We opted for one of the main resorts (the Intercontinental in our case) as the accommodation scene is more or less limited to a few higher-end resorts.

While short on true tourist highlights, Aqaba is a pleasant and laid-back city to spend a few days in, alternating between lazing on the beach and diving and enjoying the night life and food (at least that is what we did).

One day we went for two dives with Ahlan Diving Center. A really chilled day with a nice crew. The Jordanian King is apparently an avid diver and has sunk a couple of “things” off the coast, including a cargo ship, an aircraft and a tank.

Unfortunately every vacation ends at some point and we had to start our journey back home. As our airline had decided to cancel our flight out of Eilat, we had to take a car all the way back to Amman. But thanks to Jordan’s well built roads, the trip just took 3.5 hours on the Desert Highway.

Jordan is well worth a visit and comes highly recommended. Rarely have we been to such a diverse country with so much to see within such short distances. Renting your own car and driving is no issue at all and Google Maps is your friend. Food is top notch, tourist numbers are still not too high and the weather could not have been better!

After showing your ticket (Jordan Pass) at the visitor’s center, you can drive another 2km or so into the desert and then need to leave your car there (and unless you’ve got mad 4×4 skills, you want to leave your car there). The village features an overpriced tour group lunch buffet and one or two poorly stocked minimarkets. So you want to stock up on snacks and water before you get to Wadi Rum.

We had booked our accommodation in advance. Some people visit the desert as part of a day-trip but we wanted to experience spending a night there and I would highly recommend this. Most sleeping options are rather basic Bedouin camps. We opted for a more luxurious option which was frowned upon by the local Bedouin because it is apparently “owned by rich people from Amman”.

A driver fetched us in the village and drove us for about half an hour deep into the desert until we reached the Aicha Memories Camp.

We spent the afternoon on the back of a pickup truck exploring different part of the diverse Wadi Rum.

Dinner was served in a large dome and very tasty. The camp has a beautiful lounge area to enjoy some tea and sit by the fireplace (it gets cold at night!). Oddly most of the service staff originated from India and has been working in Jordan for some years. You’d think that the unemployment rate in Jordan would be high enough to fill such roles with locals.

After dinner there was the option to walk out into the desert and go star gazing. If you grew up in the city like me, it is always mesmerizing to see stars without light pollution. A hobby astronomist was there it explain what we’re seeing and brought along his large telescope.

The next morning we returned to the village after breakfast and start our last drive towards Aqaba. Wadi Rum was a highlight of our trip and another way Jordan shows what a diverse country it is! And if you can, absolutely spend the night to see the stars.

Built in the 12th century, Kerak Castle is one of the largest castles in the Levant by the crusaders. 

Kerak is also a cute town to spend some time for lunch before heading onwards. 

The last stage of the drive took us finally to Petra, the long-awaited highlight of our trip. We set up camp in our hotel, The Old Village, and were very pleasantly surprised. Set in what are apparently century old buildings, the hotel just opened in early 2018 and had what were probably the friendliest staff we met in all of Jordan.

By the time we had settled in, we were about an hour away from sunset. Petra closes for visitors (except for Petra by Night which we skipped) around sunset during winter. We managed to still get in and started walking towards the Souq. Hordes of people were passing us, all tours groups. 

As we made our way down the Souq we kept thinking whether we were still supposed to be there as pretty much everybody else was walking in the opposite direction.

But it was absolutely the right decision! 

Because all of a sudden we stood in front of the mighty Treasury – almost to ourselves!

Rather than me trying to explain what Petra is all about, I suggest you read some of the superb Wikipedia article – I wouldn’t be able to do this magnificent site justice with some lame narration.

Al-Khazneh (or as it is commonly known, The Treasury) is probably the best known temple in Petra as it was prominently featured in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.

It was getting dark so we headed back to our hotel, happy that we still used one of our two-day passes to get a glimpse of Petra without too many people around.

The next morning we were out early again, heading to the ancient city well before the tour groups arrived. Even though we knew the 2km stretch down the Souq from the night before, you’re in awe once again as your eyes meet the Treasury:

From there we headed along the Street of Facades towards the beginning of the stairs towards the High Place of Sacrifice (a very descriptive name).

You do walk up a lot of stairs to get there but the views are absolutely rewarding. It is also a nice way to get a way from the crowds.

We took a short break at the end of the trail before we started hiking once again, this time up to the Monastery. 

At first glance, the Monastery appears very similar to the Treasury, but it is actually quite a bit bigger:

By then it was just noon and we felt like we had seen and walked an enormous amount already!

Back down in the valley, we walked through the Colonnaded Street built by the Romans and the Christian Church (multiple civilizations left their mark in Petra).

The heat started to take its toll by then and we struggled to explore the last section we wanted to see for the day: the various Royal Tombs. This is also where we encountered the masses of tour groups again – something you should really try to avoid when visiting Petra as it takes away its magic!

We walked back happy, exhausted and amazed. My expectations of Petra were fairly high but what I saw by far exceeded what I had in mind. The sheer size and history in this site is truly incredible. If you’ve seen Angkor Wat or Bagan, this is an absolute must. And from Europe it is very accessible too!

This is the site where John the Baptist is said to have baptized Jesus. Archaeologists are fairly certain that the site they have found matches up with the description in the Bible.

The site lies in the Jordanian side of the Jordan River. Along the Jordan River, visitors from both sides of the border can visit to get baptized but you’ll only see the actual site from the Jordanian side. 

We had to park our car and jump on one of the guided tours. Which reminded me of why we opted for driving ourselves in the country…

A short drive takes you past churches that numerous Christian groups have erected:

Churches near Jesus Baptism Site

The guide then takes you on a short walk to the actual site:

Jesus Baptism Site

Not sure what the purpose of the guide was as he was very stingy with explanations. There are a few signs explaining the biblical significance of the site and show some photos of prominent visitors, such as Pope John Paul II in 2000.

Not far away you can dip your feet in the Jordan River. Some people, especially across the border, go all in and get baptized. On the Jordanian side however it is fairly quiet and a stark contrast to the visitor numbers across the border.

We then drive the 20 minutes to our Dead Sea resort. It was Saturday and the Amman socialites were wrapping up their weekend. Apparently a wedding had taken place and most of the hotel seemed to be curing their hangovers.

Dead Sea Marriott

The Dead Sea is actually a lake but a pretty massive one. It is called dead because the high salinity levels prevent pretty much any life. The shore is currently situated at around 400 meters below sea level but is expected to drop further unfortunately.

We enjoyed a nice day by the pool but of course went swimming in the Dead Sea as well:

Swimming in the Dead Sea

It is really as fun as you’d expect. You just sit in the water and can read a newspaper. Lots of fun! Apparently it is also a thing to cover yourself in Dead Sea mud. Good for your skin bla, bla bla.

Tourism on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea is more or less limited to a few high(er) end resorts situated next to each other. So you’ll probably also end up eating your meals within the resorts.

A night was enough for us and we continued our drive up the mountain towards the Ma’in Hot Springs. We had read it was supposed to be the country’s number one destination for spa.

Diving from the Dead Sea towards Ma’in

We had to take a significant detour because a tragedy that had happened just two days prior: a flashflood had killed several children on a school trip and also destroyed a road along the Dead Sea. Again we were surprised by the good quality of the roads, even in remote parts of the country.

Diving from the Dead Sea towards Ma’in

When we reached the Ma’in Hot Springs Resort we quickly noticed that also the hotel had been impacted by the flashfood. There was damage to the spa complex as well as some of the access roads. We contemplated driving onwards but decided the stay.

Ma’in Hot Springs Resort

A word on the hotel: it used to belong to the Jordanian government and apparently is now in private hands. While a unique location and great facilities, you can notice that some of the hotel has been neglected in recent times. Let’s see how this develops. Also the employees were less friendly than the average we had encountered on our trip.

Spa complex Ma’in Hot Springs Resort

The spa complex was completely flooded and covered in mud. By the time we arrived two days later, they had cleaned up the basics and opened again. The spa manager put in a huge effort.

The Dead Sea is a really unique destination to visit and should be a quintessential part of every Jordan itinerary. The Ma’in Hot Springs Resort however can be skipped.

Jerash, best known for its Greco-Roman ruins, is only about an hour’s drive from Amman and easily doable as a day-trip from the capital. Since the mid-1920s excavations have been ongoing, revealing settlements from the Bronze Age through the Roman and Byzantine periods all the way to the Ottoman period.

Arch of Hadrian

One enters the archaeological area through the Arch of Hadrian which was built to honor the visit of Emperor Hadrian to Jerash in 129/130 AD (nice welcome gift).

Roman history in Jerash

Oval Forum and Cardo Maximus

We had arrived around the same time as a few tour groups but the area is so large that it quickly spread out.

Jerash Temple of Artemis (finished CE 150)

Northern Theatre

Cardo Maximum

After grabbing some lunch we continued our drive about an hour west towards Ajloun and its famous castle.

Ajloun Castle

Built in the 12th century, it was actively used until the 17th or 18th century and eventually partially destroyed by an earthquake (like many buildings in the area).

Ajloun Castle

Ajloun Castle

Ajloun Castle

We continued south towards the destination for the night, the small city of As-Salt. I wanted to avoid returning to Amman and thought the Dead Sea would be too far (it turned out it was not). As-(or Al-) Salt used to be the most important city in the region before it lost that status to Amman and nowadays is a sleepy town with an intact historic center. As we were there on Friday, almost all shops and restaurants were closed. While the town has the potential to become a tourist destination with its charming historic buildings, the inhabitants have a long way to go cleaning up trash. We experienced it as one of the dirties towns throughout our visit.

Al-Salt view from the hotel

Al-Salt view from the hotel

After sleeping in, we started exploring Amman. The city is built on several hills and looks back at a rich history. We started our day at the Citadel, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited places. 

Temple of Hercules (built AD 162-166)

You can see how Amman used to be ruled by different groups throughout time as they’ve all left their mark. Just next to the Roman temple, the Umayyad Palace is from a few centuries later.

Umayyad Palace

From the citadel it is an easy 20 minutes walk towards Amman’s Roman Theatre. Built in the 2nd century, it can hold up to 6’000 people. While we were there, a local karate group was practicing and we had the impression there are still regular performances in this 1’800 year old structure.

Roman Theatre view from the Citadel

Roman Theatre

From the theatre it is a short walk towards the city’s Souqs which are worth exploring but not not the biggest or most colorful. After a detour by Rainbow Street (nightlife; did not meet the expectations) we had a superb meal at the famous Hashem Restaurant:

Hashem Restaurant

Our first Jordanian meal got us very excited for what was to come! The next highlight followed for dinner: Tammouz Restaurant.

While we had only planned one day for Amman, it was sufficient and we were looking forward to renting a car and exploring the country on our own pace.

The Treasury in Petra – probably the most famous impression of Jordan

We knew few people who had been to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Even though Jordan doesn’t get a lot of news coverage (positive nor negative) in Europe, it doesn’t seem to be on many people’s radar. And once we mentioned our intention of traveling there, usually we were met with surprise. It seems it has taken some collateral reputation damage due to the war going on in neighboring Syria and the uncertainties in Iraq. What unfortunately gets lost is that Jordan has been politically very stable and seen little what would be considered reason not to travel there.

The breathtakingly beautiful Wadi Rum

Planning our itinerary wasn’t too difficult. There’s a more or less standard tourist trail that covers most major attractions and isn’t too crowded yet (which I expect to change in the near future). We could have rushed through our itinerary in probably 7 days but really enjoyed the somewhat slower pace but additional nights here and there. We did not drive for more than 2-3 hours a day in Jordan’s excellent roads. We contemplated for a while whether we should hire a driver and in the end opted for the independence of self-driving and we’re glad we did. Google Maps was the perfect navigation aid, roads were in very good conditions and not once we did have any issue with police stops.

What would I do different next time? While I’ll explain a bit more in the individual installments, As-Salt is something where I’d skip the overnight stay (not the town!). The Ma’in Hot Springs did not fully convince us but otherwise, it was a really good itinerary.

Roman history in Jerash

Stay tuned for some impressions of Jordan!