What Traveling in Jordan is Really Like (+4 Short Videos).

With Israel to the left, Syria and Iraq above, and Saudi Arabia hugging its eastern and southern fringes, Jordan is at the crossroads of the Holy Land, as Jews, Muslims and Christians refer to it. Despite its proximity to the conflicts that plague the Middle East, Jordan rarely makes headlines in the United States.

Last fall, though, in the days leading up to our arrival in the small country, the American news media did something they rarely do…talk about Jordan. “The times they are a changing and fast,” they said. The U.S. media was breaking the biggest news story of the year—terrorist eye Jordan…thugs have infiltrated the holy Hashemite Kingdom…an ISIS flag now bellows over one Jordanian town, more to follow?…Beware fellow Americans, Beware! There was only one problem; it wasn’t a story anywhere else. Typical 24-hour news cycle stuff, facts wrapped in hype like miniature hot dogs wound too tightly in fatty bacon, all to keep the people listening and the ratings up.

Floating in the Dead Sea is one of the best ways to keep up with the day’s news.

It worked. The media’s fuss over Jordan had us rethinking our visit. Our family and friends thought we were crazy for not canceling. Upon hearing about the trip, their faces would contort in different ways, a mix of fear and excitement, as if they were cresting the first hill on a roller coaster. To the American press, Jordan was a sitting duck, surrounded by evildoers in a cutthroat game of dodgeball, and if you go, well, my friend, then you better be ready for a bouncy ball to the dome too. Of course, they were wrong. In fact, the State Department hadn’t (and still hasn’t) even issued a warning for traveling in Jordan.

See Jordan’s biggest asset isn’t its big desert scenes or ancient monuments or even its transformative seas, but its people, and their penchant for hospitality, which is rooted in Bedouin culture. Any doubts we had about spending time in Jordan were washed away on our first night.

A Bedouin prepares coffee at his family’s camp in Wadi Rum.

We spent eight days traveling in Jordan, hitting the blockbusters–Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea—eating home cooked meals, and chatting with some really good people along the way. These short videos showcase our first four days in the country.

Amman

We spent our first full day exploring the capital city’s seven hills. We visited the Citadel, strolled the souks, wandered among the stone ruins of the ancient city of Jerash, and finished the day with an amazing cooking class at Beit Sitti. You can read more about Beit Sitti in this story I wrote for Conde Nast Traveler: A Trip to Jordan Should Start With a Homemade Meal.

King’s Highway

We left Amman and headed south to the Dana Biosphere Reserve via the King’s Highway, one of the three main highways in Jordan. At Wadi Dana, we took in the views, met local Bedouin women who handcraft silver jewelry, dined at a local Bedouin home, and then hit the road for Petra, where we ate at a delicious traditional arabic dinner at Al Qantarah.

Petra!

The Nabateans put Petra on the map way back when Amman was known as Philadelphia. But it was Steven Spielberg who brought the “rose-red” city to America with his film Indian Jones and the Last Crusade. In our video, you’ll see the Treasury, us riding mules, and views of Petra from above. After spending the day exploring Petra, we ventured further south to Wadi Rum. Here we took a nighttime camel ride through sand dunes, and at Zarb, Bedouin-style barbecue, at Captain’s Desert Camp, before retiring to our safari tents for the evening.

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is the land of the Bedouins and Lawrence of Arabia. In less than one minute, you can see what makes the protected desert expanse just so special. We took to the sand dunes for a desert jeep tour, Bedouin lunch, amazing landscapes, and so much more!

Know Before You Go

Our Jordan campaign was created and sponsored by the Jordan Tourism Board in partnership with iambassador. As always, we retain complete editorial control over what we publish on Beers and Beans.

Did you hear? We also make travel scarves with hidden pockets! You can check out our shop at Speakeasy Travel Supply.