Jordan – The Country of Hidden Treasures

Jordan had been on our bucket list for quite some time. When the trip started materializing and we started exploring the possibility of where to go and what to see, our initial 5-day trip turned into an 8 day / 7-night program and I would not recommend anything less for a country as magnificent as Jordan. We first visited Amman for two nights.  From Amman, we did a day trip to Jerash as well. We then went to Petra for another two nights and en-route from Amman to Petra we visited Mt Nebo and Madaba.  From Petra, we drove to Wadi Rum for one night and our final destination was the Dead Sea for another two nights. On the way from Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea, we visited Aqaba.

1. Amman:-

We started our trip in Amman, we spent our first evening walking the streets of downtown Amman and exploring different street cafes of Rainbow Street. Don’t forget to try a Shawarma while in Amman. The following day we drove one hour from Amman to see the ancient city of Jerash. Jerash is a good mix of Roman and Middle Eastern architecture. We entered through the Arch of Hadrian and saw a few interesting sights around the Arch but soon realized we had not yet entered the actual sight. Within the main heritage site, we saw the Roman Amphitheater, the Temple of Artemis, the Temple of Zeus and the Oval Theatre. Jerash was a whole city and it is huge, so we didn’t see all of it, but the sights we did see, gave us a good sense of the places.

We then returned to Amman and visited the Citadel where the Temple of Hercules is located. The Citadel is on top of a hill and you get the perfect view of Amman city from here. The Citadel is also home to a lovely museum with good collections of artefacts. I would highly recommend a visit to the Citadel while in Amma. Amman also has its own Roman Theatre but if you are visiting Jerash, then that’s the one you should see. Amman is also has a number of old souks (markets). They are located in the old town and make an interesting walk. The King Abdullah Mosque, which is Amman’s oldest Mosque, is also located in the old town.

Mt Nebo:-

Our next destination was Petra. On our way to Petra, we visited Mt Nebo and Madaba. Mt. Nebo is no top of a hill, with a stunning view of the Valley of Musa (Prophet Moses). Mt Nebo is where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land, he was forbidden to enter the Promised Land.  The air is divine and the views are spectacular, from Mt Nebo. From here you can see Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. The old Byzantine church at Mt. Nebo has some fantastic excavated mosaic floors and walls. I would definitely recommend a visit to Mt Nebo.

Madaba:-

Close to Mt. Nebo is the small town of Madaba, narrow pebbled streets and a handful of excavated areological sights make Madaba an interesting place to visit. The most fascinating place to visit was the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George where you can find the 6th-century map of the Holy Land made in mosaic. We also visited the Church of Virgin Mary and the Burnt Palace. The Church of Virgin Mary was fascinating and the excavated mosaic was just fabulous.  The mosaic floors of Madaba are fascinating and a true treat for the eyes. You can almost not believe that they have been there was centuries.

The streets of Madaba are lined with souvenir shops and also workshops of artist demonstrating mosaic and ceramic hand painting. You can walk in and request a demonstration without any fee, though it would be nice to pick up a souvenir from the artist later.  After are visit to Madaba, we continued to Petra. Enroute we stopped for lunch at a tourist restaurant, where a small buffet is laid out at a nominal price.

Petra:-

Our fourth day in Jordan was dedicated to Petra. The town of Petra is lined with hotels and restaurants. Our hotel was a five-minute walk to the entrance to the world heritage site of Petra. This was perfect as there is a lot of walking at the heritage sight. Your entrance tickets include a short pony ride until the Siq – narrow passage, from here, you must walk across the Siq for 2.5 kms before you reach the Treasury. Your journey through the Siq will be the first and one of the most spectacular sights of your day today, so take a deep breath and get your cameras out before you start. It is believed that an earthquake made the mountain split and created this narrow pathway. We were traveling with our 5-year-old and preferred to take a horse carriage from the entrance of the ancient city to the Treasury. Though we walk for most parts of it, I would still recommend the horse carriage when traveling with kids and the elderly.

As our horse carriage approached the Treasury, we witnessed the second most spectacular sight of the day – The Treasury. There is a small cafe at the Treasury, where you can sit and have some tea or coffee and just take in the beauty of this hidden treasure.  You may feel you have reached your destination, but in fact you are just about to start. After a cup of a delicious Jordanian tea, we hired a pony for our daughter, while we decided to walk  towards the Facades. We crossed the Theatre, a number of Tombs finally through the Arch arriving at Basin Street. Each sight was amazing, raising only one question- How was something so magnificent ever constructed?

On reaching the Basin, where you can have something to eat at the restaurant, you have a choice to return to the main entrance or continue to visit towards the Monastery.  We decided to continue further to see the Monastery. The route to the Monastery is steep and sometimes slippery. We decided to take a one-way pony up the hill to reach quicker. The journey to the Monastery is enchanting and at most times look like a painted picture.  The pony only goes to a point and then there is a ten to fifteen-minute walk further to the Monastery.  When you finally reach the end of the path and see the Monastery, you realize how totally worthwhile it was for you to come to Petra. We enjoyed another cup of tea and some spectacular views before making our journey back to the Treasury.

There was so much more to see at heritage sight and in order to see all of it, 2-4 days are needed. When you stamp your ticket at the entrance, you get a map of the ancient city. The map highlights different stops and trails. We went on the classic trail until the Basin and then continued uphill towards the Monastery.

Wadi Rum:-

The next day, we checked out of our hotel and headed for Wadi Rum – the Valley of Moon. Wadi Rum is only a 90 minute’s drive from Petra. The drive from Petra to Wadi Rum was an absolute stunner with breathtaking views and a number of photo-stops. On arrival at the Wadi Rum village, the camp where we were booked for the night, sent a 4x 4 Jeep to take us to the camp which was located in the middle of the desert. We left most of our luggage with our driver and only took 2 small bags with us to the camp.

Wadi Rum is managed and controlled by the Bedouin community. Our camp staff were all dressed in traditional Bedouin attires. We booked ourselves a “night under the stars room”. It was a bubble room, designed like an igloo and it had the perfect view of the sky.

After checking in, we went on jeep safari at the desert and also climbed up the Jabal Umm Fruth Bridge. It is one of the several natural arches in Wadi Rum and makes a step climb. Definitely not was the weak hearted!! We then continued to witness one of the best sunsets in the world. The desert was calm and quiet and for miles, there was no one to be seen or heard, we had our own private view point and our exclusive sunset. Our daughter absolutely loved playing in the sand and spent most of her time rolling on the dunes while we absorbed the essence of Wadi Rum in all its glory.

As the darkness set, millions of shining star appeared in the sky. It was like we were in another world, on another planet. The bubble tent was one of the most expensive rooms we had booked on this trip, but it was totally worth every penny. Lying in the comfort of our cozy room and looking up at millions of stars from our bed was the perfect end to the day.

The camp set out a lovely traditional Bedouin dinner, followed by bonfire and music. If you plan taking lunch at your camp on arrival, you must inform them in advance as the food in made fresh for you. Alternatively, you can have lunch at the visitor center at the Wadi Rum village before heading to your camp. You can also pre book your safari with your camp manager. We booked our desert safari when we arrived at our camp, but I would recommend booking it in advance, especially if you are traveling during the tourist season. I would also recommend spending the night at Wadi Rum at a desert camp. It was the best night of our trip to Jordan. However, it is possible to do a day excursion to Wadi Rum and stay the night in Aqaba or to save a night; you can drive north to the Dead Sea after your visit to Wadi Rum.

Aqaba:-

Next morning we check out after breakfast and drove to Aqaba. Like all other journey’s in Jordan the drive was absolutely perfect. Aqaba is only a 60 minutes’ drive from Wadi Rum.  Jordan touches the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, having read about the Red Sea as a student, I was always fascinated to visit. The weather in Aqaba was warm and it was a nice sunny day. The Red Sea is famous for corals, but I was told the water in January is very cold and snorkeling is not recommended. Instead in Aqaba, we hired a private glass bottom boat at the shore. On our 40 minute boat ride, we saw some beautiful corals, a sunk military tank and lots of fish. The air was pure, and the breeze was lovely.

The highlight of our boat ride was seeing Palestine, which touched the waters across the Sea. Our boat was in close proximity of Palestine before returning to the shores of Jordan. After enjoying a lovely Middle Eastern lunch and exploring the local market, we headed for the Dead Sea. If you are a beach lover and like being in the Sea, then you should plan to spend a night or two in Aqaba as you cannot really spend too much time in the waters of the Dead Sea.

Dead Sea:-

The Dead Sea was the perfect end to our trip. After spending a week travelling across Jordan, we enjoyed having one day just to sit by the beach and to enjoy the heated pool and whirlpool of our hotel. The highlight of our stay at the Dead Sea was applying the mineral-rich mud from the dead sea all over our body and floating on the Dead Sea as well. The Dead Sea is not very wide and at all times we could see the land of Palestine from our hotel. You cannot spend a lot of time in the water, so 2 nights with one full day in enough at the Dead Sea; or even one night if you have a late-night flight the next day.

There is not much to see in and around the Dead Sea. The place is literally dead, so be prepared to have all your meals at your hotel. I would recommend booking a good resort. If you have a car at your disposal, then you can drive down to a small shopping mall nearby which has 2-3 eateries and a small super market. You will not be able to hail a taxi on the road, so you must book it from your hotel’s travel desk. If you are finishing your trip at the Dead Sea as we did, then buy all your souvenirs and finish your shopping before you head to the Dead Sea. From the Dead Sea, we drove to Amman airport to take our flight back to Delhi. The drive tour one hour.

Overview:-

We had purchased the Jordan pass for JD 70; it exempted us from the visa fee of JD 40 as we were staying for more than three nights and also gave us entry to most sights in Jordan. Out of all the sights we visited, we only purchased a ticket at Mt Nebo. On each day the experience was unique. On all our 8 days in Jordan, we experienced something different every day. The roads in Jordan are in very good condition and the country side is beautiful.

I travelled to Jordan with my husband and five-year-old daughter. We were a little apprehensive about taking our daughter to a destination which is perceived as a historic destination. But I know now that it is one of the best destinations for a family holiday. Jordan is the perfect destination for family travel and for young and old couples. There something for all age groups to do and explore in Jordan.

We traveled to Jordan in January 2018. It was cold and sunny on most days. The weather in Ababa was warmer than the other parts of the country. The best time to visit Jordan is from March-May. September to November is also a good time to visit. While in December – February it can be quite cold, but if you enjoy cold weather, then it is the perfect time to visit.

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