This landmark is a well-known secret of Saint Ann Parish: despite its growing fame as a tourist attraction, it has managed to reserve its secluded quality. Fed by gushing waterfalls and surrounded by rich tropical flora, these stunning azure pools provide a perfect setting for hiking and swimming. Adventure-seekers can even grab rope swings to plunge over the Hole, or sign up for a river tubing tour.

The so-called Temple of Hercules (AD 162–166) dominates Amman’s Citadel. These days, archaeologists prefer to call it the Great Temple of Amman, since its dedication remains uncertain. Only six Corinthian columns stand reconstructed today. The rest lie as fragmented drums, their dowel holes revealing Roman engineering techniques. A colossal marble statue once graced the site. All that survives is a weathered elbow and fingers, suggesting a figure over 13 metres tall, likely toppled in the 8th-century earthquake. The temple’s platform doubles as Amman’s premier viewpoint, framing the modern city against the 150-metre Jordanian flag. Excavations nearby expose layers of civilisation: Umayyad palaces, Byzantine churches, and Roman baths intertwine with older Bronze Age ruins. Though the Hercules name persists thanks to the sculptural remnant, archaeologists emphasise the temple’s civic importance. Its sheer scale reflects Amman’s status as a regional hub. Guides prove invaluable for deciphering 9,000 years of history compressed into a single hilltop.

This nationally recognised Shinto shrine is considered one of Japan’s primary symbols of the country’s major religion. Take in the huge 11-metre cypress tree torii (gate) before wandering peacefully along winding paths to the wonderful inner buildings. Near the main complex, the modern Meiji Jingu Museum displays personal artefacts of the imperial couple, from manuscripts to garments. For a small fee, the Inner Garden (Jingu Naien) reveals a landscape of seasonal beauty, most famous for its June iris blooms.

The Duke’s Diwan is a time capsule of early 20th-century Amman, hidden in plain sight on the busy King Faisal Street. Built in 1924 as the city’s first post office, this Ottoman-era stone house later became the Haifa Hotel before heritage activist Mamdouh Bisharat ("The Duke of Mukheibeh") rescued it from demolition in 2001. Today, its creaking wooden floors lead through rooms frozen in Jordan’s past, complete with antique typewriters, sepia photos of camel caravans on dusty roads, and a balcony overlooking downtown’s metamorphosis. More than a museum, it’s a living diwan (gathering space): poets hold readings at the carved oak table, while artists riff under the Arabian archways. Admission is free, and the duke himself sometimes holds court, spinning tales of old Amman over cardamom coffee. Don’t miss the upstairs gallery, where rotating exhibits spotlight Jordan’s underground creatives.