Capital: Amman | Language: Arabic | Currency: Dinar | Religion: Islam | Population: 10 million

Believe it or not, Petra is not all there is to Jordan, although it’s so awesome you’d think it would be enough. But besides scrambling around the ruins of an ancient civilisation, how about snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea, or bobbing like a cork in the Dead Sea. Or driving a jeep at breakneck speeds in the empty desert, watching the sun set over sandstone canyons, and sleeping at a Bedouin camp.