Jordan: A Week of Peace and Plenty in the Middle of the Middle East

On her first trip to Jordan, Leslie Long discovers that the country is the peaceful eye in the ever-widening storm.

It’s hot and hazy in the late afternoon as I make my way downhill past multiple cascading pools spilling toward the beach at the Dead Sea. It’s our second to last day of a week-long journey through Jordan, a group trip beautifully organized by Kensington Tours, a company that plans private tours and has long specialized in the region. Their Middle East expert, Jasmine Padda, is already at the shoreline along with a few of my friends with whom I’ve reveled in ruins, explored the old and new city of Amman, slept under sprays of stars in the Wadi Rum Desert, and dined on a cliffside with Bedouins. And now I’m about to dip into the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the face of the earth.

We’ve just checked into Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa, and after days of dry desert landscapes, I’m enjoying the tall palms and the property’s lush, tropical feel. At the water’s edge, I see Jasmine, Alison, and Alexandra in various stages of scooping black mud out of beachside urns, spreading it on their bodies, then washing it off in the buoyant waters. We marvel at the sudden smoothness of our limbs, almost instantly transformed once we rinse off in the sea. With the September heat well over 90 degrees, the mud simply sweats off us. We don’t bake — we just slather and soak.

Most fascinating of all is the view across the sea of Israel and the West Bank. We can’t see buildings or any signs of life, just a mottled white-ish horizon and a sinking blonde sun. The mind marvels at being so near to the ongoing conflicts.

Getting My Bearings

I regularly need refreshers on boundaries and borders before traveling somewhere new, so here’s how the region appears on the map: With Jordan as the clock, going clockwise from midnight, the neighboring countries are Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the West Bank. Egypt and Lebanon are a stone’s throw away.

The semi-arid country has a desert-like feel and a population of 11.5 million of mostly Sunni Muslims. Whether at the stylish hotels or a lone café in the middle of the desert, the Jordanians we encountered greeted us with an old-fashioned politeness and a genuine pride in their country.

Before the current war, when more regional peace prevailed, tourists (and the tours they took) often combined visits to Israel and Jordan or Egypt and Jordan. These days, while some travelers are returning to Egypt, many are wary of the entire region. And as an unfortunate consequence, Jordan is being (unnecessarily) avoided.

I’m here to attest that Jordan is calm and welcoming in every way. And while many used to visit for one or two days to see Petra and maybe the Wadi Rum Desert, there’s more than a week’s worth of activities and attractions in Jordan alone. Seeing the sights now, with a mere smattering of other visitors, is a rare opportunity — and it’s now there for the taking.

An Elegant Intro to Amman

After an eleven-hour Royal Jordanian flight from New York, we arrived at Four Seasons Hotel Amman. The soaring lobby with high ceilings and a round mirrored table of endless white orchids, lilies, and hydrangeas was the first thing we saw after going through something akin to a light form of airport security. (Hotels take safety seriously.) The lobby was filled with men wearing dishdashas and others in Western dress.

Dinner at the hotel had a casual elegance as our group of eight was served our first taste the local specialties we’d eat throughout out trip. Agreeing that the smooth-as-silk hummus was as good as it gets, the stage was set for an unforgettable week. And while the Muslim population for the most part abstains from alcohol, Jordan does produce wine, and it’s good. Our server recommended a 2019 shiraz and a 2018 viognier from Jordan River Reserve, both excellent. As the trip progressed, we were served many more wines from JR vineyard.

My guest room, in tones of wheat, white, and grey, was sumptuous, the Diptyque amenities welcome after a long flight. Morning brought a distant call to prayer outside my window. Opening the curtains, I saw the sun rising over modern white highrises and cars beginning to stream into the city.

Our first stop was the old part of Amman with Moayad Al-Otaibi, our wise and wonderful guide for the week.

Built on seven hills, Amman is known as The White City for all the buildings made of limestone — a construction material mandated by municipal law. Known as Philadelphia during the Roman period (from 63 BC), the city remained under Roman influence until 400 AD. In the heart of the city, we marveled at the 6,000-seat Roman theater and learned about the Amman Citadel sitting proudly atop a hill.

At Jordan Archaeological Museum, my favorite exhibit was a pair of curious heads with big eyes. The Ain Ghazal statues, considered the oldest figures made by humans, are estimated to have been created between 8000 and 4000 BC. Their quizzical faces were really compelling, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they would think of the world today.

In the souk, we walked through outdoor food markets where pita breads were slung onto sizzling grills and bushels of pomegranates, dates, and kumquats kept company with burlap bags of sesame seeds, za’atar, and grains. Arriving for lunch at Hashem, one of Amman’s most famous restaurants, we settled into a long table in an already-full dining room.

Meals in Jordan are often communal with everyone sharing multiple dishes. That was the case at Hashem, a restaurant operated by the same family since 1956. Bustling with large groups, many with children, the restaurant was decorated with small Jordanian flags strung across the ceiling. Inside a small alcove to our left, falafel balls were being fried continuously as waiters practically ran throughout delivering multiple courses to the Jordanian patrons. Soon our table was filled with not only falafel, but plates of baba ghanoush, hummus, fava beans, and more, plus cups of fragrant tea.

Yes, we were satiated, but apparently not enough because we soon found ourselves around the corner at Habibah Sweets, a hole-in-the-wall known for sublime knafeh. Silky and sweet, this delicious Jordanian dessert is an alluring slab of warm melted cheese with crunchy spun pastry, drenched in honey and pistachio nuts. The food was fresh and delicious throughout our trip, but Jordanian desserts were consistently next level.

Before leaving for the three-hour drive south to Petra, we had coffee in an atmospheric, second-story, no-name shop with a balcony overlooking the street. Throughout our time in old Amman, the Western tourists we’d see were few and far between, and only at the ruins. While walking through town, we only saw Jordanians, which gave us a glimpse into authentic everyday life.

Petra: The First of Many World Wonders

Maybe you’ve seen Petra in Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade or in photos, but the sight of the Treasury is a shocker. How in the world was such an intricate, columned façade carved out of a sheer face of sandstone? We were about to find out.

Movenpick Petra Resort Hotel, our home base, couldn’t have been more convenient: The entrance and visitor’s center were across the street. The hotel’s atrium lobby felt like a Moroccan riad with oversized twinkling brass chandeliers glittering above and a lovely small pool.

At twilight, we were taken to a picturesque desert hillside outfitted with black pillows and woven red rugs. Shish kebabs were grilled on open fires by friendly Bedouins who had also brought homemade salads and desserts from their homes. An elderly man roasted coffee beans on an open fire, giving us each a ceremonial cup. As the sun set behind us in fiery stripes, the same man played the single-stringed instrument Bedouin rababa.

We’d been promised Petra by Night, and no one wanted to miss our first glimpse. We made our way down a long road lit by thousands of candles, leading to the Treasury. As we arrived, a man played the haunting radaba. Colored lights and candles illuminated the façade. Even in the dark, it was mesmerizing.

The next morning, we set out early to learn about the area’s caves, temples, and tombs, some 2,000 years old. What a surprise to realize the long road we had traveled the night before was dotted with spectacular sights we had been unable to see in the dark.

During the Nabatean Kingdom in the first century AD, Petra was a major trading stop famous for frankincense and myrrh, used medicinally and revered for its scent. Not much is known about the Nabateans, but their astounding pink sandstone tombs remain. From small, one-room chambers with minimal decoration to the elaborate Treasury (thought to be the tomb of a king), the hand-chiseled structures were everywhere. This usually overcrowded site was empty with just a few visitors strolling near us from time to time. If you’ve ever wanted to experience this world-famous wonder, now is the time.

Later in the day, we visited Little Petra, where examples of the trading life remain: banquet halls, storage areas, and offices, all carved into sandstone cliffs. Trudging through deep red sand leading to the buildings, we could go inside these buildings, unlike the tombs in Petra. I bought a colorful scarf from a vendor practically asleep under a tree due to lack of business. As we walked, we couldn’t help but imagine life here when the city was filled with huge camel caravans buying, selling, and trading in precious goods.

A Night in the Wadi Rum Desert and Hand-woven Bags on the Way

I was thrilled that our trip to the desert included a stop to meet the weavers of Lumeyo, a women’s collective founded by Sandra Jelly, a former advertising executive from Amsterdam who was drawn to the area due for her love of horses and open spaces.

Sandra works with skilled Bedouin weavers who create colorful striped totes, purses, yoga mats, and more using yarn from repurposed sweaters. The pieces are sold online and in various boutiques, and the collective provides the women with an outlet for their creativity and money for their families.

Our destination was Memories Aicha Luxury Camp in the middle of the rust-colored Wadi Rum Desert, a setting so otherworldly it’s often used as a film set for futuristic or science fiction movies. (You’ve seen it in The Martian, Dune, and Star Wars, among others.) At the desert’s edge, we left our van for a sturdy pick-up truck with open-air bench seating, and within 15 minutes were pulling up to our surreal accommodations at the base of towering red rock formations. Some of the rooms at Memories were tent-like and the same color as the rocks. Ours were domes lined up along a curved wooden boardwalk. Inside, my room had a fanciful, gypsy caravan feel: brass lanterns, colorful pillows, and bedding. Covered with heat-resistant curtains by day, at night they were pulled away to reveal a miraculous night sky visible from bed.

Moyaid took us to Khazali Canyon to see 4,000-year-old petroglyphs of animals, symbols, and human figures. A small human footprint, perhaps a child’s, was particularly poignant. We drove to dramatic natural arches that looked black and white in the late afternoon sun. Before the current war, this area would have been filled with jeeps and visitors, but today there were only a handful of people. Large, tented souvenir shops sat mostly empty, a languid camel or two out front. The proprietors were always happy to see us, offering us a place to recharge and a cup of tea.

Sundown saw us atop a dune arranged on comfortable red rugs, having hors d’oeuvres and drinks, bare feet in the sand, reveling in the changing views in the middle of a vast desert.

We had dinner at the Camp’s restaurant, dramatically built into a cave, before meeting our star guide, who showed us Saturn, several constellations (including Capricorn, my sign), and the North Star. Walking back to my dome before the rest of the group, I lost my way in the extreme darkness and ended up in the employee’s encampment to find staff members and a few dogs relaxing outside.

Up early to watch the sunrise, I was surprised to see a professional photographer taking wedding photos of a couple outside the domes. I walked the camp to the sound of a single bird caw, followed by one dog barking, then three. The dogs ran off into the desert as mist rose above the red sand and a faint blue sky came into focus.

The Most Moving Sights Were the Ones I’d Never Even Heard Of

The stops we made on our way to the Dead Sea were among the most emotional for me, including Mount Nebo, where Moses is believed to have viewed the Promised Land. The distant hills of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan Valley gave this area an otherworldly feel. We stopped into a serene, renovated church, originally built in 400 AD, where we saw a pristine, Byzantine mosaic floor depicting animals. It was sublime. Mosaics, from small souvenir necklaces to elaborate framed pieces of artwork and mosaic-topped tables, have a long tradition in Jordan.

In the small city of Madaba, we visited a church with a fascinating mosaic map and had lunch at Haret Jdoudna Foodcourt and Crafts — a lush courtyard setting with shops that sold modern takes on Jordanian products.

After our night at the Dead Sea, we spent a day in Jarash, where the Roman ruins are spectacular and evocative. The sky-high Hadrian’s Arch welcomed us to the ancient city where chariot races were once a common occurrence at the 15,000-seat Hippodrome.

Lunch in Jarash was on a patio many steps above a small back street under raffia chandeliers at the women-owned Bait Khairat Souf. The meal was spectacular: the standout, a huge platter of tender lamb served over rice with a pungent, lemon-y yogurt sauce. The women blend their own za’atar and schooled us in their technique. We left with tasty souvenirs — their spice blends and preserved items.

Back in Amman, a Most Modern Farewell

We spent our last night at Fairmont Amman, an absolute jewel. In the lobby, circular chandeliers with crystal teardrops shined down on vases of white lilies atop round black marble tables, dramatic black and white flooring below.

Even the wide hallways leading to the guest rooms were gorgeous. Platinum-colored carpeting with patterns of grey and yellow flowers under more crystal chandeliers made for a whole lot of beauty in a place that’s often utilitarian. My room, all shades of gold and white, was as welcoming and well designed as it could be with the silkiest sheets and a spacious bath I wished I could have enjoyed for more than one night.

Our farewell dinner at the contemporary Lebanese restaurant Um Khalil Amman, gave us a feel for modern Amman. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining on the lushly landscaped patio, and we toasted to Jasmine and Kensington Tours (with JR wines, as usual) to thank them for a week we’d not soon forget.

We made a final stop at Zalatano Brothers, the chain of sweet shops that’s been a Jordanian institution since 1860, to buy large tins of sesame cookies and baklava. I stocked up on beautiful little boxes of dark chocolates filled with pistachio cream. Samples were offered freely and the mood was upbeat — a delicious end to a week of wonder after wonder after wonder.