Jordan

A historical hilltop in central Amman occupied since the Late Bronze Age, with a Roman Temple of Hercules, an Umayyad palace complex, a Byzantine church and panoramic views of modern Amman.

The hypersaline lake at the lowest point on Earth's continental crust, 430 metres below sea level, so buoyant that swimming is impossible and visitors float effortlessly in mineral-rich water.

One of the best-preserved provincial Roman cities outside Italy, with a colonnaded cardo, an oval plaza, a Roman theatre and temples to Zeus and Artemis, founded in the 1st century CE.

A vast ancient Nabatean city carved into rose-red sandstone cliffs, begun in the 4th century BCE, once the capital of a kingdom controlling incense trade routes across the Arabian Peninsula.

A dramatic sandstone canyon carved by the Mujib River through the eastern flank of the Dead Sea Rift, forming part of a UNESCO-recognised biosphere reserve with hiking trails through the gorge.

A vast desert valley in southern Jordan surrounded by sandstone mountains, famous for its red dunes, natural arches and association with T.E. Lawrence, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2011.