Many travelers claim to want to see the entire world but never consider exploring the Middle East. Assuming the entire region to be unsafe and the culture shock to be unduly uncomfortable, it’s all too easy to write off the opportunity to see this part of the world that is so dramatically different from home. But I’m here to tell you that would be a mistake.

It is possible to experience the Middle East in relative safety. Jordan, an Arab kingdom bordered by Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq, Syria and Palestine, is no less safe than any urban area in the United States. There is culture shock, sure — the modest dress, the early morning calls to prayer bellowing hauntingly from loudspeakers atop mosques — but that’s sort of the point for adventurous travelers who actually want to see the world. In the middle of this tumultuous region lies a prosperous, moderate and peaceful country where travelers can experience arid desert that was home to scenes from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” in the morning and, just a few hours later, explore crumbling Roman ruins set against lush green rolling hills.

Note: In 2014, I wrote a weekly blog series on budget travel for eHow. This post is from that series, so you'll have to head over to their site to read it in full. Thanks for reading!

Click here to read the full article