Azraq & Shaumari
Azraq & Shaumari
Azraq -Desert Oasis
Location: Eastern desert. 110 kilometers east of Amman - close to Shaumari Nature Reserve
Azraq is a unique wetland located in the heart of the arid Jordanian desert. It contains several pools, a seasonally flooded marshland, and a large mudflat. A wide variety of birds visit the reserve each year, stopping for a short rest on their long migration between Africa and Europe; or they stay for the winter and some breed in the wetland. Azraq is the only place in the Jordanian deserts where one can walk around marshes and pools that have green vegetation.
The word Azraq means `blue` in Arabic and before water pumping began in the 1980s the oasis provided a sparkling blue jewel in the desert, attracting up to half a million migrating birds at any one time. By 1993, however, the extraction of water was so great that no surface water remained and its ecological value was virtually destroyed.
With international support, a rescue effort started in 1994 and a significant portion of the wetland has been restored. Many of the birds for which the oasis was renowned are coming back and special boardwalks and bird hides have been constructed to enable visitors to see and enjoy them.
The Tour: The reserve offers a lot in a small area: raised wooden trails through the marsh (hard to imagine you are in a desert), a beautiful hide for watching birds in shade and comfort and fascinating archaeology, including a very rare Umayyad Dam, a visitor centre and attractive activities are offered, or can just sit by the pools and enjoy the wetland atmosphere. (Check Azraq Hiking Trails)
Azraq is close to the Shaumari nature reserve and you can make a full-day outing by visiting them both.
Accommodations
RSCN (Royal Society for the Conservation of nature, an old hunting lodge and several two-room bungalows in Azraq Village where visitor facilities are under development. They provide basic facilities and can accommodate up to 30 people per night.
Shaumari -Home of the Arabian Oryx
Distance by Road: Eastern desert, near Azraq 125 kilometers east of Amman.
Shaumari was the first wildlife reserve in Jordan. It was created to provide a safe home for one of the most endangered animals in the world: the Arabian Oryx. This magnificent desert animal, origin of the fabled unicorn, was saved from the edge of extinction by an international rescue effort and Shaumari was the first place to have them back on Arabian soil. Eight animals were flown over in 1978 from the World Breeding Herd in Phoenix Zoo, Arizona, and by 1999 - twenty years later - the herd had grown to over 200 animals.
Shaumari is also a breeding center for other endangered or locally extinct desert animals, including the Persian Onager, the ostrich and the goitered gazelle. The breeding enclosures provide a small zoo for visitors making it a popular spot for children and school outings. There are many wild animals too, including a wide variety of birds during the spring and autumn.
The Tour: Visitors can see not only the Oryx but also Onagers, Ostriches and Gazelles and other endangered animals of the Middle East. The breeding enclosures are like a small “zoo” and popular with children. The Visitors Centre tells the amazing story of the Oryx and its fight for survival. A special ‘safari shuttle’ takes up to 15 people into the reserve to see the free-roaming Herds. A small picnic area and children’s playground are available. (Check Shaumari Hiking Trails)
Accommodations
Most visitors travel to Shaumari for the day and do not stay overnight. But if you want to combine it with a visit to the Azraq Oasis and desert castles then simple accommodation is available in RSCN’s hunting lodge in Azraq Village.