There must be so many ways to explore a new country but few can be as spectacular and enjoyable as The Jewel That Is Jordan motoring event.

In early May 2007 eighty four distinguished guests and thirty four classic and vintage cars assembled in the Red Sea port-city of Aqaba.  Though all were veterans of rallies worldwide, for most this was to be their first experience of Jordan and the Middle East.  At a time when the news is full of stories of unrest and violence across the region, it was a remarkable statement of confidence in the haven of peace and stability symbolized by Jordan that such an event could attract so many people and prove to be such an outstanding success.

The tour has been organized by the founder of Jewel Events, Mr. Jonathon Lyons, and Karma House for travel and is supported by the Classic Car Committee representing the Royal Automobile Museum and the Royal Automobile Club of Jordan and the Jordan Tourism Board. 

The cars reflected the style, charm and character of the guests.  The field included three 'Blower Bentleys' driven by Robert Ashworth, Robert Middlemann and Keith Shorrock, a very rare collection of four Bentley Continental R Types as favored by Jonathon Lyons, Andrew Fletcher, Fred Kriz and Peter Kellner and two of the most modern Bentley GTs owned by Davina Dickson and Marianne Grigg.  In addition, there was a 1961 Mercedes Benz 300SL Roadster driven by Christian Dumolin and a BMW Z8 Alpina which featured as a James Bond car in the movies and is one of only nine ever built. Of special interest to the Jordanians present was a 1933 Lagonda M45 originally owned by HM King Abdullah II prior to his accession and is now in the possession of Nowell Stebbing.   The Jewel that is Jordan III participants and cars came from as far a field as Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Holland, South Africa, India, USA and Canada, as well as from Jordan.

The introductory drive took the guests through the copper-banded hills that border Aqaba to Wadi Rum, 'The Valley of the Moon', to retrace part of the route taken by Emir Feisal and Lawrence of Arabia during the Great Arab Revolt of 1916.  Rugged and majestic, the near vertical walls of these sandstone canyons rise for many hundreds of metres.  They were carved by glaciers many millennia ago and seem totally out of place in this hauntingly beautiful desert landscape. 

The following morning the party set off through Wadi Araba to drive some 200 kilometers north towards the Dead Sea, a seemingly impossible four hundred meters below sea level, and past the cave which sheltered Lot after the destruction of the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  For this leg the cars were escorted by the Jordanian-built SEEKER spotter plane, to photograph and film the cars as well as watch for stragglers and those challenged by the road book!  Later in the tour a number of guests were taken for flights in the SEEKER to gain a different perspective of Jordan, though at an altitude not too dissimilar from that of their cars.

After the barren desert the Dead Sea hotels provided an oasis of luxury in a terrain almost devoid of life.  From here, the Jewel guests were taken on drives to places whose names fill the Old Testament and history books; to Mount Nebo, where Moses first viewed the ‘Promised Land’, to Bethany where John baptized Jesus Christ, the Palace at Machaerus where Salome danced for Herod the Great and John was later beheaded, as well as the Mosaic Churches at Madaba, the Hot Springs of Ma’in, the Castle built by Salah Ud-Din at Ajloun and the Roman City of Jerash. 

Throughout, Jordanian hospitality was also in abundance, typified by the champagne reception and banquet offered by Mohammed Adwan at his palatial farm in the Jordan Valley.  The Royal Automobile Museum and the Royal Car Museum opened their doors to the Jewel and hosted a splendid lunch and a tea party in keeping with the spirit of the event.  The Jewel also served a noble cause and at a Royal Gala Dinner and Auction held under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, the participants along with many Jordanian notables helped to raise an incredible sum for the Al-Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans.  

The return leg took the Jewel south from the Capital of Amman, along the ancient route that follows the fertile escarpment overlooking the Jordan Valley, past the Crusader Castles of Shawbak and Kerak which stand astride the ancient trade routes from the distant east to the Mediterranean and on to Europe, across the deep gorge carved by the Mujib River, pausing briefly at the Wildlife Reserve at Dana before arriving at one of the highlights of the tour, the ‘Rose Red City’ of Petra.  Carved by the Nabateans out of the sandstone rock some 2,000 years ago, the first glimpse of the ‘Treasury’ at the end of the mile-long approach through the Siq invariably leaves the visitor speechless in wonder and full of admiration for these incredible people.  That night the guests dined and partied under the moonlight at 'Little Petra'. 

Twelve days, 1,000 kms and surprisingly few speeding tickets later the tour returned to Aqaba to load their cars at the port and say farewell to new-found friends, to party once more and plan the next event.  The Jewel that is Jordan IV is scheduled to take place in October 2008.