7 Reasons Why We’re Over the Moon About Traveling to Jordan.

To say that my life got better when I met Beth would be a colossal understatement. On our second date, for example, she told me confidently that we’d travel the world together and, like so many other things, she was right. In those early days, we talked a lot about our dream destinations, and Jordan was always at the top of her list. I must admit, I didn’t know too much about the country then, other than parts of Indian Jones were filmed in the kingdom.

During the next couple of years, however, I learned more about the country from friends and bloggers, like Matt Long of Landlopers, photographer Ken Kaminesky, and Jodi Ettenberg of Legal Nomads. Their tales and photographs captured my imagination, leading me to interview each for a piece I wrote for G Adventure’s The Looptail called Dishing on Jordan: Travel Bloggers Talk Jordan and Its Cuisine. And now the day has finally come for us to experience Jordan for ourselves, and we can’t wait!

We’ve worked behind the scenes for more than two years to make this trip happen, so it’s really cool that our visit to Jordan will finally be kicking off on Oct. 14. We just don’t want to see Jordan, we want to tap into the local culture, connecting with Jordanians to tell their stories, which, we hope, will bring an even greater understanding of the kingdom. There are going to be two sets of bloggers on this 8-day storytellers journey, and we will all be using the #GoJordan hashtag across all of our social media channels, so you can follow along on all of our adventures and cultural findings.

We just don’t want to see Jordan, we want to tap into the local culture, connecting with Jordanians to tell their stories, which, we hope, will bring an even greater understanding of the kingdom.

We have an incredible itinerary that’s going to take us all through Jordan and has us meeting a lot of interesting folks along the way. Here are the seven activities that we’re most excited about.

1. Exploring Amman, including a trip to its spice market and Souk Al Sukkar, a popular vegetable market.

2. An afternoon tasting at Zumot Winery, whose owner, Bulos Zumot, is credited with growing the first wine grapes in Jordan near the historic Saint George Church.

3. Experiencing Petra by night. I’ve seen the photos, and now I can’t wait to see this world famous site for myself. In the evening, the ancient Treasury is lit by nearly 2,000 candles and filled with the sounds of Bedouins musicians. The following day, we’ll explore Petra by day and chat with local author Marguerite Van Geldermalsen, who wrote Married to a Bedouin.

Petra by Night via Shutterstock

4. Traditional Bedouin Zarb dinner and overnight at Captain’s Desert Camp in Wadi Rum, where will get the chance to experience the Bedouin lifestyle for an evening.

5. Snorkeling in the Red Sea off the coast of Aqaba. From everything I’ve read, this portion of the Red Sea is supposed to have an amazing reef with lots of sea life.

6. Floating and photographing the Dead Sea, which at more than 1,200 feet below sea level is the lowest geographical point in the world.

7. Family-style cooking at the Petra Dining Experience. In many Jordanian households, food preparation is a joyous occasion when family members come together to chat about the day’s events. Along with our group and the local staff, we’ll have the opportunity to take part in the tradition, while we help prepare a full Jordanian dinner including a soup, an array of hot and cold mezza dishes (appetizers), and a main course.

Hummus and falafel via Shutterstock

As you can see, we’ve got a lot fun things planned for our visit to Jordan. But, trust me, when I say that what I mentioned above is just scratching the surface of what we’re about to experience in the kingdom. I didn’t want to give everything away, so make sure you follow along with the #GoJordan hashtag on your favorite social network to see our journey unfold in real time.

What’s your best tip for Jordan? Let us know your favorite dishes or must-see spots in the comments!

Our trip to Jordan is part of a campaign with Jordan Tourism Board that’s been created and managed by iAmbassador. As always, our thoughts and opinions are our own, and we always maintain complete editorial control over everything we publish.