Queen Rania's Tour of Jordan
In March 2010,
Queen Rania hosted a three-day tour of Jordan's most beloved sites. Follow her and her friends on their breathtaking journey.
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
The queen's guest list was filled with stars. "This is against the backdrop of the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on earth with the highest oxygen content," Queen Rania says. "It's a beautiful, beautiful sunset, as you can see. It's actually one of the only places in the world where you can safely tan."
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
Stars like
Hugh Jackman brought their families along for this trip of a lifetime.
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
Much of the tour was conducted on camels. "This is in Wadi Rum, which is a really breathtaking desert," Queen Rania says.
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
"This is Petra, which is 2,000 years old, carved out of red stone cliffs," Queen Rania says. "It's absolutely breathtaking, one of the Seven Wonders of the World."
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
Guests also had time to hit the beach. "This is in Aqaba, if you want to get the beach and the sun," Queen Rania says. "The great thing about Jordan is it's a small country but you get this diversity of experiences."
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
Guests were also treated to a show of traditional dances. "More than what you see, [Jordan is] a country you can actually feel," Queen Rania says. "When you go there, you get a feel for the custom, you interact with the people, you get a feel for the traditions."
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
"One thing I hear from most of our guests that come is about the hospitality and the warmth of the people. And I think that this comes as a surprise to some people here because our region is always associated with conflict," Queen Rania says. "But when people come to the Middle East???Jordan and other countries in the area???they're always surprised to see how warm the people are. And actually, in Bedouin culture, hospitality is the highest virtue there is. We actually have an expression???'The guests are the guests of God.'
Photo: Royal Hasemite Court
Nicole Kidman and her husband, Keith Urban, enjoy some Jordanian libations. "One thing I will warn you, though: If you want to lose weight, don't come to the Middle East," Queen Rania says. "We love our food and we love to feed our guests, and that's how we show hospitality."
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