antiquity. The present-day
winding road which re-traces their route, known as the King's Highway, leads
from Madaba down to Petra. Along the way, you will pass through the three
great canyons running east-west through the Kingdom--Wadi Wala, Wadi Hasa and
the spectacular Wadi al-Mujib in the center.
In addition to
the beautiful terrain, you can also use this trip to stop at the series of
Crusader Castles which were built along the mountain range. While the castles
of Tafila and Petra are mostly destroyed, the castle in Shobak (Mont Real) and
especially the very large castle at Karak above the Dead Sea are still very
well preserved.
For those with
time to spend, the trip down the King's Highway can also include excursions to
Mukawir, the Herodian Castle where Salome danced for the head of John the
Baptist; to Um ar-Risas, a Nabatean/Roman/Byzantine site with very dramatic
mosaics; to Sela, the aerie which was capital of the Edomite Kingdom; to
Khirbet Tanour, a Nabatean way station; to the wildlife refuge at Dhana; to
the natural hot springs at Hamamat Ma'in and Hamamat Afra.