National Geographic Lists ‘Jordan Trail’ among Best 21 Tourism Destinations for 2018

The Jordan Trail. (AFP)
The Jordan Trail. (AFP)
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National Geographic Lists ‘Jordan Trail’ among Best 21 Tourism Destinations for 2018

The Jordan Trail. (AFP)
The Jordan Trail. (AFP)

The Jordan Trail has been listed among the best tourism destinations for 2018 by National Geographic Travel.

This list features the top 21 cultural and nature destinations worth visiting during the upcoming year. The choices were divided into three main categories: cities, culture and nature.

George Stone, editor of National Geographic Traveler said: "Our mission is to inspire curiosity among our readers and encourage them to explore the world with passion and purpose.”

“The 21 destinations we chose for 2018 will definitely lead to a great year of delightful explorations, which represent a dream program for inspired travelers.”

“This list relies on the values adopted by National Geographic Travel ​​in learning about cultures and civilizations, and preserving heritage, environment, and sustainability,” he added.

For her part, Muna Haddad, president of the Jordan Trail Association, said: "This rank is well deserved. We are grateful to encourage visitors to take this amazing journey, to get to know Jordan closely, by hiking in the trail and experiencing the Jordanian hospitality.”

“Many adventurers have worked for many years to make Jordan's diverse nature available for all, by fulfilling the dream of Jordan Trail. This important recognition is a celebration of their efforts in placing Jordan on the global map of tourism,” she added.

The Jordan Trail is a long route that extends over 650 km, crosses the entire Jordan, from Umm Qais in the north to Aqaba in the south.

Haddad highlighted the continued support of partners and supporters for further development of the trail and to transform it into an economic catalyst in the regions it passes through.

The best tourism destinations in the world for 2018 are: Albania, Cleveland in Ohio, Dublin in Ireland, Friesland in the Netherlands, Harar in Ethiopia, Jordan Trail in Jordan, Jujuy in Argentina, Labrador in Canada, Madagascar, Malmo in Sweden, Oahu in Hawaii, Oaxaca in Mexico, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Rua Neb in Tanzania, San Antonio in Texas, Santiago in Chile, Suraxan National Park in South Korea, Sydney in Australia, Tbilisi in Georgia, Tetouan in Morocco, and Vienna in Austria.

The Jordan Trail, run by the Jordan Trail Association, passes through 52 villages and crosses various natural areas, including forests, deserts and valleys. The Jordan Trail Association was established by a group of adventure enthusiasts in 2015 to develop and manage the trail.



Forecasts Warn of Possible Winter Storms across US during Thanksgiving Week

A drone view shows a damaged area, following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Asheville, North Carolina, US, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view shows a damaged area, following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Asheville, North Carolina, US, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)
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Forecasts Warn of Possible Winter Storms across US during Thanksgiving Week

A drone view shows a damaged area, following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Asheville, North Carolina, US, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view shows a damaged area, following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Asheville, North Carolina, US, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)

Forecasters through the US issued warnings that another round of winter weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages.
In California, where a person was found dead in a vehicle submerged in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more precipitation while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. Thousands in the Pacific Northwest remained without power after multiple days in the dark.
The National Weather Service office in Sacramento, California, issued a winter storm warning for the state's Sierra Nevada for Saturday through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at higher elevations and wind gusts potentially reaching 55 mph (88 kph). Total snowfall of roughly 4 feet (1.2 meters) was forecast, with the heaviest accumulations expected Monday and Tuesday.
The Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see rain and snow Monday and the East Coast will be the most impacted on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, forecasters said.
A low pressure system is forecast to bring rain to the Southeast early Thursday before heading to the Northeast. Areas from Boston to New York could see rain and strong winds, with snowfall possible in parts of northern New Hampshire, northern Maine and the Adirondacks. If the system tracks further inland, there could be less snow and more rain in the mountains, forecasters said.
Deadly 'bomb cyclone’ on West Coast Earlier this week, two people died when the storm arrived in the Pacific Northwest. Hundreds of thousands lost power, mostly in the Seattle area, before strong winds moved through Northern California. A rapidly intensifying “ bomb cyclone ” that hit the West Coast on Tuesday brought fierce winds that resulted in home and vehicle damage.
Rescue crews in Guerneville, California, recovered a body inside a vehicle bobbing in floodwaters around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Dillion said, noting the deceased was presumed to be a victim of the storm but an autopsy had not yet been conducted.
Santa Rosa, California, saw its wettest three-day period on record with about 12.5 inches (32 centimeters) of rain by Friday evening, the National Weather Service in the Bay Area reported. Vineyards in nearby Windsor, California, were flooded on Saturday.
Tens of thousands without power in Seattle area Some 80,000 people in the Seattle area were still without electricity after this season’s strongest atmospheric river, a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows over land.
The power came back in the afternoon at Katie Skipper’s home in North Bend, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Seattle, after being out since Tuesday. She was tired from taking cold showers, warming herself with a wood stove and using a generator to run the refrigerator, but Skipper said those inconveniences paled in comparison to the damage other people suffered, such as from fallen trees.
“That’s really sad and scary,” she said.
Northeast gets needed precipitation Another storm brought rain to New York and New Jersey, where rare wildfires have raged in recent weeks, and heavy snow to northeastern Pennsylvania. The precipitation was expected to help ease drought conditions after an exceptionally dry fall.
“It’s not going to be a drought buster, but it’s definitely going to help when all this melts,” said Bryan Greenblatt, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Binghamton, New York.
Heavy snow fell in northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Pocono Mountains. Higher elevations reported up to 17 inches (43 centimeters), with lesser accumulations in valley cities including Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Less than 80,000 customers in 10 counties lost power.
Precipitation in West Virginia helped put a dent in the state’s worst drought in at least two decades and boosted ski resorts preparing to open their slopes in the weeks ahead.