On Tuesday, TIME named Wadi Dana one of the “world’s greatest places” in its third annual list of 100 unique and extraordinary travel destinations.

According to a statement by TIME staff, the third annual list is in “many ways … a tribute to the people and businesses at the forefront of those industries who, amid extraordinary circumstances, found ways to adapt, build and innovate. It shines a light on ingenuity, creativity, revitalization, and reopenings in destinations across the world.”

Wadi Dana’s Biosphere Reserve, Jordan’s largest nature preserve, is described in TIME’s list as being home to “rare regional flora and fauna including 25 protected endangered animal species, like the Syrian wolf and the spiny-tailed lizard.” The reserve was also surveyed by conservation experts in March to “curb poaching” and monitor the area.
According to TIME reporter Yulia Denisyuk, Wadi Dana “is also at the forefront of ecotourism,” supporting initiatives like the “award-winning Feynan Ecolodge, a solar-powered guesthouse that employs staff from local Bedouin families.”

 

Source: Jordan News