Dana is a small Ottoman village perched on the edge of the Wadi Dana Gorge. It was virtually abandoned until the creation of the Dana Biosphere nature reserve in 1989. The reserve is governed by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature who have encouraged ecotourism in the area. Dana is now being repopulated by locals who run small guest houses and restaurants – all alcohol free – for independent travellers; not a tourist coach in sight.
After a night in a guesthouse, our bags were collected and we began the hike to our next stop at Feynan. We had woken to a thick blanket of mountain cloud. As we set off this cleared to reveal the track ahead of us – 16km through the Wadi, starting at 1,250m and ending at 375m. The steepest section is the first 2km – our legs will remember it for some time. A local guide provided “trekking poles” made from broken off branches and brewed Bedouin tea with our lunch.
The scenery is dramatic and it was definitely worth it. According to National Geographic it is a section of one of the 15 best hikes on the planet, however despite this we saw very few people.
Shilli-Fully Travels 