We arrived in Amman late in the evening. Since we had obtained the Jordan Pass in advance, the visa procedure at the airport didn’t delay us at all. We took the Qataxi airport taxi to the hostel and then went out for dinner. It was the last night of the Eid celebrations and the city was buzzing. The highlight of that evening was Hashem Restaurant in the city center. We tasted falafel, Arabic spices, hummus and various sauces with pitas. Then we wandered through the shops and returned to get ready for the next day.
The second day was reserved for beach at the Dead Sea. First, we rented a car close to the airport. We decided to rent it for the entire duration of the trip. Once we got it, we headed towards “Salt Beach”. Although a little further than the other options, it was an extremely special beach. Since it was located far away, there was not even a shadow of the resorts that we passed by a little earlier. Everywhere you were surrounded by salt and desert. Only a small tent kept you company. There were no facilities like an umbrella, sun beds, etc. On the other hand, with the salt rocks all around, it would be hard to put an umbrella anywhere.
Knowing the situation in advance, we brought water and some snacks with us. We found a place by the sea and made ourselves comfortable. The relief of the coast was all made of salt, although the salt took different forms. Salt rocks, sharp crystals, white sand, everything around you was made of salt. In addition to the relief, the experience of floating on the water of the Dead Sea was extremely special. I’ve never experienced such support from seawater before. Sinking was simply not an option. The salt that remained on the skin was very soft and turned into oil with one touch. We spent a few good hours on the beach marveling at the natural phenomena of the lowest point on dry land, 400 meters below sea level.
After we had our fill of sun and salt, we started our return ride to Amman and stopped on the way to watch the sunset. The evening in Amman was similar in terms of liveliness to the day before. Even though the Eid celebrations had ended, the city center did not care. It continued to be crowded even after midnight.
The next day, a long drive to Petra awaited us. We prepared our own breakfast at a bakery: egg paninis, cheese and a variety of spices and sauces. Not far from Amman, we made a stop at Mount Nebo. The relief was dramatic; the climb to the top itself was challenging even by car. At the top of the mountain, we tried to see the promised land through Moses’ eyes, a vast desert. After visiting the church and museum, which are not included in the Jordan Pass, we set off for Wadi Mousa. That evening, we enjoyed traditional Mansaf food and tried shisha in one of the local bars. Regarding the two days in Petra, I wrote another full article that you can read by clicking here.
After Petra, the next destination was Wadi Rum. We arrived at the visitor center late at night, where Khaled was waiting for us. We left the car there and the guide took us in a jeep and drove us deep into the desert, where the ‘Desert Eyes’ beduin camp was located. We drove for about 20 minutes with the moon keeping us company. Only a few dim lights from other camps were visible in the distance. Nothing was moving except our car. Upon arriving at the camp, we had dinner and sat around the fire to enjoy some tea. Next, the beduin camp owner took us on a short walk around the area. He showed us ancient traces in the surrounding rocks. He told us about their customs, the games they played as children, and how each rock peak, although similar, had its own name.
The cherry on top for that day was the ride that Khaled offered us in his personal jeep. We drove for miles in the middle of the desert, until even the faint lights of the camps were no longer visible. We went so far that if we had to walk back to the camp, we would only reach it at dawn.
In the morning we woke up early to see the sunrise. The sun was rising late because of the rocks that rose everywhere along the desert. We had breakfast and around 09:30 we were ready to start exploring Wadi Rum, a protected area. The first stop was a large dune, which we climbed with great difficulty. It was in this area that scenes from the movie ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ were shooted. This movie was one of the main reasons that I visited Jordan. Nothing around us seemed earthly. It was as if we were exploring the planet Mars. It is no coincidence that many other movies like ‘The Martian’ and ‘Dune’ were filmed precisely in the landscapes of Wadi Rum.
The other stops on the tour were numerous and all of them were amazing. We walked through numerous canyons, climbed high cliffs, and gazed at the sand blowing in the wind. I had a new and fascinating sensation after each stop. At lunch, we stopped under the shade of a rock to rest. The guide cooked a Bedouin dish, right there in the desert: a few onions, tomatoes, beans, and of course spices. It is useless to try and explain how delicious it was.
If I had to single out one of the points we visited, it would be “The Bridge”. As soon as you see this rock formation, the desire to climb it is almost instinctive. One of the other stops was meant to try ‘sand-surfing’. An interesting experience, but quite tiring, since climbing the sand dunes is challenging in its own way. The visit to Wadi Rum ended with the sunset. Unfortunately, the sandstorm did not allow for a full sunset, but it was still a very interesting natural phenomenon.
Upon returning to the visitor center, we took the car and headed to Aqaba. We were tired, however, after leaving our things at the hotel, we went out for a walk and to have dinner. The Red Sea shores were full of people listening to music, dancing, eating and drinking. Even though it was after midnight, there were still families with children having their night picnic by the sea.
In Aqaba, we also did our last shopping: incense, perfumes and the like. The city is a Free Trade Zone, so every product was much cheaper compared to the rest of Jordan. Since it is also the only port in the country, there were checkpoints at the entrance and exit to maintain the free trade borders.
The next day we went to South Beach 13. Although the beach was the same as the city beach, we were recommended to go there to avoid the stares from locals. After all, I just wanted to get some sun and be comfortable. South Beach offered umbrellas and public bathrooms. The beach was sandy, but the seashore was rocky and it was not easy to enter the water. There were very few people, except groups of divers who would go in and out of the water from time to time. From this point we could see Egypt in front of us and Israel in the right. We enjoyed the peace of the beach until lunch, when we made our way back to Amman.
We spent our last day in Amman walking around the city center. The highlight of this city are the stairs. At every turn, you might see long, narrow stairs. We also visited the Roman Amphitheater and the Museum of Popular Traditions. Both are included in the Jordan Pass. The museum was really interesting for me. It was the first time I learned about the traditions and folk costumes of the Bedouins.
It was a week-long trip that brought us unusual landscapes, new flavors, and exploration of antiquity. Jordan is without a doubt one of the most unique destinations I have visited to date. Not just for those hunting for the 7 Wonders of the World, but for anyone.
