South of Madaba, the King’s Highway meanders up and down across
several valleys draining rainwater off the hills, including the
dramatic canyon of Wadi Mujib. One of Jordan’s most spectacular
natural features, lying midway between Madaba and Karak, the
immense valley has been dubbed, with a canny eye on the tourist
dollar, “Jordan’s Grand Canyon”. The name, however, is well
earned, as the King’s Highway delivers you to stunning
viewpoints on either rim over a vast gash in the barren
landscape, cutting through 1200m of altitude from the desert
plateau in the east down to the Dead Sea in the west. It is
every bit as awe-inspiring as its Arizonan cousin and has the
added selling-point of the memorable road journey winding down
to the valley floor and up the other side. A large chunk of the
surrounding territory now forms part of the protected Mujib
Biosphere Reserve, offering the chance for wilderness hiking and
canyoning as good as any you’ll find in the Middle East.Read
More Some 2km south of Dhiban, the vast