A Week in Jordan: Adventure, Glamping, History, Beaches & Food

Calling all the history and adventure lovers! A trip to Jordan may be that one thing you need to do before you get too old for walking rocky, long distances. And honestly, even if you are not a history lover and just super interested in adventure and exploring, you’re going to love Jordan.

Situated between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Jordan is a beautiful country, overflowing with history and practically covered in a deluge of the Roman Empire, the origin of Islam and Christianity and, later, the Byzantine Empire.

Here are some reasons you would want to consider visiting Jordan:

• You love history to the moon and back.
• You want to go on an adventure and hike and explore unduly terrain (and maybe get ahead on your New Year’s resolution to walk more every day).
• You love architecture. Jordan is filled with ancient architecture influenced by Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Catholicism and Islam.
• You want to rejuvenate your skin. The Dead Sea is not only a perfect place to swim for non-swimmers, but it also has many minerals that are wonderful for your skin. And need I mention the Dead Sea mud? That thing left my skin feeling like a soft silky pillow that I couldn’t stop touching.
• You love Indiana Jones. If you go to Jordan you’ll practically feel like you are in an Indiana Jones movie; and at some sites you may even feel like you are in the Chamber of Secrets from Harry Potter.

But of course, there’s this huge question that needs to be addressed:

Is Jordan Safe?

Yes it is! It is actually one of the safest countries in Asia, and definitely safer than a lot of countries around the world. Jordan has not been affected by the ISIS war, it’s still a thriving place for history and diverse culture. Jordan earns its main economy through tourism, so it takes tourist facilities and the safety of tourists very seriously. So (and I am saying this out of experience) you’ll be fine walking the streets at one in the morning, especially in tourist attracting places like Amman and Jerash.

So, does Jordan sound like your next possible travel destination? If yes, then here’s an itinerary that will make your trip unforgettable:

Day 1 & 2: Amman

Amman is the capital of Jordan, and perhaps the most “modern” city here. It holds skyscrapers on one end and tiny brick kiln brown houses on the other. The weather felt the best in Amman, it wasn’t as hot as Petra nor as humid as the Dead Sea. In the morning, it was sunny and windy and at night it was cold and peaceful (besides the traffic, of course).

A wonderful place to stop for a while when driving around the city is the Zahar district in West Amman, where the grand Jordan Gate Towers stand. It’s a beautiful monument to look at while having a shawarma for lunch. Amman has a perfect blend of modernity and history. It has magnificent museums that are build around ancient ruins. Amman is a wonderful place to collect antiques and souvenirs for you home.

Where to Stay in Amman

You have to try out this luxurious hotel in West Amman:

Four Seasons, Amman

Four Seasons is located right in the middle of Amman, making it just the right place to get all your shopping done. In addition to that, the location of this hotel also offers a wonderful view of the cityscape for you to indulge in before you go to bed. Four Seasons also offers a unique Asian spa therapy that involves hot stones and honey and a lot of relaxation. I found this Four Seasons to be the perfect place to stay in at Amman because it has museums, shops and restaurants within a quick walk.

Where to Eat in Amman

Amman is known for its soothing Arab cuisine. The Jordanian cuisine is distinguished from the rest of the Arabic cuisine through the use of mint and other herbs. Mint is especially famous in Jordanian cuisine and it has several soothing properties like helping reducing bloating, getting rid of toxins and getting rid of stress! Here are my favorite restaurants in Jordan:

Kan Zamaan

Kan Zamaan restaurant is a quintessential – yet lavish – representation of Ottoman architecture. It has walls and floors made of cobblestone, making you feel as if you’re in a medieval town, or a movie. The cuisine served here ranges from extravagant Mediterranean to home-made Arabic food. It offers both la carte and buffet, although their buffet is more famous.

La Maison Verte

La Maison Verte is sexy, romantic spot. The ambiance is dark and the room is furnished in velvet and purple, with paintings of old Jordanian dining halls on the walls. This restaurant serves both continental as well as Jordanian cuisine. There is also live sax and jazz music that further adds to the romantic feel of the restaurant.

Cantaloupe Gastro Pub

The Cantaloupe Gastro Pub is one of the best places in Amman to relax after your day-time adventures. It is also one of the best places to get continental cuisine in Amman. The pub has a happening vibe, great music, amazing drinks and a wonderful atmosphere.

Day 3 & 4: The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, the lowest point in the world, isn’t too far off from downtown Amman. The sea is called “dead” because it has so much salt in it that it prevents anything from living in it. It’s a peaceful one-hour drive from the heart of Amman with very little traffic and a calming scenery throughout the journey.

The most conventional and easiest way to get there is by a car. Now, there are two ways to go about this: you can rent a car or you can hire a driver. My family and I hired a driver and I personally found this to be much better than when we had rented a car for our visit to Petra. Most upscale hotels and glamping sites can hook you up with a trustworthy driver. Our driver was a native Jordanian and had extensive knowledge about the history of Jordan, so our two our trip was in no way mundane. He also knew where to stop in between to buy beautiful mosaics, shop for Dead Sea products, or stop at some of the best restaurants on our way.

Going swimming in the Dead Sea is an absolute must. The Dead Sea mud is absolutely amazing for your skin; it helps to control skin oils and acne and makes your skin softer. But I would suggest that people who have very dry skin use little to no mud, because the mud mostly works on removing excess oil from your skin.

Kempinski Hotel Ishtar is right on the dead sea and is an absolute must-stay. You cannot say that you had the full Jordan experience if you haven’t stayed here for at least two days. This luxurious boutique-style hotel has an excellent view of the Dead Sea; the hotel provides you with fresh Dead Sea mud, slowly heated in a large clay pot, to put on your skin after your relaxing swim. And despite having the Dead Sea right at its threshold, it has plenty more freshwater swimming pools for when you need a break from floating in salt water.

The access to the Dead Sea is the best through Kempinski Hotel, although there are other public beaches that can be used. But the sand and water under the Kempinski Hotel is especially clean. They also provide complimentary use of their beach-themed sauna.

If you want to switch it up, stay a couple of extra nights at:

Evason Ma’In Hotel

Evason is a luxurious and large hotel, a little further away from West Amman. It is snug between mountains and hot springs that make your stay here even better! Evason has one elegant Honeymoon Suit that is privately located on the top floor and is perfect to spend you night in with your partner. Evason serves some of the best foods in the region, ranging from regional to international cuisine. It even offers various dining options, including dining at the edge of a cliff that hangs over the Dead Sea.

Next up: The local cuisine, the lost city of Petra, luxury glamping, and what to wear…

Day 4 – 7: Explore and Glamp in ‘The Lost City of Petra’

Petra is, unarguably, one of the most breathtaking, adventurous and  beautiful places to visit in Jordan. The entirety of this city is covered with ruins from over fifty thousand years ago. The roads are paved with cobblestones, there are ancient houses built from mud and bricks and grand amphitheaters, castles, churches, mosques and temples (Jordanians had versatile religious preferences in the past). The Lost City of Petra is a wonderful place to shop for antiques and for learning the history of Jordan first-hand.

The first thing you see when you enter is the great ancient treasury of Amman. You aren’t allowed to enter it because it contains the buried remains of various kings, along with all of their wealth.  To the left is a rocky trail that leads to several grand temples that a lot of tribal Jordanians still consider holy. After the temples comes the ancient residential area of Jordanian tribes, which consists of various small houses that were made out of large hollowed stones.

To the end of the trail, there are several ruins of amphitheaters, smaller temples, large and intricately designed palaces, various shops and a museum. The museum has been built inside a hollowed stone and is designed to represent how the tribes used to spend their day in their small homes. Artifacts and fossils that have been found at the sight have also been displayed here.

Again, for Petra, it’s best to rent a car or hire a driver. However, if you happen to be coming from the Kempinski Hotel to Petra (it’s just over a 3 hour drive from either the Kempinski Hotel or Amman), then you may want to check out Kempinski’s excellent transportation facilities. They offer cars ranging from cute, little cab-like two-wheelers to stark black four wheelers. A driver is also provided by the hotel. If you’re carrying on to farther south for some glamping after your visit to Petra, then renting a SUV is what I’d recommend.

One of my favorite parts of visiting Petra was going up to one of the castles. There are around five castles in Petra, and while you can visit all of them in two days, it is much more advisable that you just see one of the castles. All the castles in Petra a almost identical, except for few differences in designs that were made due to the changing dynasties.

The castle that I visited was very close to the museum, so I could reserve all of my energy for climbing up the castle. The stairs lead to several rooms, most of which are dark and unfurnished; a sleeping chamber, the dining chamber, the in-built treasury, the slaves’ room, or the meeting hall where the King gave orders.

But the best room in the castle is definitely the one on the roof, where the Princes used to gather to learn. I love heights, so looking down from that room to see all the beautiful ancient buildings in Petra was exhilarating.

Next up: The three best places to go luxury glamping in, and near, Jordan…

Day 4 – 7: Glamping in Petra

Once you’ve thoroughly explored Petra, keep the adventure alive by going glamping. Staying at a conventional hotel would, IMHO, ruin the adventurous feeling of Petra. So grab your bags and head to one of these stylish glamping hotels to have an experience your friends will drool over:

The Rock Camp

The Rock Camp in Petra is a beautiful glamping site, 15 min north of Petra’s center, surrounded by gorgeous mountains that glitter at night. This rocky terrain provides a perfect setting for glamping.

This site is also of historical significance as it marks the place of the start of the evolution of the Nabataean Empire, making this another site that history lovers cannot miss. The camp includes 15 handmade Bedouin tents that will allow you to experience the nomadic lifestyle in style. Inside, they’re surprisingly comfortable.

Your hosts will cook dinner for you, there are comfortable lounge areas to watch the sunset and play chess, and at night the hills twinkle with the lights of a hundred lanterns. It’s more magical than you could imagine. All you need is a sense of adventure.

Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp

If you’re looking for a more luxurious glamping experience, venture the hour and a half south to Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp; you’ll be pleased with what you find.

Love surfing sand dunes? Watching the sun set behind a sea of sand? Immersing yourself in true nomadic culture? Then The Wadi Rum is the place for you! The Wadi Rum is the site of the “Seven Pillars of Wisdom,” a natural structure that is of great significance in ancient Arabic culture. Oh yeah, and it also happens to be the home of an uber-luxurious glamping hotel. If you’re used to staying at luxury hotels, you won’t feel like you’re slumming it here. The floors are wood with rugs, and there are even electrical plugs in the tents (but no wifi).

You also have the option of staying in one of their bubble-like tents. I stayed in both and loved each in their own way. Make sure to go on several of the excursions and check out the stunning surrounding area. Tip: they don’t serve alcohol, so bring your own booze!

Next up: What to wear and what to bring…

All of this seems exciting enough, but I bet you still have a few questions, because I know that I did before I started packing for Jordan.

Is there a dress code in Jordan?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: No, but since Jordan is predominantly a Muslim country, you won’t find any Jordanians wearing clothes that reveal their skin. Women traditionally keep their knees and elbows covered. Men also keep their knees covered. But there are tourists who wear shorts and tank tops and no one gives them a second look.

You’ll find a lot of people wearing shorts near the Dead Sea, because it’s particularly hot there, so I wouldn’t stop you from packing a pair of shorts for your visit. As I have said before, Jordanians are a friendly bunch and Jordan is a very safe country.

What are some essentials that I need to pack?

Here are some things that you should most definitely pack:

• Natural sunscreen! The sun in Jordan tends to glare down at you ferociously, especially during midday.
• Jackets and scarves. The weather is a bit funny here in Jordan, especially in the months of February to March, which are the most touristy months. During midday you’ll want to strip off all of your clothing but the second the sun starts to shift and the sky starts to darken, the weather becomes windy and chilled, especially in mountainous places like Petra.
• Two pairs of swimwear. I only packed one bikini with me and during my first swim at the Dead Sea, my bikini was covered in mud and sand and unfit for wearing again. If you want to take two swims, especially over a period of one day, I’d say that you should pack a minimum of two bikinis.

Bon Voyage, or as they say in Arabic: Rihlat Saeida!