathan Lane</a> rounds up a few of his favourite books about <a href="https://butterfield.com/destination/asia/jordan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jordan</a>—a tiny kingdom that boasts immense wonder, playing home to incredibly diverse landscapes and some of the world's most important Christian sites.

This heart-warming story tells the tale of Marguerite, a New-Zealand-born nurse who travelled to Jordan in the 70s and met Mohammad, a Bedouin souvenir-seller from the ancient city of Petra. Throughout their marriage, Marguerite explored the twist in fate that led her to become part of the Bedouin community. When travelling to Jordan, you may even spot the couple’s son, who can often be seen selling jewellery inside Petra!

Married to a Bedouin

This New York Times bestseller describes one man’s epic odyssey — by foot, jeep, rowboat, and camel — as he crosses the Red Sea, climbs Mt. Sinai and experiences history’s most storied events. This non-fiction book is a great choice if you want to brush up on some of Jordan’s most notable geography.

Walking the Bible

This masterful biography explores the life of a British intelligence officer who was considered the most powerful woman in the British Empire. Through the early 20th c., she explored, mapped, and excavated the Arab world, and played a major role in creating the modern Middle East. My grandpa gave me this book after listening to my stories about my first trip to Syria, Jordan and Egypt, and pointed out that there was so much more to learn.

Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell 

From the ruins of ancient Petra to the Bedouin camps, this book provides insight into all aspects of Arabian life through the eyes of John Lewis Burckhardt. He was a Swiss explorer who spent years studying and exploring Arabia and Egypt in preparation for his trip to unearth the source of the River Niger. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

Travels in Syria and the Holy Land

Lawrence in Arabia

A thrilling narrative about the Arab Revolt against the Turks, this classic tale reveals how the Middle East was forever changed during World War I, focusing on a young military officer who was torn between two nations. Lawrence of Arabia was written after four years of intensive document research and captures the action and intensity of the Middle East in the 20th c. It’s a classic story, but I won’t turn a blind eye if you’ve just seen the movie!

Bonus! Jordan in Film

Speaking of movies, some of the world’s most beautiful films were shot in the tiny kingdom of Jordan—and for good reason. With its otherworldly desert landscape, the Wadi Rum can easily be mistaken for Mars. Director Ridley Scott fell in love with its moonlight granite rocks on a trip to Jordan, and it later became his film set of choice for many movies including The Martian, Prometheus and Kingdom of Heaven (I always recommend the directors cut!).&nbsp;Everyone who visits the Wadi Rum will completely understand what Lawrence of Arabia meant when he used ‘vast, echoing and God-like’ to describe the place, used as the backdrop when Anthony Quinn when rides into the UNESCO Site. When B&amp;R visits Jordan, travellers can literally walk in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia—passing Bedouin communities and incredible food stands along the way.In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Gareth Edwards chose Wadi Rum as a stand-in for Jedha, a desert moon that orbits the planet of NaJedha. The iconic sandy landscape can also be seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

While reading about the ancient city of Petra, Wadi Rum and the cultural and historical highlights that make Jordan so special is an adventure in itself, nothing compares to visiting these incredible places in real life.Start planning your next expedition to Jordan with Nathan Lane, voted a Top Travel Specialist for 2022 by Condé Nast Traveler.

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<h2><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40846 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/masters-pin-300px.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="397" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/masters-pin-300px.jpg 300w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/masters-pin-300px-227x300.jpg 227w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The 2nd hole – Pink Dogwood</h2>
One of the iconic par-5s at Augusta, low scores here are often an indication of the round to come. Reachable in 2, with raised mounds around the green to allow for a better vantage point for spectators, this is a lovely spot to place a chair if you are considering a move to 18 at the end of the day. The two holes are only a 5-minute walk apart (close by Augusta standards), and you can see the 7th green from here as well, depending on where you plant your chair. Many players have started a charge to the top of the leaderboard on 2—most recently, Louis Oosthuizen made an albatross here to jump to a tie for first; it was a shot that was responsible for getting him to a playoff for the green jacket.
 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikDKSGqCRVM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louis Oosthuizen Albatross</a> (2012)
<h3>Honourable mentions:</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40843 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/augusta-sand-trap-400.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="402" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/augusta-sand-trap-400.jpg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/augusta-sand-trap-400-299x300.jpg 299w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/augusta-sand-trap-400-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" />A few other holes are worth mentioning, although they don’t beat our recommendations above…
The 6th hole is a nice place to plant your chair, on the slope below the tee, no less. As players hit over you to the elevated green, which sits at the perfect height for viewing, you can also turn your head slightly for a great look at the 16th green.
The 13th hole has a grandstand near the green, so it’s a great place to spend part of the afternoon, but maybe not worth planting a chair.
The 15th hole has grandstands near the fairway which offer great views of players going for the Par-5 green in 2, as well as the approach shots for those who lay up. However, trees partially obscure the 16th green, so this isn’t the best spot if you are trying to get a look at two holes.

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<h2>Wadi Rum </h2>
The stunning desert landscape of Wadi Rum was made famous by the Oscar-winning film, Lawrence of Arabia. In Arabic, Wadi Rum means “the Valley of the Moon” and indeed, the landscape here feels distinctly lunar. The Wadi is a part of a sequence of parallel faults that run north/south through the Shara Mountains. The mountains themselves are comprised of granite, basalt and sandstone massifs rising 800 metres (2,400 feet) off the desert floor. The erosion of wind and sand gives these mountains the most extraordinary texture, prompting T.E. Lawrence to once describe the Wadi as “vast, echoing and godlike.”
The desert is not uninhabitable. Oases have allowed the Bedouin to survive here for centuries. The Nabateans built a temple here, and there are many rock carvings and inscriptions that date back to the early first millennium AD, indicating a thriving cultural presence despite a harsh environment.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40562 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="720" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px-400x300.jpg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px-800x600.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
Other Key Sites in Wadi Rum
The peak of Jebel Rum is on the western edge of Wadi Rum, rising to 1,734 metres (5,689 feet) is the second-highest in the country, and a popular spot for hikers, scramblers and climbers who attempt to make their way to the summit (a guide is required). Another landmark is the ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ (also known as Jabal al-Mazmar to local Bedouins), a rippled rock formation that evokes the book of the same name by T.E. Lawrence.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40610 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Seven-Pillars-732.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="348" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Seven-Pillars-732.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Seven-Pillars-732-480x228.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
<h3>Dana Nature Reserve</h3>
Jordan’s largest nature reserve was established in 1989 with 308 square kilometres (119 square miles) of land. It is named after a crumbling little town set atop mountains and wadis that extend from the top of the Jordan Rift Valley to the desert lowlands of Wadi Araba. The native inhabitants are the people of the Ata’ta/Al-Atata tribe, who have lived in the region for more than 6,000 years. Other evidence indicates that Paleolithic, Egyptian, Nabatean and Roman settlements have also established themselves here throughout history.
The plant life here is the most diverse in the country, notably the most southerly place in the world where you can find the Mediterranean cypress, along with three endemic plant species. Some endangered animals that make their home here are the Nubian ibex, Syrian serin (a bird from the finch family), caracal and lesser kestrel.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40606 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="636" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx-453x300.jpg 453w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx-768x509.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx-906x600.jpg 906w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3>Wadi Araba</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40563 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Bedouin-Lady-350px.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="419" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Bedouin-Lady-350px.jpg 300w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Bedouin-Lady-350px-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The desert of Wadi Araba lies south of the Dead Sea basin, northwest of Petra, and adjacent to Wadi Rum. Virtually free of rainfall, you will still find many specialized plants and animals who make their home in this harsh region, characterized by colourful cliffs and typical desert landscapes. During Biblical times, it is believed that King Solomon established some of the oldest copper mines in the world here.
<h3>The Bedouin People</h3>
A name for the nomadic Arab peoples who have traditionally inhabited the deserts of Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and the Levant, the English word ‘bedouin’ comes from the Arab term badawī, meaning ‘desert dweller’.
Observing a clan structure and the traditional practice of herding camels or goats, many of today’s Bedouin are urbanized and live and work in the city. However, there are many cultural festivals in which Bedouin come together to share in traditions such as traditional dance, music, poetry recitation, and the old ways. The traditions of desert camping and camel riding.
Most of Jordan’s Bedouin people arrived in present-day Jordan between the 14th and 18th centuries. Today, Bedouin make up to 40 percent of the population of Jordan, often referred to as the ‘backbone of the Kingdom’, as the Bedouin traditionally support the monarchy.
The Bedouin still populate Wadi Rum (and the area around Petra), although over the last century or so they have become far less nomadic. Today the Bedouin enjoy a truly modern lifestyle, with cellphones and all the attendant trappings of modern life. Nonetheless, they retain the knowledge of their environment that is the true inheritance of their culture.

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