2010 Travel Planner

Holy Land

Exploring the Holy Land (Israel and Jordan)

TEXT & PHOTOS: Andy Yeo

You can’t help feeling you’ve landed in a gigantic open-air museum the day you arrive in Amman. The Jordanian capital was mentioned in the Old Testament, and from the Citadel of Amman, the oldest part of the city, you look down at the valley below and imagine facing King David’s besieging army.

Stay a few days in Amman, and visit Roman ruins, Crusader castles, ancient churches and desert hunting lodges featuring surprising examples of Islamic art. Allow for one day to take the road down to the Jordan Valley, 400 metres below sea level, and float on the salty therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea.

Bridge to Europe

Exploring the Silk Road (Syria and Turkey)

TEXT & PHOTOS: Andy Yeo

Damascus claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, and the immigration and customs formalities at the airport seem to bear this out. But these inconveniences are quickly forgotten when you take your first walk through the rabbit warren of the old Christian Quarter, emerging at the imposing façade of the 8th-century Ummayad Mosque, the fourth-holiest Islamic site in the world.

If you are judged to be improperly dressed to enter, just put on the coverings provided – the interior, including the ancient shrine of John the Baptist, is worth a little time spent in a shapeless green robe to see. Close by, the Al Hamedieh Souk, second only to the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul in the Islamic World, is a reminder of the importance of Damascus as a terminus of Silk Road trade.

Heart of the Silk Road

Exploring the Silk Road (Uzbekistan)

TEXT & PHOTOS: Andy Yeo

Few places in Central Asia capture the allure of the Silk Road more than Uzbekistan, and with a tourism industry bigger than all the other ‘Stans put together, it’s fast becoming an essential destination for adventurous travellers in search of mind-blowing ancient architecture, splendid bazaars and awe-inspiring natural wonders.

Touch down in Tashkent and head to the southwestern edge of the Fergana Valley for Kokand, erstwhile capital of one of the three great Khanates that ruled most of Central Asia until the 19th century. Get a taste of the many mosques and madrassahs, or religious schools, that you’ll come across in this overwhelmingly Islamic nation, and visit the impressively opulent Palace of Khudayar Khan.

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