The leading B2B event for the global games industry, Pocket Gamer Connects, is returning to Jordan this November 4th to 5th, for our biggest show in the region yet.
It’s time to start making your plans to join us at The King Hussein bin Talal Convention Centre, which is the largest convention centre in all of Jordan and is conveniently located right next to the glorious Dead Sea.
You’ll get to bask in the glorious sights of one of the most stunning coasts on the planet and get business done at the same time. Enjoy a fantastic weekend full of insight, innovation and endless networking opportunities with over 1,500 games industry professionals and 150 expert speakers from across the games industry to discuss the most pressing topics facing the global games industry and the MENA region today.
There’s so much going on at PG Connects Jordan – not only our regular matchmaking fringe events, competitions and expo space, but we’ll also bring you all the latest in the MENA market. Beat the winter blues in this stunning location with exciting trips to Petra and Wadi Rum, and don’t forget to take advantage of the luxurious spa services available at the Hilton Dead Sea Resort and Spa to turn your business trip into a workation!
Jordan is so much more than just a beautiful place to do business and learn about all the exciting advances in the MENA region. It’s a country steeped in history with fascinating culture, so we’re giving you more insight into the fabulous location for the last PG Connects of the year, what you can do in your free time to make the most of the trip and return home with not just your next great business deal, but an unforgettable trip of a lifetime!
1. The Dead Sea
At the lowest point on Earth sitting nearly 500 metres below sea level, its high salinity – or salt level – is the reason that you are able to float in the water; it has almost 10 times more salt content than ordinary seawater. This is because water flows into the Dead Sea from one main tributary, the River Jordan, then has no way to get out of the lake and is forced to evaporate.
The Dead Sea has been said to have healing powers since biblical times with Herod the Great building one of the first health spas on its shores, while Cleopatra used Dead Sea products as part of her beauty regime. Dead Sea mud has several health benefits and supposedly can improve the condition of your skin as well as improving muscular and joint pains. The process is to cover yourself in mud, let it do its work for 15 minutes to half an hour whilst you bake in the sun and then wash it off in the sea.
Whilst the Dead Sea is one of Jordan’s most popular tourist destinations, it’s disappearing at an alarming rate. Its surface level is dropping by more than one metre every year and it’s only half the length it was just a century ago, so don’t miss the chance to visit this natural wonder while you can!
2. Dead Sea Museum and Panoramic Complex
Sitting on a ridge looking over the Dead Sea below, this complex with an observation platform and a museum devoted to the Dead Sea is a great stop on your way to or from the Dead Sea shore itself.
The Dead Sea Museum takes you through the history and formation of the Dead Sea, documents its geology and the area’s importance through human history.
The Panorama Restaurant has stunning views and is at the start of the short cliff-top walk where you’ll look out to miles across the Dead Sea to Palestine. The Zara Cliff Top walk starts at the southern side of an amphitheatre, offering views of the Dead Sea throughout.
You can sample a traditional bedouin experience with traditional food and drink enjoyed with live Arabic music, or stroll around the stunning rock garden before adding your own love lock to the ‘Lock Your Love Wall’.
It’s also a great place to pick up souvenirs, The Panorama Gift Shop offers a selection of locally produced items supplied by local artists, craftsmen and community-based organisations, from Dead Sea Salts and Muds, olive oil hand-made soaps to hand-carved olive wood jewellery.
For the best views, it’s recommended to come here early in the morning. Later in the day, the western bank of the Dead Sea is often covered in haze.
3. Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan
Most scholars believe that this is the site where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. Pope John Paul II officially sanctified the site’s claim during his Holy Land tour in 2000.
Rubbing right up against the border with Israel and the Palestinian Territories, archaeological work to uncover the ruins here only began in the mid-1990s after Jordan’s peace deal was signed with Israel. This archaeological and religious site is one of the most important and meaningful pilgrimage sites for Christian visitors to Jordan.
The ruins unearthed here reveal a Byzantine-era pilgrimage complex, with the foundations of churches and baptism ponds. The earliest foundations of a church discovered here date back to the third century, making it one of the oldest in the world.
For non-religious visitors, the platform here is where you can snap photos right on the country’s border, as the opposite river bank (a couple of metres away) is Israel.
4. Thermal Springs of Hammamat Ma’in
The thermal springs of Hammamat Ma’in are secreted between barren high hills, within the lush valley of Wadi Zarqa Ma’in. Here, steaming waterfalls gush down the cliffs into pools where people soak in the hot, mineral-rich water.
The Ma’in Hot Springs Resort and Spa, one of Jordan’s best hideaway-style spa stays, is now built on-site, providing a variety of gender-separated public pools for bathing. It’s also home to a beautiful Roman bath, which includes an indoor hot spring steam room. Ma’in Hot Spring Resort & Spa offers day passes giving access to their spa facilities and private, waterfall-fed hot pools, while the spa also offers a range of treatments including massages and revitalising body wraps.
5. Lot’s Cave Monastery
This is where some biblical scholars believe Lot and his daughters lived after God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. A stepped walkway winds up the hill to the site, with good views of the surrounding countryside along the way. Once up the hill at the site itself, the main ruins in front of the cave are of a much younger Byzantine-era church-monastery complex. According to the inscriptions found here, the church was dedicated to Lot, showing that in the Byzantine era, people believed that this cave was the place where Lot and his family stayed.
There are some well-preserved fragments of mosaic flooring in the church ruins, as well as the remains of a reservoir.
Before (or after) you climb up to the site, pop in to the Lowest Point on Earth Museum, where artefacts, including mosaic fragments and ceramics, unearthed from the site and from other nearby archaeological sites such as Bab Ad-Dhraa are on display.
6. Feynan Nature Reserve
Once you’ve passed the southern end of the body of water, the Dead Sea Highway is bordered by the desolate desert landscapes of the Wadi Arabah.
Heading this way, about 60 kilometres south from Lot’s Cave, you reach the turnoff into Feynan, which can only be accessed by four-wheel drive.
This desert area encompasses the lower elevation of Wadi Dana Biosphere Reserve, which at its top height sits at around 1,700 metres, with Dana Village accessed from the King’s Highway and sits below sea level amid the desert.
Feynan Eco-lodge arranges activities within the desert area, including hikes to copper mines used in the Iron Age and Roman era, as well as canyoning. It’s also the only place to stay in the area. A night at Feynan is an experience in itself, as the eco-lodge doesn’t use electricity. Cultural activities are also on offer as part of the Bedouin Experiences from Wildjordan.com.
From Feynan, there is a popular and incredibly beautiful one-day hiking trail up the Wadi Dana to Dana Village.
7. Kerak Castle
Kerak is Jordan’s most famous crusader-built castle, with dramatically well-preserved fortifications and a warren of barren-vaulted halls and chambers, as well as dungeon cells to explore.
It was built in the 12th century as part of the Crusaders’ line of defence and retains an astounding amount of its original character, though various additions were made to the castle during the Mamluk era.
On a Dead Sea sightseeing drive starting from Amman or Madaba, you can easily fit in a visit to Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan, a dip in the Dead Sea and a tour of Kerak Castle on the same day.
8. Petra
A trip to Jordan wouldn’t be complete without experiencing Jordan’s most-visited tourist attraction, Petra. Don’t miss this opportunity to join our specially curated trip to this incredible historic site known as the Lost City and listed as one of the new seven wonders of the world thanks to the artistry of the Nabataean Arabs, who perfectly carved the city into its mountains.
This trip includes bus travel to the site, on a comfortable bus with wi-fi; stops along the way; a full walking tour of the region with a guide; and refreshments throughout the day. Plus opportunities to buy souvenirs, horse and camel rides, and other tourist elements on the day if you’re so inclined.
Our amazing Early Bird pricing offer for this unmissable event is available now… but not for long. Take advantage of this opportunity by securing your ticket to our biggest show in the MENA region yet at the best possible price and save up to a whopping £215! Prices are rising soon, so you don’t want to miss out on the best deal possible!
