Some of the world’s greatest destinations are currently devoid of tourists

I’ve always wanted to go to Jordan, but it’s one of those countries that has eluded me.

That’s not because of any disruption due to its sometimes-uncomfortable position in the Middle East, but due to missed opportunities and scheduling problems.

Now’s the time to go, I’m told by Ibrahim Hasan of travel specialists Abercrombie & Kent in Jordan.

The turmoil in the region has made travellers hesitant about visiting this small country, which is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and Palestine’s West Bank to the west.

Currently, popular attractions such as Wadi Rum, Petra and the Red Sea are enjoyably free of the throngs of tourists that usually swamp them.

“Jordan’s a quiet house in a noisy neighbourhood,” is how Hasan explains it. The country’s role as something of a peacemaker in the region has made it a relatively safe harbour. People travel back and forth between the borders all the time without incident, he says.

I’m talking to Hasan at PURE Life Experiences, an annual gathering of luxury experiential travel operators held in Marrakesh.

Being in Marrakesh again underlines for me the magic of this part of the world. I’d rather be in this region than almost anywhere.

Maybe it goes back to my fascination for the little wooden camel my parents brought back from Port Aden in Yemen on their honeymoon and their romantic stories of the region in the 1950s, but I’m also captivated by the aesthetics, the music, fragrances, and food.

There’s a naivety about this part of the world and North Africa that can only be improved by going there. By travelling we learn that people are basically the same everywhere and that kindness to strangers is a default human mechanism.

Morocco never disappoints. It gives all my senses and terrible French a good workout.

And yet, this time when I returned from Marrakesh, I was asked on two different occasions if it was “safe” and those people seemed doubtful when I said yes. I don’t think they were wondering about earthquakes.

Morocco is a popular destination, a kingdom which is relatively stable, so this surprised me. I remember coming back from Oman 20 years ago and being asked similar questions. But Oman was unknown then, and Muscat wasn’t such a popular port on Middle Eastern cruises.

For those who have always wanted to go to Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia or many of the Middle Eastern countries, this might be the time to book that tour or flight if you don’t want to jostle with hundreds of other tourists.

I was recently in Turkey on an escorted tour and one of the other guests was going on to join a tour in Jordan. Where there were usually about 16 people on the trip, there were now only three, he said. The tour company honoured the booking, fortunately.

I have been following a Facebook friend as he travels in a low-key way through Tunisia, another country high on my wish list. He’s been having a wonderful, incident-free time.

But Smartraveller currently advises Australians to exercise a high level of caution in visiting this country, due to the instability of neighbouring Algeria and Libya and the ongoing threat of terrorism.

There are things to consider, such as the viability of travel insurance and flight disruptions that occasionally happen when the region flares up. But there’s risk everywhere.

On the other hand, there is so much happening. Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is surrounded by rivers of gold. Egypt is banking on the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza to bring more visitors to its borders.

At PURE, there were lots of forthcoming openings in the Middle East, but the dreamiest was The Malkai in Oman, three luxury pavilions linked across three extraordinary locations – desert, farmland oasis and mountains.

It’s a project from the owner of the Chedi Muscat, that city’s acclaimed seaside resort.

With the excellent Oman Air now flying to Australia, Oman is a gentle introduction to the region.

Now’s the time to step out.

Check current travel advice at smartraveller.gov.au

The writer was a guest of PURE Life Experiences. See purelifeexperiences.com