The Bucket List Trip to Jordan

A guest post by TripLegend Ambassador Lizzy @flossys_wonderland

Jordan is a destination I had always dreamed of visiting, for years I imagined the first sight of The Treasury in the ancient city of Petra, a ride in a jeep through the Wadi Rum desert, floating in the Dead Sea…TripLegend made this all reality for me, far sooner than I ever thought it would be. I believe Jordan is the perfect destination to go on a group trip, somewhere where you thrive off the experiences with others and the activities are even more fun in a group than on your own or with a friend / partner.

This trip has made me crave more group experiences in the future because it was such a fun and interesting way to travel. I am going to tell you all about my TripLegend tour through the incredible country of Jordan, what we got up to, the highs, (I would say ‘the lows’ too but I genuinely cannot think of many low’s at all), and what to expect on your group adventure with TripLegend. 

Day 1

Landing in my first Arabian country was an amazing feeling, having never been to this part of the world before the excitement was building as I boarded my connecting flight from Vienna to Amman, Jordan. The flight was rough as we approached Amman, this was because there was a sandstorm over the city. In fact, some of the other girls in our group were due to land a few hours prior to us, but had to divert to Cyprus because they were unable to land. Luckily, we found this out after we had safely made it into Amman – though seeing sand and dust around the plane wings as our very bumpy flight was coming into land was an interesting experience!

Once landed, we were greeted immediately by a member of the TripLegend team, where we fast tracked the immigration queue and were guided to collect our Jordanian visas. It took less than 15 minutes from leaving the aircraft to being outside the airport picked up by our private taxi – TripLegend demonstrating a super impressive process immediately and I felt safe, looked after and full of confidence about the organisation of the trip from the very start.

Our taxi driver drove us to the centre of Amman and we were dropped directly outside our first accommodation for the trip – Nomads Hotel Amman. During the journey from the airport to the first destination on any trip I go on, I get the most amazing feeling. Looking out the window at a new place I have never seen before, only on TV or in films, looking at the architecture, the people, the whole environment – it is an incredible feeling and one which I look forward to every time I travel.

Once at Nomads Hotel we checked in, dropped our bags and one other members of the group – Alicia – & I headed out to get something to eat. The first part of the tour was due to begin the following morning, it was late (around 10:30pm) but we were hungry, and wanted to have a look around the local area. We turned left out the hotel and up a steep road named ‘Rainbow Street’, it was decorated and lit up with colourful umbrellas and lanterns above our head, and lined with eateries. Our taxi driver had told us during the journey about a famous (and delicious) falafel street food stall further up the road, so we decided to follow his recommendation and check it out.

For around €1, we were given the only thing on the menu – a falafel box with falafel ‘sandwiches’, fried falafel balls, salad and dip. We collected our food and headed back to the hotel, because we wanted to eat on the hotel rooftop the receptionist had mentioned to us earlier that evening. We sat on the rooftop overlooking the city, marvelling over the middle eastern style architecture and skyline, the Arabic words we saw written on signs, the cars, streets, and night sky. Excitement and anticipation built inside me imagining all the memories I will make in this country while wolfing down the tastiest falafel I had ever eaten. I could feel in my soul that this trip was going to be incredible.

Day 2

Day 2 begins with another visit to the rooftop – this time the first sight of Amman in daylight – and I was blown away. Nomads Hotel put on a tasty buffet breakfast featuring a typical Jordanian breakfast of breads, an array of dips, salads, potatoes, olives, juice, coffee & tea. Alicia & I met the other girls (who had finally made it safely to Amman after their minor detour to Cyprus) – Nat, Laura & Kirsten and we then together met our guide for the duration of the tour – Ash. Ash greeted us with a huge grin, and gave us a run down of what we would get up to on our first day in Amman.

We started the day by visiting the King Abdullah Mosque – the only mosque in Amman that openly welcomes non-Muslim visitors. Women are required to cover their hair – headscarves are available at the entrance to the mosque together with abayas (black full-length dress) to cover bare arms, legs or jeans – so we were guided to a room where we could borrow the appropriate coverings for entry into the Mosque. We removed our shoes and entered – the first mosque I have ever set foot in. Instantly it felt like a very peaceful space. We sat in a circle facing Ash, while he told us about the muslim religion and traditions. 

Following the mosque visit we were taken by our lovely driver – Mohammed (who was our driver for the duration of the trip) – to the Citadel, which sits on the highest hill in Amman. A defining feature of the Citadel are the two giant standing pillars, which are the remains of the Roman Temple of Hercules. We spent some time admiring the ancient architecture and views over the rest of Amman, including the Umayyad Palace and the Roman Theatre, which was incredibly impressive to see from above. 

Our next task was walking from the Citadel, down through narrow streets to the centre of Amman. On our way down a local man invited us into his house to see his incredible balcony view over the Roman Theatre – so we obliged, and what a kind gesture it was. After waving the man goodbye, we reached the centre of the city. The whole environment was bustling – street food, markets, shops, locals, it was a truly immersive and authentic experience. Ash showed us around a local food market – vendors were shouting information about their wares – I spotted foods I had never seen before, and enjoyed snapping the experience on my camera.

We tried lots of typical Jordanian food and drink throughout the afternoon, including sweet deserts (I’m not sure what these are called, but can confirm they were delicious), homemade smoothies, Jordanian pistachio ice cream, and a sharing platter of bread, dips, falafel and salad. We also tried Jordanian coffee, which was made with cardamom (though I was not a huge fan of this haha). We ended the day by visiting a wine tasting experience, where we got to try 5 different wines made directly in Jordan. 

As the sun was setting over the city, we were driven north into rural Jordan. We drove through winding roads as the sky lit up red and eventually made it to our next accommodation: Alasef House B&B. We were greeted with fresh orange juice which we enjoyed on the terrace, listening to the call to prayer from a nearby town and overlooking the Jordanian countryside.

One of the staff lit us a fire and we sat around underneath an embroidered teepee style tent, drinking warm tea and enjoying a lemon flavoured shisha pipe. A local family were also staying at the accommodation, and their little girl came to speak to us, we had a conversation in simple English and we were amazed at how well the little girl spoke English at just 9 years old.

Day 3

We awoke on day 3 and enjoyed a breakfast together while enjoying the beautiful countryside view. Ash & Mohammed picked us up and we were driven to the RSCN Academy (Royal Academy for Nature Conservation). King Abdullah II opened a specialised Academy for training on the protection of nature and sustainable development near Ajloun Forest Reserve in 2010 – here we enjoyed 2 unique experiences related to Jordanian culture. We first baked typical Jordanian biscuits, we were guided through the process and the ingredients used, and then ate the biscuits we baked together.

Following this, we tried an Arabic calligraphy writing class, where we wrote our own names in Arabic! Throughout both activities there were lots of laughs between the group, while we watched each others attempts and admired the finished products. A really lovely morning filled with unique experiences I wouldn’t have organised had I not been in a group tour. We were then cooked the most delicious meal of our entire trip (in my opinion). Plates upon plates of delicious food, one dish was set on fire which made an incredible display!

After lunch, we began our journey all the way down the country to our next destination: the ancient city of Petra. Our drive was long, but we filled the time with quizzes, chats, laughs and a few food / bathroom breaks. The time passed quickly, and before we knew it we were watching the sunset on the rooftop of our new accommodation for the next two nights – Nomad’s Hotel Petra. Excitement built inside me with the knowledge that I would be seeing one of the new 7 Wonders of the World very shortly.

Our first sighting of Petra would be the Petra by Night Show. We set off around 9pm, by walking the entire Siq to the Treasury – the path was only lit with candles which guided us along the narrow track through the canyon sides before leading us to our first glimpse of the Treasury. What a magical sight it was, candles were lined in front of the jaw dropping architecture carved into the rock face, creating a mysterious glow and illuminating the view in front of us.

We sat in awe and were brought hot tea and watched the colourful light show over the Treasury. I really enjoyed this experience, but I found other tourists were not very respectful of the rules that had been set in place to ensure the best experience for everyone. For example, lots of people were using torches and phone flashes despite being asked not to, which damaged the feel of the candlelight experience.

Additionally, lots of people were loudly talking and generally making a lot of noise when asked to be quiet which again took away from the magical experience it should have been. If you will experience Petra by Night – please respect the rules in place so the experience isn’t ruined for other visitors, and to ensure the best experience for yourself and your group.

Despite the above mentioned, it was still an incredibly unique and beautiful experience to see such an amazing structure lit by candlelight. Just the feeling of being in the ancient city late at night was magical for me, and my excitement grew for seeing the monument in the light of day.

Day 4

An early start was needed for the extremely special day that lay ahead for us. We woke up at 6am to make it to breakfast for 6:30, left the hotel at 7am and walked to the entrance of Petra, where we met Ash and started our exploration. Ash gave us an introduction to the ancient city and Unesco World Heritage Site.

Petra is a spectacular sandstone city, it was built in the 3rd century BC by the Nabataeans, who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms and stables from the soft stone cliffs. Essentially, it is an ancient city of tombs! Ash guided us through the Siq, until we caught a breathtaking glimpse ahead at the most impressive of Petra’s sights, the Treasury – the same route we did the previous night, however in the day it really was something totally different and completely captivating. 

Once we reached the Treasury, we spent some time admiring the structure, taking pictures and walking around, we also paid a local to take us to one of the other impressive viewpoints (this is actually not allowed, but pretty much everyone does it). We were led up some dodgy steps and climbed for a few minutes until we reached a higher viewing spot overlooking the Treasury, here we got some really cool pictures and enjoyed seeing everything from a completely different perspective.

Once we had finished, we were led back down to ground level, and continued our tour around Petra. Ash suggested we take an alternative route to the typical tourist path, which we thought was a great idea. He showed us more ancient sites and tombs, and we stopped in the shade where we bought fresh pomegranate juice from a local man squeezing pomegranates. After this we headed towards a cafe where we got some well deserved wraps for lunch, and also tried a Jordanian speciality – lemon and mint juice. It was extremely refreshing and exactly what we needed in the heat.

We headed back down from the Monastery and continued our day – Ash had planned a super exciting and unique thing for us to do for the rest of the afternoon, which included hiking a secret trail through the canyon of Petra – a route that not many tourists get to see! This was such a cool activity for me, and one of my favourite parts of the entire trip! 

We made our way back from the monastery and continued our day - Ash had something very exciting and unique planned for us for the rest of the afternoon, which was a hike on a secret path through the canyon of Petra - a route that not many tourists get to see! For me, this was such a cool activity and one of my favorite parts of the entire trip!

We climbed through, over and under rocks, down narrow passages, up a (slightly unstable) ladder, and navigated through the rock faces until we reached the entrance to the Petra site. It took us around 1 hour, and I absolutely loved the adventure. Knowing we were walking on a path very few get to walk on, paired with fun of jumping, climbing and hiking through the canyon was the best experience. The only part I wish I’d done differently, was my choice of footwear for the day – though my Dr Martens sandals managed to hold up pretty well in the end! 

Once out of Petra, 6 very tired people went for a big dinner at My Mom’s Recipe – a Jordanian restaurant just outside the entrance of Petra. We ate lots of tasty food, drank juice and tea and talked about the incredible day we just had exploring the ancient city. A day I will remember for the rest of my life!

Day 5

I woke up on day 5 after a very long sleep (we took to our beds at around 8pm on day 4, exploring Petra was a long and tiring day and an early start so we needed the rest), I woke up feeling content about ticking off another world wonder from my bucket list, and had a new found excitement for the next section of the trip – the Wadi Rum desert. Mohammed picked us up from the hotel and we started our drive to the desert, Ash made a few pit stops for us on the way, including to see a local camel farmer, where we were able to feed camels and take pictures with them, this was such a fun thing to do and I loved getting close to the camels! We also stopped at a famous spot from the film Lawrence of Arabia – the train!

Once we made it to the desert, we swapped our mini van for a jeep, and loaded all our luggage into the back before setting off across the sand. The first ride in the jeep was exhilarating – I hung out of the back and let my hair blow in the wind, while being blasted by the hot desert air, and looking at the vastness of the orange desert in front of me. I was ecstatic – and we hadn’t even begun our jeep tour yet. We arrived at our accommodation for the night – Beyond Camp, which was a ‘glamping’ style tent, equipped with a simple bed and plug to charge your phone. The tents had 2 windows looking out onto the desert, it really felt like we were on another planet – truly incredible. 

We ate lunch at the camp before setting off on our 4 hour jeep adventure through the Wadi Rum. Our first stop was greeting some local camels, and asking them if we could hitch a ride! Luckily they obliged and we hopped on for a 30 minute walk across the sand. The camels here were very well looked after which I was very happy to see, otherwise I would not have chosen to ride one.

Riding the camel was a stand out experience for me – it was simply amazing! In front of me – the 2 other girls in the group, Alicia and Nat were riding off into the distance, pure red desert and rocks lie in front, Arabian music playing in my head as if I were in a movie. I thanked my camel for the ride and we hopped back into the jeep to explore our next stop – a large sand dune which led to a viewpoint on some higher rocks.

We took off our shoes and climbed the dune, *top tip* when climbing a sand dune, try to step in the footprints the person in front of you has left, this makes it much easier and less leg work for you! Once we made it to the top, the views were spectacular, I took some snaps on my camera and walked around the various viewpoints taking it all in, before the fun part – running back down the dune as fast as I could! Ash also helped us capture some slo-mo videos of throwing the sand in the air in a circular motion – which made for some really cool footage!

Onwards we went on the jeep, to several more stops, including a special bridge rock, where one singular rock is held in place at each side by other formations, making a ‘bridge’ – we climbed to the top and stood on the suspended rock – though it was not an activity for the faint hearted!

We continued on the jeep, and made another stop to have a refreshing snack. Ash had picked up a huge watermelon for us on the way to the desert, which he then cut up and we ate atop of some rocks overlooking the desert landscape – a true pinch me moment – and the watermelon was delightful. A final stop on the jeep tour took us to a sunset point, where we watched the beautiful red sun go down on what had been an incredible adventure. 

But it wasn’t over yet! Once the sun had gone down, it really did start to feel like we were not on planet Earth anymore – more like Mars! We returned to camp to an incredible dinner, one which had been cooked in an oven underneath the ground! Something I had never heard of or seen done before, but we watched intently as two men removed the sand from the ‘oven’ lid, and removed a three story tray filled with smoked meats, potatoes and vegetables, the smell was amazing and I was so eager to try it all. 

After a heavenly dinner the fire was lit at camp. We laid on our backs and gazed at the incredible stars above us – being in the desert there is very minimal light pollution, which made the night sky so clear – the most stars I have ever seen in my life. It felt like gazing into the milky way, into other galaxies and universes. Seeing a view like this is one of the most magical experiences – I think this is my favourite moment from the entire trip, it felt like my soul was on fire, I felt connected to the stars and the earth and everything around me, free from the outside world or realities, just truly in the present and grateful for the experience I was living right in that moment.

Ash ended the night by taking us on a short walk outside the camp, where the only light was from the stars above us. We lit homemade lanterns made from paper bags, sand and candles and put them in a circle. We sat in the circle and stared at the sky, until the candles had burnt to the bottom. It was at that moment I felt the Wadi Rum had really captured my soul.

Day 6

During day 6, we cover two sea’s in Jordan: the Red Sea and the Dead Sea! But first – we woke up in the desert, and even at 6:30am, it was hot! I was mind blown when I woke up and realised where I was – you know when you are travelling and you sometimes wake up confused and have to remind yourself? That was me when pulling the curtain across to reveal endless red desert out of my window.

We left the desert (very sadly) as the jeep took us to meet Mohammed, who then drove us to the Red Sea. Who knew Jordan had such clear water and beautiful beaches? Certainly not me! It was a real treat to have a dip in the cool water after experiencing the heat of the desert, it is still crazy to me that we experienced the two contrasting places in the same day. One minute we were in the desert, the next we were in the sea! 

We opted for taking a glass bottom boat for a ride out on the Red Sea, this is because it is one of the few areas of the world which still has live coral remaining on the sea bed. We managed to spot some very colourful coral, while also spotting lots of coral that had already died. A stark reminder we must do all we can to protect our precious oceans. We also had a swim by jumping off the boat into the water, though it was a very windy day, and due to the waves it was pretty tiring to be swimming for too long, though I still enjoyed the activity and I do love the thrill of being at one with the waves! 

After the boat trip we got back to land, had a quick shower, and drove to the next sea of the day: the Dead Sea, and again – what a huge contrast. It was a very special moment driving down to our next accommodation – Mujib Chalets – the views from the minivan window were spectacular, the low afternoon sun reflecting on the sea beyond the cliff edge created a dream like picture. Once being dropped off, we were shown our chalets, each one directly next to the waterfront with incredible views looking out to sea. To me it looked like the perfect Pinterest image, something from the front cover of ‘Travel & Leisure’ magazine or similar, it was another definite ‘pinch me’ moment.

Though let’s talk about the reality of the weather on this day – it was extremely windy. We grabbed our swimwear and towels and headed down to the swimming point, to see if we were able to float in the Dead Sea for the first time, but unfortunately, the wind had other plans for us! The waves were too intense, and were splashing high against the salt formations.

As we tried to get in, we were aggressively splashed by the water which was very painful. Here’s why: the salt content of the Dead Sea is 36%, compared to the regular sea which is just 4%. This makes it painful on entering because if you have any small grazes, cuts or even nicks in your skin, the salt will sting.

As the waves splashed us, the salty water got in our faces, and instead of diving into the water to ease the pain, we couldn't go into the water for fear of being thrown onto the rocks or salt and hurting ourselves further. So we decided to just enjoy the sunset and watch the waves, and try again the next morning when hopefully the wind would have died down.

Day 7

Upon waking up on day 7, I was extremely happy to realise the wind had calmed down. The previous night, we left our curtain slightly open so that we woke up to the natural light, and the amazing view of the sea. Upon first opening my eyes, all I saw was calm waters and it felt so peaceful. We ate breakfast and headed down to the waterfront for attempt 2 at floating in the Dead Sea, and I am very pleased to say – we succeeded! The water was much more still, and getting in was easy and less painful.

I walked to the edge of the salt, and sort of fell into the water below, at which point I felt instantly light! No plunging into or under the water, I was just carried by it and seamlessly floated above! What an amazing feeling, and it was actually very funny, we all just started laughing uncontrollably, the sensation was just so strange yet immensely enjoyable. I am actually smiling now as I write this and remember the memory vividly. We thought it would be funny to do silly poses in the water to demonstrate just how much we were floating, like reading a book, or floating on our front with our legs in the air – it was absolutely hilarious and we had a lot of laughs playing around.

After around 15-20 minutes we got out of the water – this is the maximum recommended time to stay in the Dead Sea at once because it can severely dehydrate you and affect your skin. Upon getting out, my skin felt oily yet dry at the same time, so I headed straight for the outdoor shower for a rinse off. A really unique experience and another very memorable part of the trip.

Once showered and packed, Mohammed and Ash picked us up and drove us to our next activity of the day: Canyoning. I did not know a lot about canyoning before this activity, but wow, what an amazing surprise! I absolutely loved it. If you are not familiar with canyoning, is the act of navigating down a fast flowing mountain stream in a gorge using a variety of techniques including climbing, sliding and jumping.

The canyon itself is a natural gorge that has been carved out of the mountainside by a water current. They are usually quite steep, with dramatic cliff drops on both sides and a number of waterfalls to encounter along the way too. Some waterfalls form natural toboggans, which are natural slides where people can go down with minimal effort – we got to experience one of the natural slides, which was very fun (and also a little nerve wracking too!). 

The canyoning trail took around 1 hour to reach the end, where we were met with a huge waterfall, and we had a swim. Throughout the trail we were tasked with swimming and walking against the water current, climbing past waterfalls using ropes, ladders and pretty uneven steps. The whole activity was so much fun, and the water so refreshing – it was also bright turquoise, which made the environment so beautiful, especially contrasting with the red and orange rock from the canyon itself!

On the journey back from the waterfall, we were able to float in a sort of lazy river type fashion, along with sliding down the waterfalls and jumping in at various points. If you love adventure activities, especially in water, you will LOVE this experience! A huge highlight of the tour for me. 

Following the canyoning, we enjoyed a burger and beer together, before reaching our final accommodation of the trip: Ma’an Hot Springs Resort. We couldn’t believe the trip was coming to an end! A very bitter sweet goodbye with our incredible guide Ash – he went above and beyond for us the whole tour, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide! A truly talented and kind person and I hope our paths will cross in the future – Ash, if you ever come over to Amsterdam, I can be your tour guide! We also said goodbye to our lovely driver Mohammed, we felt like we had all become a funny little family throughout the trip, and it was a shame to say goodbye. 

The final day of a once in a lifetime trip to Jordan – what a week! This day consisted of enjoying the Ma’an Springs resort, chilling by the pool, and trying to stay as cool as possible in the 40 degree heat before heading off to the airport in the afternoon to fly home. 

Day 8

The last day of a once in a lifetime trip to Jordan - what a week! On this day we enjoyed the Ma'an Springs Resort, chilled by the pool and tried to stay as cool as possible in 40 degree heat before heading to the airport in the afternoon to fly home.

Conclusion

I have loved spending this time reflecting on one of the most spectacular weeks of travel I have ever had. If Jordan isn’t on your bucket list, I would suggest adding it ASAP! A country famous for Petra, but has so much more to be discovered, much of which is unknown to tourists. Stargazing and camel rides in the Wadi Rum desert, floating in the Dead Sea, canyoning through red cliffs and turquoise waters, navigating through the hustle and bustle of Amman to name just a few of the wonderful experiences I had. A huge thank you to the amazing TripLegend, for giving me the trip of a lifetime, for gifting me the most important gift of all – amazing memories and experiences that will never be forgotten.

The team behind the brand clearly have got it very right – from the organisation, logistics, activities, sights, food, tour guide, all the staff members on the ground in Jordan and in the offices – what an incredible team to put together such an amazing trip. I have travelled a lot in my life, and have done a lot of trips and tours, but this one is the best by a long long way. Jordan was everything I dreamed it would be and more. I so grateful I got to experience this stunning country, that I got to meet some great people, and share my experience with even greater people. I hope I will experience another TripLegend tour in the future, and I wish the team a huge thank you and lots of well wishes for the future!

Follow Lizzy on Instagram now @flossys_wonderland or get to know her better in her Ambassador interview in the TripLegend magazine .