When I think of Jordan, two things immediately come to my mind: firstly the incredibly hospitable, warm people. And secondly: The wonderful smell of cardamom that accompanied me throughout the whole trip. It resonated with every sip of the strong, Turkish coffee, and seemed to follow me wherever I walked in the streets. But that 's not the only reason Jordan has a special place in my heart: It is an incredibly diverse country with a fascinating history, dreamlike landscapes, good food and - it should be said here again - perhaps the friendliest people I have ever met.
"Welcome to Jordan" was always the first sentence of people that I started talking with. I felt incredibly welcome. And that's maybe also the reason why we never really felt unsafe, even if the political situation in the neighboring countrys is very difficult at the moment and had worsened a lot just before our trip started. We were not sure wheter it was safe to travel at the moment, some of the places where we stayed literally were separated from Israel only by a small patch of the Dead Sea. But then we decided to do it. And I'm glad we did. The ongoing situation still makes our hearts heavy and overshadowed our journey from time to time. Our thoughts are still firmly with the people who are suffering. Even more now that we get to know more of the culture and the people. And yet we are incredibly grateful that we were able to make this trip and that everything went so well. We were looked after so well and felt very safe and surrounded by good and friendly people.
The reason for me to visit Jordan was an invitation to a Swiss-Jordan wedding. That was of course not to miss - and why not combine the celebrations with a road trip? My mother joined me on this trip, and for some parts also my sister with her boyfriend and little daughter. Kind of a family trip!
We were travelling with a driver who had been recommended to us by a colleague. Sami was fantastic - and looked after us as if we were family members. Already on the first day he provided us with delicious sweets that made our teeth stick together, showed us the spots for the best falafel and was always concerned about our well-being. Everything was perfectly organized and he was more on time than the Swiss people were. So: If you need a great driver in Jordan let me know!
Our itinerary
Our one week roadtrip took us from the lively capital city of Amman to Mount Nebo and the Dana Biosphere Reserve, then to the place that is on the bucket list of so many people: The old city of Petra. We continued to the desert of Wadi Rum that served as film setting in movies like Starwars, The Martian and Lawrence of Arabia. Later, we enjoyed one night in Aqaba at the Red sea and then continued to the Dead Sea for the festivities before flying back from Amman.
Amman - the lively capital
Amman is a great city to start a round trip in Jordan. It was built on 7 hills and hosts more than 4 million inhabitants. It offers a funny mix - you will find chaotic souks (markets) next to Roman ruins and modern shopping malls. The streets are bustling with people, cars squeeze close together, you will hear the chanting sounds from the minarets in the same time market vendors try to bring their wares to the customers. You shouldn't miss it!
My highlights in Amman are definitely
- the Citadel: Ancient ruins with the best view over the city
- The Roman Theatre: a veeery old theatre where you can join events - or just admire the site and and imagine what it must have looked like here in the past.
- You will find looong crowds before the "Habibah" store - Apparently they have the best sweets in town!
- I would never have thought to recommend a place like this but make sure you visit the Royal Automobile Museum. Even if you're not a big fan of cars - it's amazing!
- The best Falafel in town you find at a place called "Abu Jbara". At least that's what we were thought. And they were delicious indeed!!
- Discover the Souks of Amman and stroll along piles of spices and vegetables, racks full of perfume and a whole lot of plastic stuff that made us wonder who needed it.
- Try some good, strong Turkish coffee in one of the street shops of Amman. You'll love the smell of Cardamom in it - and will not close your eyes for some hours!
- Start early and get the best views before all the tourist groups come. We were at the entrance at 6 a.m. and that was totally worth it! The calmness of the early morning and the light change after sunrise were breathtaking! And like that, you safe some hours in the heat. In the afternoon, it's quite chaotic and we were happy to escape.
- Petra is big, so avoiding the heat totally is probably impossible. Bring plenty of water and food!
- Wear good shoes as you will walk some kilometers.
- There are several hiking trails. We walked up to the Monastery and back. It was quite exhausting, mostly because of the heat, but there were a lot of shops and cafés on the way so there was not one boring second.
- Plan enough time - one full day is just about enough to get an idea of Petra. Two would be better.
- Buy the Jordan Pass before travelling. You can purchase it online and with the pass, you can safe the money for your entrance visa as well as the entrance fee in many sites (e.g. Petra & Wadi Rum).
- If you're looking for a good driver let me know - ours (Sami) was amazing and I can definitely recommend it. But no worries: Jordan would also be a great country for a self-driving roadtrip! ;-)
- One week is the minimum for a roadtrip in Jordan. There is so much to see! 2 weeks would definitely be better! :-)
