Into the wild: Jordanian Eco-Lodge named amongst top wildlife spots by National Geographic

A view of the Wadi Feynan Eco-Lodge in Jordan. Image courtesy of the Wadi Feynan website.

Feynan Eco-Lodge, a solar-powered retreat located in the heart of Jordan’s southern desert, has been selected by the National Geographic as one of the top 25 global eco-lodges for the year 2013.

National Geographic’s Traveller magazine recently announced their annual list of the best “twenty five spots to sleep in the wild”, with Feynan’s environmentally friendly lodge included in the list of resorts in South Africa, Peru, Indonesia, Australia, Kenya, Brazil, Canada and Greece, among other countries.

On its website, Traveller magazine said “the Dana Biosphere Reserve — a gold and crimson desert carved by ancient wadis — is the backdrop for Feynan Ecolodge, owned by Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). Glowing candles handmade by local women illuminate rooms and their interior courtyards are decorated with traditional handicrafts...”.

Traveller magazine is one of a number of publications developed by the National Geographic Society, devoted to exploration, education and conservation.

In 2009, National Geographic Adventure magazine selected Feynan Eco-Lodge as one of the top 50 eco-lodges in the world and one of the top desert retreats.

Traveller magazine’s selection makes the Feynan retreat one of only five lodges in the world to make both the 2009 and 2013 list, according to a statement issued by the RSCN.

RSCN Director General, Yehya Khaled, said Wednesday that the award “solidifies the position of Jordan on the world ecotourism map” and reinforces the importance of eco-tourism as a tool for conservation.

“The RSCN is thrilled that our flagship property, Feynan, has won this award,” Khaled added.

Established in 2005 by the RSCN, the 26-room lodge has been managed by EcoHotels since 2009. It is located in Dana Biosphere Reserve, the only reserve in Jordan that includes the four different bio-geographical zones of the country: Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, Saharo Arabian and Sudanian penetration.

Feynan Eco-Lodge is isolated from paved roads and electricity supplies as it is solar-powered and exclusively candle-lit.

The retreats list will be featured in the June/July 2013 issue of the magazine that will be available on newsstands from June 4.