Why Jordan Should Be At The Top Of Your Bucket List

Before my recent visit to Jordan, everything I knew about the country could be condensed into one scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom! But Jordan is more than Petra and a Hollywood blockbuster, so I set out to uncover the rest.

My trip to Jordan with Club Adventures (small group travel) was like stepping into a time machine, visiting ancient sites that have hardly changed in thousands of years. Club Adventures created a brilliant itinerary hitting all the highlights, but the adventures were ours to create in the Roman ruins of Jerash, the golden sand desert of Wadi Rum and the colorful coral reefs of the Red Sea.

The first full day of our adventure tour brought our small group of seven to the Wadi Rum desert. A protected site in Jordan, this desert is home to the Bedouin people and was like no other place I had ever been. Wadi Rum’s hundreds of miles of golden sand, rocky caverns and steep chasms awaited. The very first thing we did was meet a few new friends that would transport us across the desert -- our camels!

We each took turns climbing aboard our camels and after finding our balance, we wiggled and bumped our way toward the horizon. Most of the group had never ridden on a camel before and it was a little bumpier than anticipated. But with much laughter, we found our groove soon enough.

While camels are one of the most authentic ways to cross the desert landscape, it’s not the fastest. To go deeper into Wadi Rum, we transferred to a much faster way to travel, a Jeep tour!

Our vehicles were able to race across the sand and bring us to hidden spots we’d never be able to find on our own. We climbed up the canyons to some of the most breathtaking views in the desert. Also known as the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum has been the filming locations to several notable movies like Star Wars, The Martian and Lawrence of Arabia.

We spent several hours exploring the desert, and we didn’t even scratch the surface of all there was to see. Since the sun was starting to set, it was time to check into our accommodations for the night - a real Bedouin camp. The Bedouins have lived here for thousands of years and today, they lead the camel and jeep tours and open up overnight camps for tourists to experience Wadi Rum at night. I had never stayed overnight in the desert before, and this was one of the activities I was looking forward to most. When we arrived we were greeted by the family who own the site who welcomed us with open arms.

We sat around the campfire drinking tea (as you will do many times when visiting Jordan) and reminiscing about our favorite parts of the day. When it was time for bed, I wandered away from the site to experience darkness without light pollution. I have never felt so small than I did standing alone in the quiet desert. The light from a billion stars lit the sky. I couldn’t believe this was just the first day.

The next day of our small group tour brought us to Aqaba for a full day of shopping, sailing and snorkeling. If you’re planning on buying any souvenirs for your friends, or maybe a couple of knick knacks for yourself, Aqaba is the place to do it. Folks from all around Jordan come to Aqaba to do their shopping because there is no tax in this city and there are shops and markets on every street. Our Club Adventures guide, Mousa, took us to all his favorite shops and introduced us to a few of his friends who gave us great deals on scarves. My only concern was how I was going to fit 15 more scarves into my suitcase. Bring an extra bag for goodies if you’re so inclined!

Later, we spent the afternoon soaking up the sun and the Red Sea on our own private yacht. After our epic day of climbing sand dunes and giant rock formations in Wadi Rum, it was nice to lay back and relax with the sea breeze blowing in our hair, but we didn’t rest for too long. Our guides showed us two beautiful coral reef sites and we suited up and began to explore.

The marine life was diverse and different than what I’m used to seeing in the U.S.! Lionfish, sea turtles, jellyfish and pufferfish were all waiting for us beneath the surface. We spent several hours exploring the sea before the sun started to set and I could feel all the muscles in my legs say, “Hey, could you take it easy? I think you’ve swam every inch of the Red Sea!”

The next day, I was excited to finally see what drew me to Jordan in the first place - Petra! My groupmates chatted on the bus about what we were most looking forward to. “How big will it look in person? Should we ride a donkey down to the Treasury? Will you take my photo in front of EVERYTHING?”

I’m so happy we had Mousa to explain the history of Petra. The walk to the Treasury usually takes about 45 minutes, but since he knew so much about the history and markings on every rock, it took us a little longer. I felt bad for everyone zooming past us. I wanted to grab them and tell them what they were missing.

Suddenly, there it was - the Treasury. Petra’s most famous photograph! It was bigger and better than I expected and so easy to see why it’s the most popular destination in Jordan and one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world. The magnificent rock carved structure has been around since 312 BC and was the capital city of Nabataens. I couldn’t help but image what it would have been like to live in Petra all those years ago. There are 800 structures that have been discovered so far, so we still had a ton to see. Continuing down the path towards the Roman Theater and the Monastery, there were far fewer tourists. I think many folks don’t realize that the Treasury is only the beginning! Mousa gave us insight into all the rock-carved facades, which ones were tombs and which were places of worship. And of course Mousa knew the best places to stop for lunch. (Super important on a 10+ mile day!)

After learning so much about Petra, we had some free time to explore on our own. I split off from the group and walked into every cave I could find. I was feeling like Indiana Jones so it only felt right that I search for the Holy Grail. Only around 15 percent of Petra has been explored by archaeologists so far. Maybe next time I visit the Rose Red City there will be even more to see.

Later that same night, the group returned to the Treasury to experience Petra by night. The Siq path is lighted by 1,500 candles leading up to the Treasury. The walk is peaceful, with little more than the sound of footsteps shuffling in the sand. The path led us back to the Treasury, which looked completely different than earlier in the day. Now it was illuminated by hundreds of candles, glowing red. We settled onto cushions on the ground and listened to the Bedouins playing music and telling stories. It was a great way to step back from the bustling day version of Petra to really appreciate the magnificent place we were in.

We definitely didn’t see all of Petra, so it only made sense that we had two days to explore the site. We had a another full day to explore on our own, but Mousa told us he knew of a trail with spectacular views of Petra, and we couldn’t say no to that! He talked us all into the four hour hike up and down mountains, through crevices, to what he promised would be the best views in the world. And it was definitely worth the hike! The walk through Petra’s main entrance is packed full of tourists, but our extra special tour was just for our Club Adventures crew. After our hike Mousa said we’ve seen places only Bedouins and locals have seen and I’m so grateful he talked us into it!

That evening we all took a cooking class at the Petra Kitchen. I don’t cook often, but the chefs made it so easy to learn how to prepare traditional Jordanian dishes. I did great! We made baba ganoush, tahini salad, fattoush and Maqluba, all things I had never heard of before this tour, and all new foods I was able to try. I have never eaten so much food in my life. And I was especially proud because we cooked it all, so I felt quite the sense of accomplishment. I’m excited to take this skill home with me and try it out on my friends.

I’d been so excited to see Petra that leaving was tough, but I knew we had a ton more to see and experience in Jordan. We drove toward Madaba to see the world’s oldest map of the Holy Land. Sometime between 542 to 570 AD, this huge mosaic map of Jerusalem was created in the apse of the church of St. George. Even with 2 million pieces of colored stone, the map is only about 25 percent of the original size. What remains sheds light on ancient life in this region.

Up next on our itinerary was a place I didn’t even know existed - the ancient Roman City of Jerash. With an unbroken chain of inhabitants, it’s unbelievable how well preserved these ruins are. We walked down streets and sat on the same benches as the people who built this place thousands of years ago.

Our last day in Jordan brought us to the Dead Sea. It’s one of the most bizarre and photo-worthy things to do in Jordan, if not the world. From the moment my feet plopped from the bottom of the sea to the surface, I bobbed like a cork with no effort on my part. What a strange feeling to be weightless, a result of the extremely high salinity in the water.

For just 3 dinars, you can experience the most unique spa treatment in the world, a DIY Dead Sea mud massage. I was the only one in the group brave enough to cover myself head-to-toe with the nutrient-rich mud. Visitors come from all around the world for a one-of-a-kind spa day and I wasn’t going to pass that up. It did feel a bit slimy, but my after 15 minutes I felt like a new person and my skin glowed.

From Jerash to the Dead Sea to Petra to Wadi Rum to Aqaba, traveling around Jordan with Club Adventures was such a fun experience I’m a little sad to leave it in the rear view mirror. I hope I’ve convinced you to put Jordan at the top of your bucket list, it truly is a place full of uncovered treasures.

Rachel Orth, AngieAway.com

by Rachel Orth