Extraordinary Jordan

By Karen Leiva

From hiking a world wonder to staying at an ecolodge in the desert, this small Middle Eastern country is a haven for adventure travel.

A historic body of water referenced in the Torah, Bible and Quran; a place where people go for healing water – floating along in the Dead Sea was a bucket list experience that I had romanticized long before I arrived.

Covered head-to-toe in therapeutic mud dredged up from the sea, my friend and I laugh watching one another struggle to keep our legs down even in shallow parts of the water. The high level of salt in the Dead Sea (almost 10 times more than any ocean) makes the water so dense, it’s nearly impossible to stand, let alone swim.

DEAD SEA SHORES

It is the first of many pleasant surprises to come while travelling in Jordan.

My friend, Sarah, and I have come to Jordan on a custom-designed tour. Our primary goal is to experience the Dead Sea and Petra, but we quickly realize there is so much more to this destination. Jordan has a wide range of extraordinary opportunities to explore nature, holy sites and thousands of years worth of archeology.

One of the world’s most famous archeological sites, Petra was carved out of sandstone mountains thousands of years ago. The city, built by Arab nomads called the Nabateans, was once a key location along an important trade route in Asia. Over time, Petra was conquered, abandoned, destroyed by an earthquake, and then rediscovered and shared with the world in the 1800s.

THE SIQ LEADING TO THE ANCIENT CITY OF PETRA

During our visit to Petra, we’re fortunate to have a former archeologist as our guide. As impressive as the “lost city” is, our guide explains that not all of it has been revealed – it’s estimated there is still more than 80 per cent of the city to be unearthed. The most well-known of Petra’s sites is the Treasury, with its intricately designed façade cut into the red sandstone rock face, but beyond this magnificent site, it’s possible to explore other tombs and monuments.

Dodging donkeys along the way, Sarah and I hike past the Treasury to reach a mountain-top tomb called the Monastery. It’s quite a climb, ascending 850 steps cut out of mountain rock – but it’s worth it. Believed to have once been used as a church, the Monastery is one of Petra’s largest monuments standing 48.3 metres high and 47 metres wide.

SARAH MAKING WAY FOR A DONKEY ON THE HIKE TO THE MONASTERY

© KAREN LEIVA

After exploring Petra for eight hours, it’s time for us to change tracks and head inland to experience the desert and its semi-nomadic Bedouin communities.

Off the main highway, we are picked up by a driver in a 4X4 truck; twisting and turning through the darkness of one of Jordan’s national reserves, the Dana Biosphere Reserve, the pitch black of the evening suddenly gives way to candlelight leading to an ecolodge. Travelling with a tour operator gives us exclusive access to this remote lodge, created by Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and hailed by environmentalists for its commitment to sustainability and ecotourism.

FEYNAN ECOLODGE

© Feynan Ecolodge Photo by Brian Scannell

Tucked into the desert mountains, the Feynan Ecolodge has racked up a series of international awards, including being named among National Geographic Traveler’s Top 25 Eco Lodges in the world. True to its commitment to the environment, there’s no electricity. With only limited solar power, the lodge is lit by candles at night; approximately 4,000 candles handcrafted on-site by local women are burned here every month.

FEYNAN ECOLODGE CANDLE-MAKING WORKSHOP

© Feynan Ecolodge

On arrival, we’re whisked into the dining area and welcomed with traditional Bedouin vegetarian cuisine of locally-made breads, eggplant, hummus, and cauliflower covered in tahini. Our first evening ends on the rooftop under a blanket of stars where a young Bedouin man weaves stories of Arab farmers’ interpretations of the constellations.

Under the light of day, the sand-coloured lodge with openair hallways and courtyard blends seamlessly into the desert environment. Staff are made up entirely of Bedouins; many don’t speak English but welcome you with smiles and kind gestures.

STANDARD KING ROOM

© Feynan Ecolodge

Visiting the lodge leaves us another reason to be in awe of Jordan, but soon it’s time to make the three-hour journey back to Amman for the final leg of our tour. Our last stop is a visit to a women’s artisan co-op in a small village on the outskirts

HUMMUS AND FALAFEL IN AMMAN